Bookworms | ✔

sixty-seven

Oh shit.

Nicholas's eyes widened at the sight of his wife, her eyes swelling with tears that silently slid down the curve of her cheek, lips trembling as she resisted the frustration that tore her apart. Guilt prickled at his skin, causing shivers to crawl down his spine, realization dawning like a new moon.

How could Nicholas possibly make things better when he had no control over the circumstances?

His limbs felt frozen as if ice had infiltrated his nerves and caused the ice age to occur once again, his body a tundra to his emotions, fear as crippling as before. He hated the tears that spilled over his parents. He hated the sadness that laced her usually vibrant brown eyes. He hated the flush of fury splashed against her cheeks.

Yet he knew that as her husband he couldn't let her fall alone. He had to be her strength during her dark days just as she had always done for him.

Walking over towards her, he held his arms out, an invitation for his comfort if she needed.

Being the stubborn girl she was, Dina shook her head, choosing to lean her frame against the wall, arms wrapped around herself. She wanted to isolate her sadness, wanted to keep her thoughts in when she knew the blood ties that ran through him.

It wasn't easy to know her in-laws hated her. It wasn't easy to digest that she was hated for her background. When strangers hated her, she stood with her armor and sword, ready to fight against all odds, ready to defend her deen (religion) with the words of Allah on her tongue, yet when his parents hated her, she was left speechless.

"Dina," he pleaded, voice raspy. "Don't push me away."

"You don't get it," she whispered, averting her gaze downwards. Her hair fell over her eyes, a black curtain to hide herself from the world, to keep her emotions a secret.

"That's not true."

"It is," she meekly said. "They hate me, Nick."

His arms fell idly at his sides. "I know."

"They hate me because of who I am. They don't approve of us, Nick. She never would consider me her daughter-in-law."

He hated that tone of hers, hated the sound of defeat lacing her voice. He couldn't stand it.

The more she spoke, the more the knife gutted him. The more she whispered her grief, the more he wanted to scream and shout. It wasn't fair to her, and he knew that, but what could he do? How could Nicholas fix his parents' mistake?

Nicholas's fierce blue eyes had a storm brewing when he gazed at her. "I don't care about what they think," he insisted. "You shouldn't either. I love you, and I married you because of our love. I married you for my reasons, not theirs. They can't tell me otherwise."

Her head lifted, red, puffy eyes meeting his in her own ferocity as if she was a lioness protecting her pride. "I care because they're your family, Nicholas. Parents matter in Islam. Family is important to me, and if your parents hate me then what does that say about our union?" she harshly questioned, unable to suppress the painful gasp. The mask dissolved, leaving shattered pieces of her breath. "H-How am I supposed to react to this? W-What did I do wrong?"

This time, Nicholas did pull her into his arms, even though she resisted at first. He knew she needed him, and even if she continuously pushed him away, he would fight even more to stay by her side. Even if the universe pulled them apart, he would run back to her in a heartbeat.

That was his vow from the day he asked for her hand.

Her hands rested on his chest, still as stone. "It hurts," she whispered, dejectedly.

"Nothing they do will ever tear us apart In Shaa Allah (if God wills it). I can promise you that."

"Why don't they like me, Nick?" she asked softly, a lone tear sliding down. His heart squeezed painfully within his chest. "I-I don't understand."

He sighed deeply, arms tightening around her small frame. "That's the thing about hate. Sometimes, it doesn't make sense."

Dina gazed up at him with her doe-like eyes. "Not very comforting," she said disapprovingly.

Nicholas rested his forehead against hers, nipping at her nose playfully. "I'm trying," he defended himself with a tight smile. "Look, my parents are crazy. You know that."

"So?"

"So, don't take what my mother said to heart. You're absolutely perfect," he said softly, kissing her briefly on the lips. "I mean it."

She shrugged. "My in-laws don't think so."

"But I do. Isn't that what really matters?"

This time, Dina sighed, releasing the tension from her breath. "You're right," she said, wiping at her cheeks. "I'm sorry that I'm overreacting. I don't know what's wrong with me."

This is uncharted territory. What do I say to that?

He bit his lip. "Don't worry about it. Do you have classes today?"

Dina frowned. "You could have said that I was perfectly normal but alright," she muttered to herself.

Nicholas paled, feeling the need to punch himself over something so obvious. Well, clearly romance is not my point of strength.

She flicked his chest, smiling. "I'm joking," she reassured him, the previous weight of uncertainty erased from her eyes, and her vibrant personality shining through once more like the sun after a storm. "Though, it would be nice if you could tell me I wasn't crazy."

"Okay, you're not crazy," he followed immediately.

"Much better."

The two erupted into laughter soon after, lost in each other's presence to even remember the horrid phone call. That was how Allah blessed the believers, and as Nicholas would soon learn, sometimes with the right people and a lot of faith, no calamity seemed too great to handle. He had a wife who held his pillar just as he hugged hers. Together, they were an unbreakable force, a dynamic duo, a perfect match.

----

Been having one of the worst of days, but it's all good. I was productive with this chapter :3 I hope that chapter was still at a good level of writing.

Poor Nick. Dina really knows how to scare him LOL.

Anyway, do you think his parents will ever learn to accept Dina?

Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!