The Trust She Broke

31. Lillies.

Apologies for the late update.

31.

Enjoy🌺

***

Ruqqoyah gave herself a once over in the full-length mirror situated at one corner of her room. She looked lean as she's yet to recover her weight loss due to the grief of her miscarriage.

She smoothed her hand over her Ankara dress and when her hand reached her stomach, she stopped and caressed her flat tummy. She missed feeling a life inside her. She wondered if she would have started to show by now. Even though she only carried it for less than two weeks, she still missed it.

She sighed and walked over to the bed to pick up her abaya and veil. She draped the clothes over her arm, picked up her bag, then slide her feet into her flats and exited the room.

She walked toward the dining room and met Ilyas setting a table of rice and chicken stew. He had an apron tied on, as he went back into the kitchen to return with a jug of homemade fruit juice.

"Captain chef." Ruqqoyah commented as she sat down on one of the chairs.

"At your service." Ilyas replied, smiling with a mock bow.

"So what's on the menu?" Ruqqoyah asked.

"Well," He cleared his throat. "White rice and chicken stew with homemade pineapple juice, your favorite ma'am." He said before taking his seat.

"It smells nice, let's check if it will taste the same." She dug her spoon into the food and gave a thumb up when she was done chewing.

"I know, I'm awesome." Ilyas said, fangirling himself before they fell into silence.

The chewing sound of their mouth and the clinking of the spoon against ceramic was the only sound that could be heard until Ilyas decided to break the silence.

"Are you ready to go back to work?" He questioned with concern and worry evident in his voice.

It has been two weeks since the incident occur. Although she was discharged two days after the incident from the hospital Ilyas and her family insisted she should spend some time at home before she could resume working. Staying for more than a week had been against her wish but she had no choice but to stay for over two weeks with an insisting husband.

"Yes, I'm very ready." She replied eagerly. "Besides, you know Samiah has taken weeks off because of her nikkah, it wouldn't be too good if both of us are absent at the same time." She added.

"You are okay, right? psychologically? I mean." He asked again out of concern.

Ruqqoyah didn't take the unfortunate incident well, she cried till her eyes were tired of crying and it took the persuasion of both families and her friends to keep her from breaking down.

"I'm okay now, stop worrying." She assured.

Ilyas took hold of her hand. "Thanks, babe, you are my strength, seeing you break down breaks my heart into pieces, so you have to be strong for me, okay?"

"Okay sugar." She said with a smile. "We are getting late, let's round up quickly." She said.

After they were done eating, Ilyas cleared up the plate and put it inside the kitchen sink.

"Are you set?" He asked when he got back into the dining room and met Ruqqoyah already with her abaya on and putting her veil in place.

"Yes." She answered.

"Let's go then."

"You look good in that by the way." Ruqqoyah said.

"Oh thank..." He stopped when he looked down at his clothing and noticed he hasn't removed the apron.

"You chipmunk, you should have told me." He said as he rushed back into the kitchen.

"I just did." She said in between laughs.

***

After Ilyas drove off, Ruqqoyah entered the boutique and greeted the attendants who in turn ask about her well-being to which she gave replies accordingly.

"There's a delivery for you ma." One of the sales girls, Labiba, said.

"Oh, what is it?" Ruqqoyah asked.

"It was a bouquet, I've placed it on your desk." Labiba explained.

"Thanks." Ruqqoyah said as she head to the office. She wondered who it could have been that sent the bouquet, probably her husband, brother, or one of her friends, as a cheer-up gesture.

She entered the office and walked toward her desk. Just as Labiba said, there laid a bouquet on her desk. She didn't know what sort of flower it was until she picked it up. It was lilies of two different colours.

Lilies.

It wouldn't have bothered her to receive lily flowers but for the odd way they were arranged, it was more than a cheer-up gesture. The bouquet contained lilies of pink colour but a white lily was put in the middle making it stand out.

There is only one person in her life who used to call her and compare her to lily. The arrangement of the bouquet was meant to bring back memories she was trying so hard to forget. Memories she wished were just nightmares that never occur in her life.

It was a message.

She examined the bouquet well and noticed a small note amidst the flowers. Dreadfully, she opened it and couldn't control her enraged heart when she checked the content.

'Let's meet.'

She was right after all, it was a message from none other than Him. She neither knew when she dropped the bouquet nor was she aware of when she slumped and her butt hit the floor. She buried her head between her palm and at that moment, she didn't know what to do with her life.

'Let's meet.'

The word rang over again and again in her head. She knew sooner or later the moment she dreaded the most will arrive, she just didn't know how soon. The moment she gets to meet Him again. The moment to face her doom and engage in interpersonal communication with her nemesis.

She didn't know for how long she sat on the floor, she stood up with a determined mind. If he wants to meet her then so be it. She's done avoiding the unavoidable. She picked up the bouquet and threw it into the garbage can at the far corner of the office. She examined the note again and decided to keep it with her.

After sitting for a while and couldn't get any work done because of her state of mind, she picked up her bag and exit the office. Barely spending an hour at work, she decided to call it a day.