Other Side

04 | Break the Ice

"Teta!"

Talia screamed at the top of her lungs as a medium-sized animal sprinted her way. The creature—she had no clue if it was a he or she yet—stopped at her feet and tried to lick her ankles.

"What's wrong, Talia?" Teta came scrambling into the kitchen, still dressed in her matching blue pajama set. Talia felt bad for forcing her up from her spot on the couch where she'd been watching early morning talk shows, but there was an elephant in this room.

Well, dog.

"W-what is that?" She pointed to the animal, backing away ever-so-slowly. She gripped her pounding chest, so lightheaded she leaned against the wall behind her for support.

"You mean Mika?" Teta chuckled, leaning down to pet her. The golden retriever nuzzled her face into her hand, whimpering softly. "She couldn't hurt a fly. Fouad and I are watching her for a neighbor today."

"Mika, ta'ali, ya habibti." Zaid beckoned the dog to come towards him. He knelt down and scratched her haunches, a smile growing on his face. "Ah yes, who's a good girl? You are. Oh, you are so cute."

"She understands Arabic, too?" She plopped down onto a chair at the kitchen table, still mind-blown at this multilingual mystery dog, and grabbed a cheese pastry from the half-empty platter.

What else are they hiding in this house? Brandon's racist ass?

Zaid appeared across the table, arms folded tightly across his chest to perfect his usual hostile stance. He had on a pair of sweatpants and a black college sweatshirt: dark for safety reasons. "You see, if you treat her with kindness, she'll love you back—if she has any room left in her heart for you, that is."

"Zaid," Teta warned, narrowing her eyes.

"Asif." He truly seemed sorry, making her realize the respect he had for her grandmother. He  clearly had none left for her. "You know, I had the same opinion the day I arrived in the US four months ago. My mother may have grown up American, but dogs were still nonexistent in my childhood."

She hmphed, realizing their childhoods may not have been so different. "Well, I may end up tolerating the dog, but I am not taking her out for walks in this snowglobe town."

"Not used to the cold?" He tilted his head towards the ice-covered deck and snow-covered table, its surface one flake away from caving in.

"Our idea of cold in California is sixty degrees, so I'd say so. Shouldn't you hate it, too?"

He shrugged. "It does snow back home, but the entire country shuts down after an inch or two. Going to class in a foot of it here was definitely a surprise." He stood up and walked to the coffee maker across the kitchen. He poured himself a cup, his arm a healthy distance from his torso. "I'd say the sooner you get yourself outside, the less horrifying it'll be, Talia."

"Are you suggesting we go somewhere together?" She quirked a brow and finished her small cup of mint tea, savoring the sugary bottom layer. "It's going to take a lot to drag me out there, Zaid."

He put down the coffee on the counter, as far away from her as possible, and walked back to the table, splaying his hands across it. The green and black ring on his middle finger glinted in the light.

"Why not consider me a tour guide in your own country?"

"Nice try, but I know my way around Boston." She stood up, now face-to-face with him. She was a tall girl, five-eight on a good day, but she liked how she felt just a little small next to him. "It won't be as fun as you think."

"That's because you're not very fun to be around, anyway." He picked up his mug of coffee, heading towards the living room where Teta Salma still was. "Just know, my offer is still on the table."