TO FEEL AGAIN [A Christmas Special]

Chapter 1: London To Abu Dhabi

Welcome to the Christmas Special, you and Harry are about to have a lovely holiday. I can't wait to read your comments and thoughts, happy holidays x

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It's not like you didn't like the holidays; you appreciated the idea of community building and the healthy need to splurge and spend time with the people that mattered the most.

There was hardly any snow in your city but the cold sure reminded you about winter and how lonely it gets without firm hands to wrap around you.

Year after year you've spent the holidays either curled up in your warm bed or struggling to fit into Salma's many holiday parties. Despite not being Christians or believing in Christmas, her family somehow managed to make it less lonely for you.

Being an only child and having your expat parents living their best middle aged lives, you truly cannot get enough of the loneliness bubbling in you heart.

This year is a little different, after harassing your father into allowing you get him a holiday gift, you have been sent on what looks like an irritatingly exhausting mission. The man knows what he wants and your mother is solidly behind his back - you're the diligent daughter who asked after all, might as well stick to your promise.

The cold streets of Hendon are not helping your quest and Salma huffs as she tugs the thick woolly scarf now tangled with her thick black curls. You fight a laugh as you use your phone map to guide yourselves through the streets, searching for a store your ex-boyfriend had suggested your checked out.

This is what it has come to, reaching out to your ex to help find your father a gift.

"Fuck me," Salma groans, saying your name and pinching your elbow.

"Speak with words!" you cry out.

Salma ignores you and pulls you to what looks like a store. Your eyes light up as the map indicates you've arrived at your destination but there's a hint of confusion as you scan your surroundings.

"It's a Halal meat shop babe," she rubs her palms.

"I don't get it, Aidan said it was a music shop -"

"Record store. No, Aidan was wrong," she rolls her eyes after correcting you.

"He made me get into this bloody cold for nothing," your voice is higher.

"My goodness, don't cry on me now," Salma groans.

"I promised my dad this one gift, I had one job," you sigh.

Salma sighs, putting a supportive hand around you and pulling you away from the meat shop that's blasting loud music. You're tempted to get in there and buy some meat for your solo Christmas dinner but you stop yourself.

"Baba will understand," she smiles.

"He will but he never asks for gifts. I literally forced him to ask for something," you groan.

"Were you really going to buy some old record and ship it to Abu Dhabi?" she laughs, getting out her phone.

"Of course,"

There's an extra need to overcompensate with your parents; you left them by themselves after graduating from university in Abu Dhabi, you hardly interact with them because of your guilt and you hardly travel to see them because you feel they deserve their space.

Christmas has always been your father's favourite holiday and that man has a lot of favourite things.

The idea of calling them with the bad news is hurting your heart because you already know your father is getting you a lovely gift and your mother is waiting for you to join them after the new year for a little break.