Come, Fly With Me

Prologue

"When the stars threw down their spears

And water'd heaven with their tears:

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?"

He tucked the loose strands of hair that framed my face softly behind my ears as he came closer and leaned his forehead against mine.

"Ehsaan" I whispered, unable to find my voice. Tears filled my eyes as my hands found their safe place on his chest, his beating heart that lived for me and him and all that we'd lost, and all that we had yet to gain.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry" I sobbed, unable to control the guilt and emotions that shook me and tortured me from the inside.

"Shh, my love" he whispered back into the darkness, taking my cold hands into his warm ones, rubbing life back into them. He was only staying strong for me, but I was afraid he was broken beyond repair.

"This isn't your fault. Nothing we could have ever done would have prevented this from happening. It was the will of Allah, the Almighty, the Great. He doesn't burden us more than we can bear. We will get through this, one day at a time. Together. I'm by your side every step through this journey - and, my perfect love, I know that we will come out the other end with smiles on our faces, and memories in our hearts that we will treasure forever."

A lone tear traced its way down his cheek. I looked up at him, and with one final sob, lifted my  hand and wiped it dry with the tip of my thumb.

"I love you, Ehsaan, my strength, my world. And nothing and nobody can ever do anything to change that."

We were in locked in an embrace in the darkness of the night. Our silence speaking a thousand words of sorrow, our hearts beating as one, our tears telling the story of our agony.

Verily, with hardship, there is ease.

Verily, with hardship, there is ease. (Quran 94:5-6)

P.S. the poem at the start is not my own writing, it is an extract from one of my favourite poems by William Blake. Anyone recognise it?