On the Other Side

12

Three days later

The sweet smell of freshly baked blueberry muffins greeted Laila the moment she walked into her parent's two storey home. She could hear the low rumble of voices and she followed the sound until she reached the kitchen.

Amina was drinking something out of a mug whilst watching her husband Denzel do the dishes. It was a scene that Laila was fond of as it reminded her of how she would help her father clear up after dinner whilst her mother relaxed.

Holloway's bark alerted them of her presence as he trotted over to the already opened garden door.

"I hope he hasn't left any marks anywhere, Laila!" Amina warned, kissing her daughter's cheek. Laila moved onto her father and did the same to his clean shaven cheek.

"He's clean, I promise you. How are you feeling, Daddy?"

Denzel lifted his slim shoulders in a shrug. "Your mother's got me doing these dishes - I must be doing okay."

She smiled at the glare Amina gave him, hoping and praying to have a love like theirs in her own life. 30 years of marriage and a love so strong that it was damn near unbreakable. Neither had ever stepped out on the other, all quarrels were resolved before bed time and they held each other in the highest regard.

Laila acknowledged how lucky she was to have grown up in such a loving home and it only served to make her yearn for a similar household for herself.

"It's nearly time for the Grayson Dinner," Amina began, eyeing Laila carefully. "You don't have long to find a date and-."

Rolling her eyes, Laila regretted making the short journey to her parent's house. She had hoped for a nice, relaxing evening after work and instead she was going to get a headache. As her mother started listing potential suitors, her father chimed in with his own opinion. "That Lucas boy was no good, so I won't even let her anywhere near-."

"I could always go on my own." She mumbled in response. The scowl her mother gave her was classic. "It's not that big of a deal. Last year was a disaster and the year before-."

"You went with Adrian."

Mentioning Adrian's name reminded Laila that she was still yet to reply to his message. She hadn't even brought up the topic to Hakeem like she had planned to. She was trying to stall and hold it off for as long as possible because a small small part of her wanted to go and have the dinner with Adrian.

"You know he's back in town." Amina continued, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You should call him and set something up, Laila, it would be good to reconnect."

Denzel's eyes almost bulged out of his head at the suggestion. He too knew the details of Adrian's deceit and he wasn't his biggest fan. "There is no way in hell. I'd rather she stick needles in her eyes, Amina."

"And did you forget that I told you that I was seeing someone?"

Her mother shrugged. "When has that ever stopped your generation? There's nothing wrong with keeping your options open. Besides, Is this thing of yours serious?"

"Pretty serious, yeah!"

By this point, Denzel had finished the dishes and was listening in on the conversation intently. He crossed his arms over his chest and instantly went into 'protective dad' mode. "You're seeing somebody? Why was I not alerted of this?"

"I'm surprised she didn't say anything to you, to be honest Daddy."

"I didn't think it was anything serious. You said he lived near Eastland Ave so I assumed it wasn't anything that serious."