The hospital waiting room was strangely quiet for a maternity ward. Hana had been sitting in one of the plastic chairs for twenty minutes, and only one pregnant lady had come through. So far no one else was there yet, which on one hand was alarming considering Yusra was in labor, but on the other hand, it was good considering she needed time to think. She had had a long a tearful talk with Abdullah that morning, and he had been very supportive and encouraged her to talk to Houssam about what was going on.
Now if only she could muster the guts to. It was not something she had explained to anyone as of yet, and she knew that it was so unorthodox, so out of the ordinary, that she was afraid of how Houssam would judge her.
The hurt and agony that had drawn his beautiful features had been most painful for her to witness, and she could only imagine what could have been going through his head. She wished with all of her heart that they were together. Then she would go into his arms, and never, ever leave them. Why did things have to be so complicated!? If he hadn’t left her to begin with to go to New York they probably already would be married by now, and he wouldn’t be thinking she had abandoned him for someone else.
Ugh how was she going to convince him of what was really going on!? It still was hard for Hana to believe herself.
She glanced down at her watch, frowning as she realized it was closing in on almost half an hour. She didn’t have too much experience with babies, but she knew that once your water broke, you needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible.
A commotion coming from the hallway caused Hana to look up, and as Houssam came into the room, she watched in amusement as he rushed over to the nurse’s desk, his hair windblown, and his face in a panic.
“Can I help you?” the nurse asked as he skidded to a halt in front of her.
“Hi, yes um my sister is having a baby. Is she here!?”
“What’s her name?”
He began to scan the waiting area.
“Yusra Sha…hey! Hana!” he exclaimed as his eyes landed on her. “Thank you Miss.” he said to the nurse before he quickly turned away from the desk, and came over to Hana.
As he sat down next to her, she studied his face, admiring the way his cheeks were flushed as if he had been running.
“Hey Salaam. Are they here yet?”
She shook her head.
“No not yet. They called me half an hour ago so they should have been here already.”
Houssam frowned.
“That’s odd. Knowing Yusra, she probably paused to make sure the kitchen was clean.”
“You think so?” Hana asked in amusement, and he shrugged.
“Who knows? Pregnant ladies are weird sometimes.” He paused to look her over. “What are you doing here? I mean not that you aren’t welcome of course.”
She gave a smile, turning slightly in his direction.
“I’m on Kareem duty. As I live closer to the hospital than to Amir and Yusra’s, they are just going to bring the baby here, and I’ll take him with me.”
“Hey how come they didn’t ask me to watch him!?” he demanded in an affronted tone, and Hana smiled.
“Do you remember what happened last time you tried to watch him?”
He glared at her.
“Be quiet.”
She laughed before turning back towards the door.
“I wonder where they are. You want to call?”
Houssam nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll call Amir.”
He pulled out his phone, and pressed a few buttons, before putting it up to his ear. As Hana heard the phone began to ring, she took the time to study him. It was a new look getting used to his short hair. It suited his face well, you could see his cheekbones and jaw better. But at the same time she loved his long locks.
Not that she had a claim on him anymore.
At least until she explained things to him.
And who knew how he would take it.
“Hello? Amir bro where are you!?” Houssam exclaimed, and he listened to Amir speak for a second before rolling his eyes at Hana. “Well tell Yusra that the dishes can wait when you are having a baby! Okay. Yeah Hana is here with me. Alright. Mhmm. See you in a minute. Bye.”
“Are they almost here?”
Houssam nodded.
“A minute away.”
“What took them so long?”
“I was right. She paused to wash the dishes.”
Hana laughed and reached up to fix the pin in her scarf. His eyes followed her hands, and when they landed on her left hand finger, he scowled, and turned away from her.
“Houssam. I have to tell you something.” she said quietly, but he put up a hand to stop her.
“No. I don’t want to talk about this.”
“But we have to. Please just let me explain.”
He turned to look at her sharply.
“Oh yeah the last thing I need to hear is how I left and it’s all my fault and you couldn’t wait for me any longer. Even though it has only been six months not six years!”
“Houssam.”
“No Hana. You’re engaged to another man. We shouldn’t even be sitting here right now. In fact,” he paused to stand up, “I’m going to go wait outside.”
“What the waiting room isn’t big enough for you to get away from me?” she asked sarcastically, annoyed that he wouldn’t listen to her and he looked at her for a second before taking a seat across the room. She stared at him in disbelief, but he avoided her gaze, picking up a magazine and staring at it instead.
They sat like that for another few minutes before Houssam’s mom and Amir’s mom rushed into the room.
“Ya Allah are we late!?” Houssam’s mom asked frantically.
“We tried to get here as soon as possible!” Amir’s mom added, and Houssam stood up, putting an arm around his mom.
“No they aren’t here yet.”
His mom’s eyes widened.
“What!? Well where are they?!”
