"Amani," Auntie peeked into the room to see the girl craning her neck in front of the mirror to see the back of her dress. "They're here. He did not come with them."
She turned to her aunt. "He didn't."
"It's just his mother and sister."
"Oh...," Amani mumbled. "Should I change then?"
Auntie shook her head, stepping into the room to zip up Amani's dress. "This looks lovely. You can show a little bit of hair under your hijab since it is only ladies. If you want to wear that rouge, you can. Remember, this meeting is more important than any meeting you've had with him until now. You've rejected them once already."
Amani stiffened at the reminder. "Thank you for telling me that."
"I'm only being honest. We'll be waiting," she smoothed Amani's hijab with her fingers then left the bedroom to allow her to encourage herself. She hadn't expected to meet Muhsin's mother so early on but that was how things worked here, wasn't it? Most of the time, the mother met the girl even before her son knew of her plans.
This time, it was a bit different.
Reema's words echoed in her mind as she stared at herself in the mirror, wondering if this wastoo fast. They'd known each other for a few weeks now but it still felt as though the familiarity she had with Muhsin extended back much further. She understood the masked looks in his eyes and levels of control in his tone better than she ever could have imagined.
Fayza's voice was in the living room as she approached and the girl's unrestricted laughter was loud enough to ease Amani's anxiety only slightly. When she stepped out in the pink flowers that decorated her long brown dress, Fayza was the first one to see her.
She waved excitedly. "Amani!"
The lady beside her turned around and, when Amani saw her, she knew in an instant that she was Muhsin's mother. Somehow, they shared the same piercing hazel eyes and strong bone structure. This lady was younger than she'd expected, but her wrinkles were more pronounced. When she smiled, Amani's restricted breathing eased. "This is the young lady who has caught my son's attention then?"
Amani greeted her first, taking her single hand between both of hers the same way Auntie had shown her. It showed respect. "How are you, amti? How are you, Fayza?"
Fayza tugged Amani beside her. "I knew something was going on between you two," she whispered, nudging Amani onto the sofa.
"Mashallah, she is quite beautiful. My Muhsin is similarly handsome. When we received the first rejection, I will be honest, I was very shocked."
Fayza's eyes widened. "First?"
Amani cursed the awkwardness of the interaction. "I apologize."
"No, my love, do not apologize," Um Muhsin laughed. Her smile was warmer than Amani had expected. "If it was not maktoob, then we would not be sitting here right now, don't you think? I have to admit, it was very interesting to see my son tell me about the same young lady twice. Not many mother's experience such a thing."
Auntie chuckled. "We must accept what is written for them."
Um Muhsin agreed. "Yes, it is not up to us. These young children do whatever they like, don't they?"
"Oh, but you should give Muhsin some credit. He really is a fine young man. He has never once met my gaze, always keeping his eyes low and speaking respectfully. That's why so many mothers want him for their daughters, you know? We are very lucky to be sitting here," Auntie spoke lightly. Only then did Amani realize the two must be better friends than she'd assumed they were.
Um Muhsin shook her head. "No, I am lucky. I have been speaking to Muhsin about looking for a girl for many years, I nearly lost hope. Now, your niece has come and looks to be a lovely girl. I am the one who is lucky."
Amani looked between them, noticing the reality of the words they spoke. This was on a path of marriage. It made her turn to Fayza for reassurance but the other girl was staring at both older women with an open mouth and wide eyes.
"It is unfortunate that Muhsin could not come with you. We were very excited to see him. You know, he came all the way over here two days ago to bring the bread Amani had forgotten at the bakery. I was so flattered," Auntie placed her hand on her heart.
"Yes, Fayza did mention something like that. But don't worry, Muhsin is on his way here now. The prayer called on our way here so he went to pray first."
Auntie gasped. "Oh, mashallah."
Um Muhsin nodded earnestly then turned to Amani. "Do not tell him I said this, but I have seen him praying more often in the night these past few days. I knew he was making duaa for guidance but I was not sure regarding what until he told me about Amani."
"There is truly nothing better than a man with a good connection to his deen," Auntie agreed, excitedly gripping Amani's arm.
"Let me tell you something, Amani, because I felt as if you were my second daughter the moment I saw you. This is not only about my son but you need to choose a man of strong faith to marry," she leaned forward to advise her. "A man who knows his Creator will know to treat you right and raise your children in the best home. It is for that reason that I married Muhsin's late father, Fayez."
"Fayez was such a wonderful father to them," Auntie nodded. "I would always see him buying them gelato cones even when they were not with him."
Um Muhsin laughed. "Yes, and it is so hot, they would be melting on his hand by the time he arrived home with them."
