Heaven From Here

twenty one

Hit me like a ray of sun, burning through my darkest night

You're the only one that I want, think I'm addicted to your light

Halo, Beyonce

"When you said you'd show me, I didn't think you'd take me to your workplace...," Hanna trailed as she made to open the car door. The car was parked in front of Saif's vet surgery.

After breakfast he had asked Hanna to get ready in her comfiest clothes; clothes she didn't mind getting dirty and to bring along an extra pair. Hanna had worn her favourite pair of joggers with an oversized hoodie and wrapped her nude coloured hijab in a simple turban. She shrugged on the first winter coat her fingers landed on as she walked out the house with her handbag and favourite pair of sneakers on.

Saif shot her a small smile and lead her in through the glass sliding doors. It was an impressive building Hanna had to admit. It was a two-story build and as she walked in, she could see that the reception area was tastefully done up.

"Good morning, Saif. What brings you in today?" Hanna heard a feminine voice say with a faint Scottish twang to it.

Hanna lagged behind as she observed how Saif leaned over the reception desk and smiled at the elderly lady sitting there.

"Hi Mary, I came in to check on the babies," He said. He looked at Hanna and raised an eyebrow as he watched her approach them slowly, cautiously.

"And who is this pretty young thing?" Mary gushed. "Aren't you just gorgeous..."

"Thank you," Hanna said with a shy smile.

"This is Hanna, my wife," Saif said the words came out stiffly from his mouth.

"Oh, don't you two make a stunning pair! Now you two head on in. I won't let any of the others know that you are here, Saif," Mary said with a dimpled smile. "Oh and don't you forget, you still owe the lot of us dinner to celebrate your wedding!" Mary called after him.

"Alright, alright," Saif answered her with a stiff smile.

"So, this place is open on the weekends as well?" Hanna asked quietly, as she followed him through the back door.

"Yeah, but just the emergency is open," Saif said offhandedly. Pausing in front one of the rooms, Saif picked up the chart that was hanging by the door and flicked through it. Hanna heard him hum as he read through the charts.

"Come on," he said as he slowly opened the room door. The room was flooded with a warm light but there was a glass divider between them. She frowned when she saw something that resembled an incubator on the other side of the glass. Hanna still was unsure what she was looking at.

She turned around when she heard the sound of water running and watched as Saif washed his hands He had already taken off his coat and he motioned for her to do the same. With a frown Hanna removed her coat and hooked it next to Saif's and washed her hands in the sink. Wiping her hands dry, she threw the tissue away in the bin and followed Saif around the room to a door. The door would give them access to whatever was on the other side of the glass partition.

Saif walked in confidently motioning Hanna to do the same. She watched as he put on the latex gloves and walked over to the end of the room when she faltered in her steps.

"Come on, don't be scared," Saif said softly. Her heart thundered in her chest as she watched Saif gently massage a snow leopard. The leopard let out a grumble of a groan, as it woke up from sleep. Blinking lazily it looked at Saif with one eye as Saif continued the massage from the head to the back of it's body. Hanna went closer and she could hear Saif murmuring something to the big cat in low tones.