Twice Upon Qadr - A Shot At Love **EDITING**

Chapter 43

“I look horrible.” Hana muttered to herself as she went over her reflection in Ilham’s mirror for what felt like the millionth time. Yusra and Amir were having a small get together to celebrate Hisham’s partnership, and of course, they had invited Hana. She had been trying to put together an outfit that was perfect out of her sister’s clothes, but she was kind of having a hard time.  

She was freaking out of course because it was the first time she was seeing Houssam since ‘the incident’, as she was now referring to it. What surprised her the most was that he hadn’t even tried to get in touch with her. In the past when they had had fights he always text her or emailed, or showed up at her classroom. But she had heard nothing from him so far, and that worried her, especially considering he knew that she liked him.

What if he was totally repulsed by her now!? She wasn’t talking to Kalthoum either, so she had no clue if he was still with her. Not knowing was terrible, and she hated the feeling of helplessness.

“Amtu, Mama wants to know if you are ready?” Layla asked as she pushed open the door and Hana turned around to smile at her niece.

“I’m having a hard time figuring out an outfit. What do you think Layla?”

Layla’s face lit up, and she dashed over to her mother’s closet, looking through the clothes eagerly, before pulling out a black butterfly Abaya that had silver sequins cinched at the waist and on the wrists.

“Wear this! It’s so pretty!” she exclaimed, and Hana smiled.

“With what scarf?”

Layla ran towards Ilham’s scarf drawers, and pulled out a sparkling silver Hijab which she handed to her Aunt.

“This will look so pretty. You’re going to be so pretty, Amu Houssam will want to marry you right there!”

Hana felt her heart beat painfully.

“Habibti, I don’t think Amu Houssam and I are going to get married.”

Layla frowned.

“Why not? I think you are the cutest!” she exclaimed, and Hana smiled.

“Things aren’t always so simple habibti.” She said, and when the little girl just stared at her in confusion, she smiled, and gave her a hug. “Tell Mama I’ll be right down.”

Once Layla had scampered away, Hana pulled on the Abaya, before putting the scarf on, redoing it no less than five times.

***

“Okay. I’ve had enough of this nonsense. We are going to fix them up otherwise my name isn’t Yusra AbdulJabbar Shaykh!”

Amir laughed, and wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist, before bending to kiss her.

“Love, don’t over exert yourself.” He warned, and she smiled, before smoothing out the back of his hair, standing on her tiptoes in the process.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” She turned around to flip the pan that was holding grape leaves. “I am planning on bribing Houssam. He can’t have any grape leaves until he talks to Hana.”

“You are evil.” Amir said with a chuckle, and she laughed, before sliding her arms around his waist. He brought an arm around her, and kissed her head, before placing a hand on her stomach.

“How’s my little boy?”

She raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“You know a lot of people would be saying it was a girl!”

Amir shook his head with a grin.

“I know, and for a little while, I wanted a girl. But I have a feeling it’s another boy!”