Just Make Du'aa

• t h i r t y • t h r e e •

Dina

"Queso all the way!" Farouz yelled, lifting the jar of salsa above his head so that I can't reach, "this may be your night but I will not let you bring such an atrocity into our house. I simply won't have it."

Reaching as high as I could, even placing my hand on his shoulder for support, I could barely graze his wrist. The salsa remained untouched. "Farouz," my plea was weakened by the giggles building up in my chest, "give it back! I want the salsa."

"No!" he yelped, drawing curious gazes from passing shoppers, "I can't believe you've never tried the queso. If I had known this before I would've never agreed to marry you."

I finally lost control, leaning against him as laughter bubbled up and rendered me weak. "Come on," I breathed, feeling Farouz finally relax and laugh with me. "Seriously," I whined when I had finally collected myself, "give me the salsa."

He hid it behind his back and looked at me, nibbling on his lower lip as if deep in thought. I found myself studying him, something I've been doing a lot lately. Watching how his eyebrows met in the middle as he twisted his face thoughtfully. His brown eyes squinted, eyelashes so long they shed a soft shadow on his cheeks. His lips were slightly dry from the hot weather, but still so unbelievably pink and inviting. Everything about him too my breath away, I was hopelessly in love with Farouz. And that feeling had only multiplied during the past month.

After my grandmother died we didn't stay for long, I couldn't bare it. So we returned home, but I felt that I had left part of me in Egypt. During the past year we had both experienced hardships that threatened to wreck us entirely, but none of them involved losing the other in the way I had lost my grandmother. I didn't understand it, how losing her seemed to create a whole right in the middle of my chest so that I couldn't breathe. I let myself go and properly mourn. I let everything go, and I was sure that when I came back to it all everything would be a mess. And I would have been right, if Farouz wasn't by my side.

He made sure my schoolwork, my internship, clubs, and the house were all on track and in order so that when I came back all I had to do was step out of the house and carry on as normal. It was the first time we did it together, I saw how determined he was to make sure I was ok and that I took my time. He was gentle with me, during the nights when all I wanted to do was remember her and miss her, he held me and listened. Farouz encouraged me, cooked for me, and stayed right by my side until I felt okay again. Then when I was ready to go back he helped me study for my finals and prepare for graduation while working.

I graduated on May 27th, sitting with my friends in a gown that was too warm for the beating summer sun. It was a proud moment for all of us, but it seemed that the one enjoying it the most was sitting with my family in the bleachers. Farouz found me as soon as we dispersed. Our friends and family were all there but he still ran and lifted me off the ground in a tight hug, spinning me as I laughed in shock. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered in my ear, his own reddening at the realization of how we looked to my family and our friends. "I'm so in love with you and I'm so proud of you," he hugged me closer.

Aladdin, Brendon, and Amity also graduated with me. Farouz also hugged his friends and congratulated Amity before taking my hand and suggesting we throw a party. "For you," he said, "I think you deserve a night where we acknowledge how badass you were this year."

And a party sounded nice, but Amity, Brenden, Aladdin, and so many more of my friends were already throwing parties, and I would see the same people over and over again. Besides, what I really wanted was a night with Farouz, just the two of us hanging out with the purpose of just hanging out. Like a real planned time, instead of it just happening because we lived together. I couldn't remember the last time Farouz and I just enjoyed each other's company, we were both so busy in these past few months, and don't get me wrong I loved that. But at that moment all I really wanted was to feel like the newlywed I technically still was, so I dismissed the party proposal for a night in instead. Plus, it was his birthday soon, so it made more sense for it to just be us.