Love after Loss

Chapter 11 - Reality

Arsalan

8:30 am...
"ABBAAAAA! Aaliyah is annoying meeeee!!!!", cried Asif.

The kids were at it again, as usual. I was just trying to work on some new designs before all the actual business stuff, when Asif came running to me.

"No I'm nooooottt!", cried Aaliyah, who then came in shortly after. "You took my chocolate bar!"

"No I didn't! I already had one!", said Asif.

Suddenly, the kids remembered why they were in my room and had their hands clasped over their mouths. They turned around and saw me giving a slight glare.

"Kids..." before I could question them further they took off running after a second of silence. I took off semi-jogging/walking after them. My work can wait for 10 minutes, maybe?

Clearly they did not know that I designed this house layout, so I know every shortcut I put in. The kids took a left and I went straight through a hidden door. If they were going where I thought, the left only leads to the hallway. I came out on the other side to the living room and then ran through the main door to the hallway.

"Look, Abbu can't catch up!" Aaliyah said, slowing down with Asif. They turned the corner into the hallway and saw me there. Right on time, Aliha had come out of the living room behind them so I signalled her to stop them. The kids stopped not knowing where to go and gave up.

"Kids come here." They obeyed and walked towards me hanging their heads. I knelt down to them and tilted their heads up.

"Now tell me please. Who gave you chocolate?" They looked at each other wondering whether or not to tell me. Asif shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

"Dada gave them, Abbu." Of course.

Of course it was my dad.

I mentally face palmed myself, sighed and then I said to them, "Thank you for your honesty."

I understood why he did it. It's coming up to their mother's death anniversary. We don't really celebrate it, and the kids have sort of got used to it? I'm not sure, they don't cry or anything, but we try to make a thing of going to the graveyard every weekend instead. I can't keep them from death, I realised that before Aizah passed away. But at the same time I can't make them so disheartened about death either.

I got up on my feet and looked to my sister, who was still there watching just in case they tried to run again. "Aliha, can you you do me a favour and take them to get washed up and drink some water please?", I asked her, and she nodded.

"Come along kids, time to wash up!", she said and she took them to the kitchen whilst also telling them not to touch anything because they're going to get ants into the house. I chuckled at this, and walked away to go and see dad before going back to the study, all whilst in thought of how grateful I am that Allah gave me two of the most amazing women in the world as my mother and sister.

Aliha sort of stepped up in a way. And mum too. Some if the things I couldn't teach Aaliya, Aliha or Ammu did for me. On the days I felt guilty because I knew I'd be late from work, they'd put the kids to bed for me. Especially recently, now that Jeremy has retired and the kids are a little older, I stepped up and became CEO so as much as it is my studio and how much I get paid at the end of it, it's still a lot of hard work. Hard work that I couldn't have got through without Allah.

I knocked on Abbu and Ammu's door waiting to hear a 'come in', and after hearing it I opened to find Abbu sat at the desk furrowing his eyebrows at what seemed like... a marriage CV????

He looked up and smiled at me before putting them down on his desk again. "Ah, my son! Come here!" He waived me across and I slowly walked to him. 'Remember why you're here, Arsalan', I said to myself in my head.