| DISSONANT | ✔

D|15×

I pull my robe together, slicing some onions while I shed tears. I sniffle, wiping the tears that rolled down my cheek.

The door opened as mama appeared. "Well done, Yasmin. Do you need a hand?"She walks towards me. "No. I'm fine. Thank you." I try to pull myself together but I pause so I could clear my eyes.

Mama takes it away from me. "Sit down, you cry easily." Mama slices it, smiling. "Thank you." I press a tissue on the eye. "So what happened yesterday?" She asks as I furrow my brow. "Did you fight yesterday night?" She asks without looking at me. "You heard?"

"I heard you apologizing about something."

"Oh that. It was nothing, just a misunderstanding." I smile. "I hope everything is fine." She glances at me then raised an eyebrow, signalling me.

"I don't think I understand."

"You're not depriving each other...." She trails off, raising her brows again before I got it. I know nothing happened but I felt so embarrassed.

I chuckle nervously as I shift my eyes away from hers. "Everything is fine." She chuckles. "Sorry, I put you in an awkward situation." She keeps the knife and washes her hands. "It's fine."

"I don't want to seem like I'm prying. I just want you to be happy no matter what and I also want a grandchild." She sits beside me. I glance at her, she smiles wider at me. A few thoughts crosses my mind. "Why don't you dislike me after hearing all of that?"

She takes a deep breath. "I didn't want to judge you too soon and this happened to me before so I understand. I'm not going to say I was jubilant when I heard he was going to get married to you because he's my son and I want the best for him. That was before I met you and then I felt better I really do hope you are the best for him."

I nod, appreciating her honesty. "Thank you for your honesty." I say when Kareem walks into the kitchen. "What is happening?" He asks opening the fridge to take a bottle of water.

"Nothing, just going start cooking." I stand up, walking to my ingredients. "You say nothing a lot nowadays when there's obviously something."

He opens the bottle of water and drank gulps of it. I chuckle, shaking my head. "I'll be back." Mama leaves the kitchen.

"I like your mother." I say leaning on the island. "Yeah, she cooled down over the years. She was an iron Lady when I was in high school." He stands beside me. "She has two boys, I don't blame her." He looks at me while I spoke."Thank god she was, I would've been something else."

"I guess its one of the things that made Kareem Mohammed."

"I guess so, what about you?"

"Me, let me see....you'll say my step sister. I try to stop doing a lot of things and avoided it because she would rat me out." Kareem crosses his arms, like he was thinking. "Do you get along?" He looks at me. "Nope, you could say she hates me." I shrug my shoulders, my eyes locking with his.

I look away, taking out my phone so I could show him a picture. I scroll through my gallery to see a picture of my family and I show him. "This is your sister?" He asks looking back at me and I nod. "You don't look alike." He hands the phone back to me.

I nudge him a bit with my elbow. "She's my sister." He raises his hands, backing away. "Mama is still not back."

I look around and walk to the door. I was about to open the door when she walks in. "Let's continue cooking. You're going to help us with adding the spices." She says as he shoves it in his pocket. "What am I going to stir?"

Kareem stirs it carefully. "You know how to stir." I tease him and he glances at me. "I am not retarded." He continues stirring when his phone rings from his jogger's pocket. "Are you going to answer it?"

"Help me check it, please." I pull it out of his pocket. "Bilkisu." I inform looking at him. "Ignore it." I nod, putting it back in his pocket. "Thank you."

***********

I walk to the door leading to the balcony. Kareem sat down, looking at the sky. I roll my eyes then opened the door.

"Hey." I close the door, sitting on the chair beside him. "Hey." He says without looking at me.

"Are you looking at the sky?"

"No, thinking. I even forget that I'm looking at the sky." He looks at me.

"What are you wearing?" He refers to my silk sleeveless dress. "Mama told me to wear this because its just sitting there. She worked on my boxes of clothes."

I smile as he turns to look back at the sky. "I know this might be unbearable for you, I'm sorry." He apologizes. "No, I like it. Someone that cares and understands me besides, I am less bored now."

He smiles and sighs. "I should go in, sitting here is not something I do. I'm also interrupting your moment." I stand up, holding the door handle. "You can stay if you want to." He turns to look at me and I chuckle. "If you want me to stay, just say it." He turns back with a light groan.

"You can go." I smile before going inside. I'll go talk to mama. I knock on the door without an answer. I look around and I couldn't find her. I sigh when I see a leg in the bathroom. I slowly walk and found her lying on the floor.

I rush to her side, shaking her. "Mama, mama!" She groans, her eyes fluttering open. "What is it?" She asks. "Mama, thank god. We should go to the hospital, you passed out." She sits up, rubbing her forehead. "No, I'm fine. I fell down, you know old people nowadays."

I help her stand up. "We should still go." I insist. "No, Yasmin. I want to rest, don't worry. I'm fine."
She smiles, trying to convince. "Are you sure?"

She nods, patting me on the shoulder. "Of course but don't tell Kareem. He's going to exaggerate it. Now go sleep, I'll rest too." I nod, still not convinced but I excused her not to persist.

Maybe I'm just exaggerating.

I shake it off, entering my room as I see Kareem shirtless. He sits down, using his phone. "Could you please close the door?" I close the door, feeling embarrassed a bit. "Oh, sorry." I close the door, walking to my side. "How's mama?"

"She's resting. When did you come here? I just went to her." I check my box for night gowns but I just saw lingeries.

Mama.

"Immediately you left, I followed. I got bored." He lies down, looking at the ceiling while I checked the bathroom for my robe. "Have you seen my robe?"

"The worn out robe? Nope."

I carry the most decent lingerie. "I think your mom wants us to have sex." He snaps his head at me. "What makes you think that?"

"She hid the rest of my night gowns and left this." I show him the lingerie as he chuckles. "It's not funny."

"I don't have any thing else to give you to wear. My shirts are in my room and mama is resting."

I groan. "What about your shirt?"

"I stained the shirt, remember?"

"I can literally wear anything but this." I walk to the bathroom so I could change.

"Goodluck!".

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