Ilham sat on the couch, and though she was watching a movie with her children, she was too deep in thought to really be paying attention. Something was wrong with her sister. Lately Hana had been distracted, quieter than usual, and just a tad bit irritable. As Hana was not one to open up when pressed, Ilham didn't ask any questions, figuring she would talk when she was ready. But it was so obvious there was something bothering her, and Ilham's kind heart couldn't take it knowing she couldn't do anything about it.
She gave a smile as Dawud and Layla screeched with laughter at something Mater said. They were watching Disney's Cars, and were clutching matching action figures, all gifts from their Amu Houssam, and soon she got up to check on dinner, patting Dawud's head fondly as the little boy practically fell over from how hard he was laughing.
As she pulled the chicken out of the oven, she mentally went over everything that had happened in the past two weeks, trying to figure out if there had been anything that could have upset Hana. But once again she drew a blank, and just as she was putting the dressing in the salad, she heard the sound of a key in the door, and as Hisham stepped into the house, her children eagerly dashed towards him each one trying to reach him first.
"Baba! Baba look what I made in school!" Layla screeched as she shoved her newest coloring page towards him.
"MashaAllah it's beautiful habibti!" He said with a laugh as he kissed her head.
"Baba I got an A + on my math test!" Dawud exclaimed, and Hisham ruffled his hair fondly.
"That's my little man! MashaAllah good job Dawud!"
"Baba!" Mohammad exclaimed putting his hands up, and Hisham laughed before pulling his youngest son into his arms, and walking towards the living room, listening intently as Layla and Dawud began to show him their new gifts from their Amu Houssam.
Ilham watched her husband affectionately as he sat down, a large smile on his face as his children each clamored for his attention. As he looked up and caught her eye, he winked at her, and her cheeks flushed slightly. They had been married almost ten years and every day he went to work, she couldn't wait for him to come home. While she loved how much their children adored their father, sometimes she wished she got to him before they did because it was a good half hour before he could pry himself away to greet her.
She busied herself setting the table for dinner, and she was so engrossed in mixing the cake that when an arm slid around her waist she jumped in surprise.
"Oh! Habibi you scared me!" she exclaimed, and Hisham laughed kissing her on her neck gently.
"Sorry baby." He said with a grin. "Dinner smells wonderful."
She turned around to give him a proper hug.
"Thank you." As she pulled away he leaned forward and kissed her softly before resting his forehead against hers. They stayed like that for a few seconds, neither one speaking, simply enjoying each other.
A loud crash followed by crying, forced them to pull apart, and Hisham laughed.
"Is it my turn?"
"BABA!" came the sound of a bawling child, and Ilham grinned.
"You're being called."
Hisham shook his head in amusement before kissing her again.
"Later?" he asked softly, and she smiled before kissing him back.
"Later."
***
The kitchen had been cleaned up, homework had been done, showers had been taken, teeth had been brushed, and all of the children were now asleep, leaving Mama and Baba with some much needed alone time.
"So how was your day today?" Ilham asked, and Hisham finished buttoning up his pajama shirt before climbing into the bed next to her. He put his arm around her and as she leaned against him, he pressed a kiss into her head.
"It was good Alhamdulillah. Long and boring. What about yours? Did Hamoudi give you a hard time?"
Ilham laughed and traced a finger over the back of his hand.
"He wanted to color. Which was good it kept him occupied. You know until the phone rang and I turned around one second to answer it, and he decided it would be the perfect time to color on the wall."
Hisham groaned before laughing.
"I'm sorry baby! Do you want me to clean it up?"
"It's okay habibi I did it already. The little stinker kept kissing me over and over saying 'I sorry Mama! I sorry!' You know I can't resist that face! Just like his Baba's!" she said looking up at him fondly, and he bent to give her a kiss. Once she had pulled away she leaned against him again, snuggling into his chest.
"So what else is up?" he asked and she sighed.
"Have you noticed that something is wrong with Hana?"
Hisham frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"You haven't noticed? She is quieter and distracted and is really out of it."
"You know now that you mentioned it, she has seemed a little stressed. Maybe it's just the newspaper is getting to her. It is a lot of responsibility."
Ilham shook her head.
"No she has been stressed before Sheikh even gave her the news. There is something else going on."
Hisham combed his fingers through her hair.
"What do you think it could be? Did anything new happen recently that could have caused this change in her?"
"Hmm," Ilham said thoughtfully, and it was silent in the room as they both mulled over the possibilities of what could be wrong with Hana. Suddenly Ilham shot up and gripped Hisham's face in her hands. "Oh my god Habibi! I know what it is!"
"What?" he asked with a smile.
"Hisham! It's so obvious! She started acting weird when Houssam came back! Hana likes Houssam!" she exclaimed, and Hisham looked at her skeptically.
"What? That's pretty farfetched isn't it?" he asked, and she shook her head, moving his face in time with hers.
"No it's not! Habibi it makes perfect sense! Oh my god!"
"Okay I am confused. How does it make perfect sense?"
"Well the timeline fits perfectly. He returns, and she starts acting heartbroken!"
"Heartbroken?"
"Yes! She obviously could not stand the pain of seeing him after all of these years and not being able to be with him! That would explain why she got all weird when I asked her if she could think of any candidates for Houssam!"
Hisham's eyebrow raised in amusement.
"Candidates for Houssam?"
She waved a hand in the air.
"Yusra and I are trying to find him a wife."
"Does Houssam want you to find him a wife?" he asked with a laugh and she shrugged.
"He doesn't get a say in this! But oh my god Hisham wouldn't they be perfect together!?" she exclaimed.
Hisham shrugged.
"I have never really thought of it honestly. I mean she is my baby sister I don't like to think of her being old enough to get married!"
"I hadn't considered her either. It's not because I don't think she would be good with him or anything it's just you're right, I see her as my little sister as well."
"Should we talk to her about it?" Hisham asked, and Ilham placed a hand over her mouth in horror.
"Oh heavens no! You know how closed in Hana is, she would be absolutely mortified if she found out we knew!"
"But baby we don't know anything! It is just an idea you have! The only way we would know is if we talked to her!"
She placed her hands on his chest, leaning forward so their faces were almost touching.
"Or, you could ask Houssam and then when he proposes to her we will know!"
He laughed again, and kissed the tip of her nose.
"I think you are getting ahead of yourself darling."
"Just bring it up with him! Please?"
"Baby what am I supposed to say!? 'Hey Houssam, want to marry my little sister?' Um talk about awkward!"
She sat back against the headboard, a slight frown on her face.
"Hmm, you're right. Get Amir to ask him!"
Hisham groaned, and pulled the blanket over his head.
"Hisham!" she exclaimed and they played tug of war for a few seconds, until he finally let her pull the blanket off of him before tackling her. She let out a shriek as he pinned her to the bed, and he laughed kissing her forehead.
"Are you going to ask Amir?" she asked, pushing his hair out of his face, and he gave her a smile.
"I will talk to him. But I am not promising anything!" he warned and she smiled before sitting up and giving him another kiss. It would have been a perfect moment if at that moment from down the hallway there didn't come the loud screams of;
"MAMA!"