The Scars They Hide

Chapter Twenty-Five - Resolution

Chapter Twenty-Five - Resolution

Lutfiyah would be the first to admit to what a coward she was when it came to confronting people, no matter how important the matter was.

The only time she ever let out her feelings was when her anger made her snap. Then it would all come pouring out and not in the best of ways either.

The problem with that was, she would just sit on something for ages until she either forgot about it or the other party did something.

In conclusion, Jaafar would never be told about her feelings.

Despite her grand revelation, it didn't change things much in the way she treated Jaafar. That scared her because it showed that they had been living too an intimate life already. May was as attached to Jaafar as she feared her daughter would be but on the bright side, Jaafar was just as attached as May was. And Lutfiyah too. No denying that.

For the weeks that followed, Jaafar would visit every other day, giving Jane time to go home early. Those days that he didn't come over to her flat, he would visit in the evenings even if it was just to greet. And he always always told them if he'd be out so May wouldn't worry Jane's or Lutfiyah's brains.

"I would come everyday but I don't want her to expect that and then the days I really can't come, she gets upset, you know?"

This, in answer to Lutfiyah's joke that he should become May's minder.

"Do you think it's too much? If you want me to stop coming over, I will. I just…" he gazed adoringly at May who was waddling around in her bathrobe. Again. "I enjoy her so much. She's joy in a little body."

Lutfiyah sighed and then rolled her eyes as May almost tripped on the dragging belt. "Babygirl, you need to stop wearing that. It needs to go in the wash and I don't think that you can go out with that."

Randy had spotted the tiny bathrobe on some shopping spree and fell immediately in love with it, knowing that it would look adorable on May. Her daughter had unfortunately also fallen in love, now obsessively wearing it and refusing to wear anything else. Every. Single. Day.

The little dragon styled bathrobe had spikes on the back that wiggled with every step and seeing May in it made her want to grab the toddler and just kiss her into oblivion, it was that cute.

May grabbed the lapels of the robe and pulled it tighter around her chest. "No. I don't wanna take it off."

Lutfiyah and Jaafar sighed in unison then glanced at each other and started to laugh. "Kids," they said and then started to laugh harder, May staring at them in confusion.

Shaking her head, she waddled off, leaving the adults to share in their amusement of her.

"So, Eidul Adha is coming up. Where are you spending it?" Lutfiyah casually asked, trying to act as uninterested in the answer as she should be.

Jaafar shrugged, standing up from the couch and following her to the kitchen. "My sister has everyone over so I guess I'll be going there."

She glanced at him slyly. "The same sister who came looking for you here?"

He looked at her for a moment before smiling. "Yeah, the same one. You're not very subtle, you know?"

She blushed and turned to the fridge, pulling out the ingredients for that day's supper.

"You don't really speak about your family so I don't know what I'm allowed to ask."

He sighed and leaned against the doorjamb, watching her as she flitted around the kitchen. Tucking his hands into his sweatpants pockets, he said, "Okay, so uhm I have three sisters. Aliyah, whom you've met. She's older than me, is married and has two kids. Then there's the twins, Ruqayya and Aqeelah, younger than me and opposites on every level except that they are both crazy."

Lutfiyah saw the smile of affection on his face and felt her heart warm. "Must have been one of them that I saw in the cafe with you then."

He raised a brow. "Stalking me, Ms Abbas?"

She grinned. "You'll never know."

He grinned back before continuing, "That must have been Ruqayya. She's the one who I'm closest to after Aliyah and is the craziest of the two. And yeah, uhm I have a younger brother as well. I think I've mentioned him. Jawad. He's that young, irresponsible sibling we all have, you know?"

She smiled and looked down before shrugging. "I wouldn't know. My mum couldn't have any other children besides me."

He nodded, his gaze unflinching and not at all guilty for what he didn't know. "Well, Allah gives everyone different families and homes. I can't lie and say that having a big family isn't great? Just sometimes…"

He trailed off, frowning.

"Like when you came home without your keys and jacket that night?"

"Yeah," he said, running his hand through his hair. "Aliyah was going at me again about seeing her friend because she felt that I was ready to move on and it got too much. I stormed out and it was only when I left her house that I realised I'd left everything there. I couldn't make myself go back."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "That's crazy. Were you planning on sleeping outside the entire night?" She thought back to that particular night and shook her head. "Don't answer that. I already know."

He chuckled then sobered up after a second. He stared at her and she felt something in the air, building up until it felt on the verge of crackling. He took a step forward. "Lutfiyah, I-

She felt a bolt of terror shoot through her, the look on his face so intense that she didn't know where to look, where she'd run this time.

"Mama, Uncle Jaafi must sleep here today."

May's voice broke through the thick air, the tension flowing away like air through an opened balloon.

Then Lutfiyah realised what her daughter had said and sighed.

"Your Uncle Jaafi has his own house, May. He can sleep there."

"But what if he wants to sleep here?"

Lutfiyah jerked with shock at the words coming out of Jaafar's mouth before she laughed shakily. "Well that's too bad. We can't all get what we want."

"Can't we?" he asked softly, the words causing the hairs on the back of Lutfiyah's neck to stand.

Probably sensing how uncomfortable she was, he cleared his throat and stepped out of the kitchen. "I should get going. I've been meaning to tell you, I'll be out this week and will probably only see you after Eid."

Lutfiyah stared at him, confused and a little irritated. "What? When did that happen? I just asked you now and you didn't say anything."

He shrugged carelessly. "It slipped my mind and I remembered now. And besides. I don't have to tell you my whereabouts at all times."

She stepped back as if slapped and she saw him flinch but she just nodded. "You're right. Enjoy your holiday."

"It's not a holiday," he growled before bending down to pick May up as she ran to him.

"You gon again? Why? Please don't go."

Jaafar took May out of the kitchen, out of her earshot, and Lutfiyah just sagged against the counter top. What was wrong with her? She wasn't any sort of partner of his to demand his whereabouts. This attachment was getting too far out of her control.

She decided then and there that she would take this week to find a way to further herself from him, even if it meant finding a new flat to stay in.

Turning around, she began to make supper. Having a plan was one thing, executing it, now that was a whole other ball game.

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Apparently, I can't even have a break for one day. You know who you are *narrows eyes*

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