Stand by me

36. Promise.

"Then you can forget about it?" Alfred returned with a question. 

Safiyya felt like he was having fun in her crisis in such a situation.
"I want to take care of Yousef. I need to but I have my principles. You can't expect me to stay in your house all day," she explained helplessly.

Alfred shrugged and returned, "Don't expect me to also come over here every day to pick Joseph up. It might be at night you know. And Joseph needs all-round care because sometimes, he finds it hard to sleep so you have to stay with him almost all the time. You have to agree if you want to take care of my son,"

Safiyya was left lost for words and she weakly sat back on the soft cushion. She felt like crying and couldn't help but mumble, "How can I live in another man's house who is not my mahram or husband?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow and hissed as he almost believed in that.
"So you want to bring your religion into this when there are several of you out there who break that rule. I am not that ignorant you know?" he stated.

Safiyya immediately retorted,
"No matter what others do, it doesn't affect every individual. Just because other Muslims break the rule of their religion doesn't mean that it is a norm and I should adapt it."

"It seems like you aren't interested then," Alfred concluded and she protested, "I did not say that!"

A clap of thunder and a child's yelp broke their confrontation.
"Mummy!" Joseph cried out filled with fear and the duo matched gazes before they rushed to the bedroom. Alfred had some trepidation before stepping in but Safiyya had reached the bed already.

Joseph was frightened by the thunderclap and frantically yelled for his shield. It was a good thing that she came and wrapped her arms around him.
"It's okay, it's okay. Nothing happened," she whispered trying to calm him down by rubbing his hair. "Mummy is here,"

Joseph stopped shivering and clutched onto her hijab. "Why did you leave me?" he whimpered.

Safiyya froze at the statement but still answered him. "I'm not leaving you Yousef. Never. Look, your dad is here,"

"Dad?" Joseph was surprised and raised his head, looking at the side where Alfred was kneeling before the bed.

"Joseph, " he called out softly and expectantly. Joseph blinked and turned to Safiyya and she nodded at him. "Your  dad came to check up on you."

"Dad," Joseph gently left her arms and scurried to his father who immediately embraced him too. Finally, it's been long since they did this. Even Joseph felt the nostalgia because despite being upset with his dad, he still missed him.

Safiyya smiled at the sight and she remembered the first time she met them. That day was something else.

Joseph suddenly pulled back and frowned.
"You are not taking me away from my mummy right?" he asked worryingly.

"No son. She can stay with you," Alfred told him and his eyes widened. "Really Dad?!" he squealed and his father nodded.

"Yay! Mummy!" Joseph threw his hands up and rushed back to Safiyya hugging her neck. Safiyya felt blessed that he was happy and her gaze matched with Alfred whose lips were twitching for a smile. Will it kill him to smile once?

But he did what she had been dreading as he told Joseph. "I allowed your mummy to come to our house and stay with you but she doesn't want to,"

Joseph panicked and pursed his lips at Safiyya. "Mummy, is that true? You don't want me anymore?" his voice cracked.

Safiyya shook her head and assured him. "I promised to stay with you, baby. So, don't think that I don't want you,"

"Are you staying with him then or not?" Alfred asked from the other side, making her feel betrayed. He knows how to use her weak point.

"Mummy please," Joseph pleaded with puppy eyes. Safiyya was so upset that she just had to agree. "Okay, Yousef,"

"Yay!" he laughed and hugged her again. Safiyya glared at Alfred who shrugged nonchalantly.

He stood up and adjusted his coat.
"Come on Joseph. The rain has stopped. So let's go home,"

Joseph pulled back and looked at Safiyya. "You are coming with right?"

She blanked out before responding, "Not yet Yousef. I need to get ready first,"

"Promise?" he asked expectantly. She hesitated before nodding. "Promise,"

He grinned and they got off the bed and back to the living room. She helped him wear his bag before carrying him out.

The weather was cool and the fresh scent of rain brushed over them. Safiyya finally got the chance to scrutinize the silver car. It was the coolest car she had seen in her life and from what she knows, Alfred constructed his car himself. Hill Corp worked in partnership with an automobile company where they made advanced vehicles and this car was specially made by Alfred. She was suddenly curious to learn more about the car.

Alfred opened the car and turned to them. She avoided his gaze and sadly dropped Joseph.

"I'll miss you," she said softly and kissed his cheeks.

"I will miss you too mummy," he returned and reluctantly walked to his father. Alfred helped him into the car and glanced at Safiyya briefly before entering too. She waved her hand as the car drove off and let out the breath she was holding. 

She turned to enter only to see Jessy on the walkway staring at the path the car left in.

"Hey?" she called out. Jessy snapped out of her reverie and rushed to Safiyya. She shook her shoulders, leaving the young lady confused.

"Was that Joseph's father? As in Alfred Hill?!" she asked and Safiyya slowly nodded.

"Oh my gosh. He was in our house. What did he come to do?" she asked curiously.
Safiyya pouted and uttered nervously, "Sir Alfred agrees to me taking care of Yousef but for that, I will have to move to his house. I can't do that Jessy. He is not my father, brother, or husband and he just made me promise to move there to Yousef. I don't know what to do now."

Jessy's eyes widened and she gasped. "Is that even a problem? Why don't you just marry him?"

It was Safiyya's turn to exclaim, "Why would I do that? Wait, what are you even saying? Why will he propose that?" was her best friend hit by a donkey.

Jessy was unfazed and added, "Come on Safiyya. His son likes you, he is a single father, he is damn hot and handsome and he is Alfred Hill. Who would say no to that?!"
Safiyya just stared at Jessy like she had gone mad.