“We are here Mama calm down.” Came Amir’s voice, and Hana turned to see Amir holding Kareem, and a nurse wheeling Yusra in a wheelchair. She was holding her stomach and breathing quickly in and out, but she managed to give a smile to her mom before letting out a shriek.
“Oh my God! Amir!” she exclaimed, and Hana stood up at the agonized look on Amir’s face.
“Here let me take him.” She said taking the child.
“Khaltu Hana!” Kareem exclaimed, throwing his arms around her neck and she smiled. Sometimes she couldn’t believe how advanced his speech had become after only six months. He was practically fluent in both English and Arabic, though he still had a baby voice which made things cuter.
“Hi Kareem.”
“T…thank you H…H…Hana.” Yusra said through clenched teeth, and Hana bent to give her a kiss on her cheek.
“Please don’t thank me. Just focus on getting this baby here.”
“Mama okay?” Kareem asked worriedly as his mother practically tore off his father’s hand, and Hana hurriedly turned around, heading towards the exit.
“InshaAllah. She is just having a new baby!”
Kareem’s nose wrinkled.
“Baby!?” he turned his head to look at his mom again but his eyes lit up. “Khalo Sam!” He exclaimed, and Hana froze as the little boy started to reach his arms out behind her. She felt, rather than saw Houssam behind her, and she took a few breaths before turning around, smiling slightly as Kareem began to kiss his Uncle.
“Hi Kareemo.” He said, and as his eyes landed on Hana, he held up a set of keys.
“Amir said you could take his car if you wanted, but if it is easier I can transfer Kareem’s car seat into your car?”
Hana nodded. She had taken her mother’s car because she knew the car seat wouldn’t work in her bug as she had no back seat.
“If you could transfer it, that would be great, I don’t want to leave Amir without a car if he needs it.”
“Sure not a problem. Here is the house key though.”
As she took the keys from him, their fingers almost brushed, and he practically jumped away as if she was on fire or something.
“Um, shall we go?” she asked a bit uneasily, and as he nodded, she followed him out of the hospital doors until they got to her car where he handed her Kareem, and headed over to Amir’s car. A few seconds later he returned with Kareem’s seat, and placed it in the back seat of Hana’s car. Once he had buckled it in, he stepped back, making way for Hana to buckle in Kareem.
“Alright I’ll see you later then.” He said uncomfortably, and she nodded, shutting the back seat door.
“Okay InshaAllah.”
“You know, call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” she said genuinely. “I will InshaAllah.”
He nodded once before running a hand through his hair, pausing at the end of it as if he was expecting there to be more.
“Okay. Well, Salaam Hana.”
“Salaam Houssam.” She replied softly, and as he turned away from her, she opened her mouth to blurt out what was going on, but at the last second she lost her nerve, and got into the driver’s seat, listening to Kareem babble on the whole ride home.
***
“Excuse me sir, do you think I could get your autograph for my son? He’s a huge fan.”
Houssam took the pen from the man who had been watching him for the past hour, glad that he had finally mustered enough courage to come over. Any longer under his watchful eye, and Houssam would have gone to him himself.
“Sure. Who do I make this out to?”
“Freddy.”
“Oh Freddy is the name of one of my best friends!” Houssam exclaimed scribbling down a message, and the man grinned as he took the paper back from him.
“Thank you so much. Do you mind if we get a picture too?”
Houssam laughed, and crouched down next to the man, quite low actually as the he barely came up to Houssam’s elbow, and he smiled into the camera before shaking the man’s hand, and sitting back down. He jiggled his leg in tense anticipation, looking back at the door that led to the delivery rooms. He had been at the hospital for three hours now, and so far, no baby. His mother and Amir’s had taken turns coming out to tell him no improvement. About an hour ago they had gone back home to prepare dinner, and would come back if there was any sign of her giving birth any time soon. Ilham had arrived half an hour ago, but according to the doctor she still had awhile to go before she was ready.
Whatever that meant.
Houssam wasn’t sure he wanted to know what it did.
“Hey bro.”
Houssam looked up as Amir sat heavily next to him, and he put a hand on his brother’s shoulder.
“Hey habibi. How are things?”
“Oh poor Yusra. She is a mess. Three hours and the doctor’s said she isn’t even close. With Kareem she had him within the hour so she is having a really hard time with this.
“Why aren’t you with her?” Houssam asked and Amir laughed.
“She’s in that ‘you did this to me get out of my face’ stage of labor right now. Soon she will be at the ‘don’t ever leave me and let me break your hand’ but for now I left her with Ilham.
Houssam laughed, and leaned back against his chair.
“Are you nervous?”
“A little bit. I have done this before you know.” He joked, but his face took on a serious look. “Seriously though, I am trying not to freak out because I don’t want to freak her out. It hurts me to see her in this much pain. InshaAllah Khayr.”
