LOVE TRIALS

xii

The water hears and understands.
The ice does not forgive.

-six of crows

●

Hamza woke up to find her absent from their bed, it was still too early in the morning for her to be out of it.

He hurriedly rose from the bed to go the bathroom when it occurred to him she was still suffering from the bouts of morning sickness. Hamza found her standing before the mirror, he stopped, his eyebrows drawing together when he saw his wife talking to herself.

Sophia stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror, she wore Hamza's trousers and a dark shirt, she had gathered it on her midriff as she caressed her flat stomach.

She wouldn't begin to show until 12 weeks. It's been two weeks, it was still incredibly hard for her to believe she had a baby in there.

"I am sorry," she muttered, softly. "I am sorry, I said all those things a few days ago. You're not even here and I love you, already. I don't regret you. No matter what happens I'd never regret you, baby. I promise."

She swore as tears rolled down her cheeks, Hamza had to take a step back and compose himself, he blew a breath and plastered a smile on his mouth

He sent a quick prayer before he walked into the washroom and laughed, quietly.

"You aren't showing, yet."

Her grin stretched from ear to ear, "I will in a few weeks. Ufff! I can't wait to hold the baby in my arms, Hamza."

Hamza wanted to hold her in his arms and squeeze her, he did just that. His arms circled her petite waist, tightly and he gathered her close to his heart, it was ready to burst out of his chest.

"Be a good father, okay?" Sophia said, slapping his chest, lightly as she pulled away.

Hamza dropped down to his knees, his face level with her bare stomach, Hamza placed a chaste kiss on her belly.

"When people will ask our baby, who our baby loves more, mama or baba? The answer will always be baba. Just you wait, Sophia," Hamza said, cheekily, spreading his hands on her waist.

"InshaAllah, Hamza," Sophia said, half-laughing and half-crying as she pulled him up from the floor.

●

The following days were a flurry of events, Munizeh had arrived with her little family.

"Sophia, sit, "Hamza said when she rose to fetch tissues for little Amaan who had made a mess of the icecream, he was eating.

Hamza sat the kid in his lap, wiping his arms and mouth along with his shirt but he desperately needed a change of clothes.

Munizeh had been mostly quiet, she talked when spoken, too, spending most of her time observing her brother's conduct.

"He is fussier, today," Hamza said, removing his wristwatch, he gave it to Amaan, it seemed to have caught his attention and calm him.