His Irreplaceable Love.

Chapter Five

When Zayd came home that day, Aliya ran toward him and hugged him. But he pushed her away, causing Aliya to fall and hurt her knee.

Even though she was just three years old, Aliya knew that her father wouldn't care about her or even love her.

Zayd was convinced that Aliya wasn't his daughter, and Rukiya didn't make it easy for him.

On each of Aliya's birthdays, Nanny Lea took her to see Zayn, who is her cousin and the son of her Uncle Aryan, as she didn't want her to feel lonely whenever she would see Alina with her father.

It became a tradition for Nanny to take her to see Zayn on her birthday.

I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. Just for Farha and for you, Aliya. Regret will pass very soon, Zayd, and there's nothing that you can do to prevent it.

Meanwhile, Alina couldn't help but feel alone, even if she was with her mother and father. She didn't feel the love and care that a mother would give her children.

As Nanny and Aliya arrived at their destination, James parked the car and helped them out of it.

When Aliya saw the decorations, she had a huge smile on her face and looked at her Nanny Lea, who smiled back at her.

"Ali, come here," her cousin Zayn called out to her.

Even though Zayn is almost two years older than her, he considers himself to be her big brother and protector.

"Go and play, princess, and when it's time to cut the cake, I will call you," Nanny Lea tells the beaming little girl, who couldn't control her happiness when she saw her friends.

"Thank you, and I love you, Nanny," she says to Nanny Lea, then kisses her on the cheek before running toward her friends.

Muskaan(Red)

Zayn.

"Asalam Aleikum, Nanny. How are you?" Aryan says to her as he walks toward her.

"Waleikum Salam, I am good, alhamdullilah, and you?" Nanny asks him, knowing that it was hard to cope when they both lost important people in their lives.

Ahad had lost his wife, Aliya when Zayn was just two months old due to an accident. A hit-and-run.

"All I can say is Alhamdullilah. We will be fine," he says, looking at his niece, son, and their friends playing on the field. "How is she doing? Soon she will have to start school..."

They both knew that Zayd wouldn't even care if Aliya went to school or not. He has even told Nanny that Aliya will never be his daughter, even if her birth certificate has his name on it.

"Yes, I know. She is doing great, alhamdulillah. And she has been sleeping with her mom's picture ever since she saw it in the cupboard," Nanny Lea explained to Aryan. "I tell her stories about Farha before going to bed every night. How I wish that things ended differently and Farha would have been alive today, celebrating Aliya's birthday with us", she added, wiping her tears.

"I wish that too, Nanny. Every day, but we just have to accept that it is Allah's will and not ours. And we need to always be thankful for Aliya every day", Aryan tells Nanny, who smiles at him, knowing that he is right.

"Do you remember when your parents brought you home? And when Farha found out, she was beyond happy that she finally had a big brother that would always protect her..."

"I remember, and I disliked that she called me her big brother. But you know what? She was right about protecting her," Aryan says, pointing at Aliya, who was smiling and laughing with her cousin and friends. "I am protecting her as her daughter. She was there when I lost my wife and Zayn's mother, and now I need her to scold me when I am doing something wrong, but she isn't," he added.

"I am thankful that Aliya has you to protect her and to care for and love her," Nanny Lea tells Aryan as she explains what happened a month ago when Aliya hugged Zayd. "I told you this, not because you would get angry, but to let you know that she knows who her father is. And yet, she dusted herself off and walked out of the room without crying. When I asked her why she wasn't crying, Aliya told me that she doesn't know him," she added, surprising Aryan.

"It seems that Aliya has taken after our Farha. Her character, her manners, and almost everything," Aryan says, pointing at his niece and running toward them.

"Can we have the cake now, please?" Aliya asks them.

"Yes, princess, you can cut the cake and remember..."

"To always share it with others first," she says, cutting her Nanny off. "I know that Nanny," she added as her friend and her cousin joined her.

"Okay, children gather around. And let's sing a happy birthday song to our princess Aliya", Nanny Lea says, calling the other children who were playing.

The children began singing the birthday song while Aliya, Nanny, and her Uncle Aryan held her hand while cutting Princess Aurora's cake.

The photographer took lots of pictures of Aliya and everyone who was there.

This is the happiest day of my life. Even though I don't know who you are, mamma. I still miss you and love you.

Then Nanny cut the remaining cake, and Aliya gave each plate to her friends who were there to celebrate with her.

She has her mother's heart when it comes to charity. And someday I will be able to give her the diaries that Farha has been writing ever since she found out that she was expecting Aliya.

"Nanny, there are other children there. Can I go and give them the cake?" Aliya asks, pointing at a group of children playing.

"Yes, you can. But go with Zayn; he will help you carry the plates," Nanny says to her while putting the slices of cake on the plates.

"Okay, thank you, Nanny".

Aliya and Zayn walked toward the group of children and handed them the plates.

"It is my birthday, and I wanted to give you the cake," she says, giving a young boy the plate she was carrying.

"Thank you. My name is Maya, and this is my sister Jade. And those are our cousins, Ayat and Hamza. What's your name?" Maya, one of them asks her.

"You are welcome. My name is Aliya, and this is my cousin Zayn, and that's my best friend Red," she answers, smiling.

"Happy birthday to you, and thank you for the cake".

Aliya and Zayn walked back to their friends and started playing with them, not knowing that the four children they met would have an impact on Aliya's life.

As a parent, you don't have to have the same blood. Family is never about having the same blood or even being related. It's about who cares for you and who truly loves you for who you are.

Family isn't always about blood.