Love Me on Valentine's Day || ✔️

3.3 // the rememberance

3 . 3 / / t h e   r e m e m b e r a n c e

Summer // Age 11

ALEXANDRIA NEVER meant to eavesdrop on her brother and his fiancé, but it was not her fault that they were fascinating.

She was supposed to call them downstairs for a family game night, which was all a show for Jamila—her brothers fiancé. They have never done family game night before. They weren't that kind of family.

As eleven-year-old Alexandria walked towards her brother's room, she was ready to barge in and announce their plans for the night when she paused at the sound voices. The door was left slightly ajar and she saw Khalil and Jamila cuddled together on the bed. Khalil had his arm wrapped around Jamila's waist, his chest to her back, his chin on her shoulder. Her hands were resting on his and her eyes closed, a content look on both their faces. Something about the way they were so comfortable in each other's company halted Alexandria. There was so much love, one would have to be blind not to see it in the way they held each other and spoke to one another.

"Are you going to call your dad?" Khalil whispered. Alex was sure it wasn't because he feared someone will hear, but because the intimacy of things sometimes made one speak in hushed tones.

"I don't think so," Jamila said. She turned around in his arms and faced him, her hand tracing the lines of his face. "He doesn't deserve to be there with us. He doesn't deserve my happiness."

Khalil nodded, turning his head to press his lips to her palm. "I just don't want you to regret anything. But whatever you want to do, I'm there for you, love."

Alex couldn't see her, but she was almost sure that Jamila was smiling. "I love you, Khalil. So much."

"I love you, too. I'm so lucky you're marrying me," he said. Jamila's laugh echoed in the room as Khalil pulled her on top of him and kissed her. Alex knew that that was enough, and moved away. She told her parents that the couple were asleep, but all throughout that night and into the next day, she couldn't stop thinking about what she saw. Was that what it looked like to be in love?

♡♥︎♡♥︎♡

Alexandria couldn't help it. The following afternoon, when Jamila was out with Alex's mother and sister, she went to talk to Khalil. Her brother was sitting on the couch, pretending to watch T.V. when he was actually on his phone, texting. She sat on the couch beside him and cleared her throat.

"Yes?" he asked amusedly, watching her cross her short legs and try to appear professional.

"How do you know when you love someone?" she asked in the abrupt way children often do.

Khalil's eyebrows shot up and he dropped his phone on his lap. He laughed slightly, "Why? You're too young for that."

"I want to know."

"Uh, shouldn't you ask Mom about this?" Alex narrowed her eyes at him.

"You love Jamila, right?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do," he looked offended.

"So how did you know you did?"

Khalil sighed and muted the T.V., turned towards his sister and looked at her. "You can't really explain it, you just . . . know," when she didn't look convinced he said, "I guess when you think about that person all the time, want them to be happy, see them smile and laugh. It's when you feel like your heart is beating when you're with them like it's your first time. When their touch is just as electrifying the millionth time as the first time . . ." Khalil trailed off, his eyes and mind on something—someone—far from here.

Alexandria cleared her throat, an unimpressed scowl on her face. "Well. That's useless," and then she got off the couch to her room and soon forgot about it.

But as Alexandria sat staring at the Invite from Caleb, she remembered what Khalil said to her. It was the same as what Caleb said he felt, the same thing she felt. Suddenly her answer was as clear as day.

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Hi everyone! What do you think of this chapter?

I love writing about young Alexandria. There's something about writing from the POV of a child that I really enjoy. Also, this chapter inspired the companion novel to Love Me on Valentine's Day and I'm excited to start working on it!

See you next chapter (only three more left!),
Sage