The difference she made!

A heart break

"It's amazing how someone can break your heart and you can still love them with all the little pieces."

The city lights of Jeddah glittered outside the expansive window, wondering about Khalid's state of utter exhaustion. The walls of his office now seemed to pulsate with the fluorescent glare of his computer screen, reflecting fatigue back at him.

His head throbbed, not just from the fluorescent assault, but from the pressure of thinking. With a groan, Khalid finally gave in to the exhaustion. He leaned back in his ergonomic chair, letting out a deep breath. His head, heavy as a sack of rice, sank onto the chair's cushioned back, and his eyes fluttered shut for a moment of reprieve.

The silence of the office, broken only by the hum of the air conditioner, was shattered by the gentle click of the door opening. Khalid's eyes snapped open. It was Salim, his ever-efficient assistant, standing by the doorway.

"Mr. Khalid," Salim said, his voice full of concern, "It's almost ten O'clock. Shouldn't you be home?" He crossed the room, his steps silent on the plush carpet. He stopped by Khalid's desk where an empty pizza box and a half-drunk bottle of Pepsi were abandoned on the desk's corner.

With a sigh, Khalid straightened in his chair, "You're right." He pointed to the Pizza box, "Thank you for the Pizza. I was starving."

"You needed fuel, and I need company." Salim said with a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. Khalid managed a tired smile. He shut down his computer. Then told Salim as he rose from his chair and started collecting his things.

"the project prepared by Nizal is a good one. I need to meet that employee. I like how he connects all the departments together by one network system."

"Not he, but she." Salim corrected and went on; "She is a new employee, but seems a smart one." Khalid nodded impressively.

Salim added a remark; "Women can come with the unexpected." He smiled and Khalid commented; "I totally agree."

With a practiced ease, Salim began sorting the reports, stacking them neatly into labeled folders. Khalid thanked Salim again before leaving.

Khalid pushed open the glass doors of the company building and stepped out into the cool night air. He tucked his hands into his pockets, wishing that Fajr's temper would be cooled down by now.

******

In the hospital..

Fajr was sitting on the same spot of the waiting area, her back to the wall and her eyes focused in the room ahead.

The missing pieces of their marriage started to link together, she'd just known how and why their marriage took place. Reem's words recounting acted as a thread, linking her present to the past.

Fajr recalled her father's talk at the beach;

"I really wish and hope that you both get married soon. Because I want to see you secured and not alone."

She recalled how Khalid was frowning when they signed the marriage contract, and what he had said to her in the day of their marriage;

"you have become under my guardianship and everyone will be relieved now."

More tears rolled down her face as she remembered his words: "those who care, worry a lot about you."

In great despair. She wrung her hands as tears fell from her eyes. Secretly, she called on Allah to cure her father. She was not aware of the whole world around her that she didn't notice when Khalid came and sat down next to her.