“What was it like being a dad for the first time?” Houssam asked curiously, and Amir laughed.
“It was the scariest time of my entire life. Ya Allah the pain that she was and is in, its indescribable. I didn’t even know the human body could handle that much pain without just breaking. But SubhanAllah how strong Allah swt has made our mothers. I’m telling you I called my mom the second Kareem was born and just started crying and begging for her forgiveness for what I put her through.”
Houssam grinned.
“SubhanAllah. It does sound scary.”
Amir nodded.
“It is. But when I saw Kareem for the first time, and he started screaming his little lungs out, it was a feeling that I don’t think I will not only ever be able to forget, but I would never be able to describe. I fell in love with Yusra a million times more. I remember staring at her and she was like bathed in sweat and she was crying and she looked exhausted, and she had never looked more beautiful to me then when the first time the nurse put that baby in her arms.”
“Wow, I can’t wait until that’s me.” Houssam said, with just a twinge of jealousy, and Amir laughed.
“InshaAllah soon bro. InshaAllah.” He folded his arms across his chest. “How are things with you and Hana?”
Houssam made a face.
“There is no ‘me and Hana’ right now. She is engaged.”
“I’m telling you bro there is something going on here that we don’t know! Has she tried to talk to you about it?”
“Yeah.” Houssam said a bit uncomfortably, and Amir nodded.
“Did you listen to her?”
“No.”
Amir sighed.
“I think you should hear her out.” He patted Houssam on the knee. “I’m going to go call her and check on Kareem. Why don’t you go home and rest? I’ll call you if there is any sign of the baby.”
Houssam nodded, and after hugging his brother goodbye, he went out to his car. Thankfully the paparazzi didn’t know he was back in town yet, he had left the same day as the championship, so he had a little bit of time before they descended on him. He wasn’t sure of how much time, but he was going to take advantage of it.
As he pulled out of the parking lot, his thoughts went back to Hana. Gosh how much he loved her. Even his heart did a funny dance whenever he thought of her.
Why did she have to go get engaged!?
Although he was beginning to suspect Amir was right. There was something fishy going on. Maybe he just needed to listen to her. He was going to watch Kareem during the day tomorrow as Hana had class. Maybe he would go early to hear what she had to say.
***
Houssam stood before her, bathed by the setting sun. He was barefoot, his feet sinking into the sand, and his hair was long again, flowing against the wind. He was beautiful. Too beautiful for words. He didn’t speak as she walked towards him, but he extended his hands, pulling her close so close to him that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body.
“Hana?” he whispered, and she turned her face up to look at him.
“Yes Houssam?”
“What’s going on?”
She shook her head, turning away from him, and he gripped her chin in his hand, pulling her face so she had no choice but to turn towards him.
“You have no idea the agony I am going through. Please. Just tell me.”
The knocking on the bedroom door caused Hana to jump out of bed, and she looked around the room in confusion, her eyes lighting up in recognition as she spotted Kareem’s crib in the corner of the room.
“Yes?” she called a bit hoarsely, clearing her throat and rubbing her eyes.
“It’s me Houssam. I just wanted to let you know I’m here to take over Kareem when you need me to. Is he awake?”
As soon as she had heard his voice, she had jumped out of bed and threw her Abaya on, even though she knew he wouldn’t come in the room.
“No he is still sleeping. We had a rough night, he was crying for Mama again. Let me just get ready and I’ll come down.”
“Okay.”
She listened quietly as his footsteps padded down the hallway, before she quickly put her scarf on, grabbed her bags, turned on Kareem’s baby monitor, picked up the receiver, and went downstairs. Houssam was standing at the stove cooking something when she walked in the kitchen, but he looked up with a smile, before wincing slightly.
“Wow you look exhausted. He gave you a hard time huh?”
She nodded before yawning.
“Yeah he was really upset. I am pretty sure he hates this new baby who stole his mother.”
Houssam laughed, and flipped over a pancake.
“I made you breakfast. I haven’t gone for my morning run yet, so I’ll do that now while you eat.”
“Oh wow. Thank you.” She said quietly, and he nodded.
“No problem.”
“How is Yusra doing?”
Houssam winced.
“Eleven hours later and she is still in labor.”
“Oh wow. Poor habibti. Is she any closer?”
“Last time I talked to Amir, the doctor said he expected it to happen by noon, maybe a little later.”
Hana glanced at the clock.
“That’s at least four hours.”
“I know. InshaAllah Khayr. May Allah reward her for every ounce of pain she is in.”
“Ameen.” Hana said before glancing over at the stove.
“Help yourself.” He said following her gaze, before he bent to lace up his sneakers, and she picked up a plate.
“JazakallahuKhairan.”
“Wajazakum. I’ll see you in half an hour.”
As he started to walk towards the front door, she stood watching him, fidgeting with the plate she held in her hands, before she rushed after him.
“We aren't engaged for real!”