When Skies Are Exposed

Chapter 24

Salaam.
Things are getting a little heated.
Who do you think tried to shoot Tawfiq and Naima?
Well I can't say yet though😁
Anyways let's get on with it.

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"No! Mama!"

Naima woke up suddenly with a scream only to feel a pair of hands wrap around her quickly.

"Shhh... It's alright. I got you. Everything is okay." Tawfiq rubbed her back soothingly in assurance.

What happened? She thought. The last thing she remembered was being shot at by someone and running off with her in Tawfiq's arms. After that everything was just blank.... Except the nightmare.

She started to cry more and wrapped her hands around Tawfiq's waist tightly. She cried into his shirt and he just hugged her tightly.

"Don't cry, Habiba. Everything is okay now. No one got hurt." Tawfiq assured.

"No, not the shooting. I... I had a.... night.... mare... about... my.... mom..." Naima struggled to say as the tears flowed.

"Calm down. Breathe." Tawfiq said and she took in deep breaths before releasing.

"That's it. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He tucked her behind her ear.

"It's my fault! I caused everything! She wouldn't have died if I had just listened to her from the beginning!" Naima cried harder. Tawfiq moved on to the bed with her and pulled her closer to him. If that was even possible.

"You can't blame yourself for something that was supposed to happen, Habiba. It wasn't your fault."

"You don't get it. I killed her!" She screamed.

Tawfiq's eyes widened but he said nothing. He just gave her a sad look.

"You don't mean what you are saying." Tawfiq said sympathetically.

"No! I stood by as she bled to death. I did nothing. I said nothing. I may not have physically pulled the trigger but maybe she wouldn't have died if I had called for help. If I hadn't been so scared. I wish I could go back in time and help her." Naima cried as Tawfiq caressed her cheeks.

She was saying something she had never said before. How her mother died. She had never talked about it so they never found the culprits. But what would that change? Her mother was still dead.

Tawfiq had other stuff in his mind. If her mother never died, she wouldn't have moved to Valley View with her father. She wouldn't have met Tawfiq and they'd never had gotten married and had Karim.

"You were just a kid. You had no idea what to do. You were just scared."
Tawfiq explained.

"I wasn't supposed to be scared. I loved the rain. I loved the thunder especially. I was supposed to be brave like my mom. Not scared. I did this! It's my fault! I wish I died wit......"
Tawfiq sat up straight and stopped her before she could end her death wish

" NO! You don't get to say something like that! I get it. You are angry at yourself. I would be if I was in your shoes. But you don't get to wish death upon yourself! You. DON'T. Get. To. Do. That. To. Us.... To me! I'm really sorry for your mom's death. I really am. But it was Allah's wish and there is nothing you could have done about it." He raked his hair.
" If it hadn't happened, I'd never have met you. You'd never be in my life. And Karim would never have been here with us. I don't know how I would become if you didn't appear in my life. I can't imagine life without you. " Tawfiq held her face in his hands. She looked into his eyes and sniffed as she tried to control her tears.