Amani grinned at the thought. When she looked at Fayza, the girl wore a similar smile on her lips. "I remember that," she chuckled.
"You were very young, but I knew you would never forget it," she held her daughter's hand encouragingly then turned to Amani. "It is those moments that you will seek out for your children. Many people marry for love and it is a respectable reason, of course, but not many think of their future children."
Auntie nodded. "Oh, that is very true. There is always more to marriage than love. You are choosing your partner for life, Amani, and the man who will raise your children and join your family."
"Right," Amani blinked.
The doorbell rang.
"That must be him now," Auntie rose and left Amani alone.
Um Muhsin turned to her with a soft smile. "I do not mean to fill your mind with worries, my child. I only mean to advise you so you are able to make the best choice for yourself and my son. You have already claimed quite a bit of his heart," she placed her hand on Amani's knee. Fayza's eyes grew wider at her mother's words. "I see it in his eyes when he speaks of you. May Allah bless both of you."
Amani hummed, unsure how to respond.
If Um Muhsin's attention had lingered on her any longer, she may have noticed Amani's hesitancy. But she turned to her eldest son the moment he appeared in the living room, his gaze low as he followed Auntie into the area. "There's my boy," she smiled.
He greeted all of them and, when his mother nudged Fayza away from the edge of the couch near Amani, reluctantly took her place.
"Perfect timing, Muhsin," Auntie smiled. "We were just speaking of you to Amani, isn't that right, Um Muhsin?"
His mother nodded. "All well, my dear."
"Of course, there is hardly much else to say about Muhsin that is not well. I'm sure if you asked every person in this town, they would only have kind things to say about your son," Auntie chuckled.
Um Muhsin agreed. "I have no doubt about it. He grew into quite the young man all on his own," she fondly patted him. "But it is Amani's opinion of him that we must consider right now. She's been so silent since we've arrived."
"Maybe she's shy," Fayza narrowed her eyes at Amani and Muhsin, eyeing them both challengingly.
Only Amani met her gaze for a short moment.
"I've only been listening to your conversation," she replied, hating that her voice was softer than usual. Fayza and Muhsin must have noticed it but, if they did, neither of them made any move to betray their knowledge. "How are Amjad and Ezzo?"
Um Muhsin clicked her tongue. "They are good, my dear. But we are here to speak about you and Muhsin. I am curious regarding what made you change your mind after your initial rejection."
Amani's lungs slowly contracted to pool oxygen into her body at the question. She needed all the functionality she could accept from her surroundings now that all eyes in the room, except Muhsin's, were on her. "I...," she tried to begin. "Well, I guess I hadn't expected such a proposal from him at the time so I couldn't think very well about my answer. If I had known before Auntie mentioned it, perhaps I would have been better prepared in my response."
Um Muhsin hummed to herself in thought. "Yes, it may have come as a shock, especially because you and Muhsin were not speaking at the time he proposed. Regardless, I am happy you both found your way to one another.."
Externally, Amani smiled. Internally, she wanted to roll in on herself and stay hidden until this moment passed.
"What do you like about Muhsin then?"
Oh, the urge was even worse now.
Amani turned to him but he was admiring the tile beneath him so intently she wondered if he'd dropped something. His expression was clear though so she knew he was listening. He was the one that proposed to her, shouldn't he be answering this?
"Well," Amani began, pretending not to notice Fayza cross her arms over her chest in the corner of her vision. "He's respectful, he always keeps his gaze lowered, and I like that."
Actually, she hated it.
Um Muhsin remained silent, waiting for more.
"And he's strong in his faith. Like you said, that's an important attribute for a man to have these days."
"We all know this about him, Amani," Auntie laughed and Um Muhsin joined, their chemistry friendly, like they had grown up together and knew one another deeper. "The entire town knows it but not the entire town had received a proposal from him." Amani hated that it was her own aunt calling her out.
Muhsin's brows knit beneath his hair. She hated all the things that he might be thinking, so she shook her head. "You didn't let me finish, Auntie," she smiled. "He's strong, mentally, and good with his family. When I saw him with his younger brother's yesterday, the way he spoke to them almost like they were more than just his siblings, like they might just be his children, I thought about my own."
"Your own children?"
She nodded.
Liar.
"Future children," Amani corrected. "He would be a good father. From the way he cares for his sister, his brothers, and even you amti, I realized that the person who will marry him would truly be a lucky woman. He's easy to trust—Muhsin. He's been through a lot but his heart is pure so he's easy to trust."
Um Muhsin finally sat back and nodded. "So, all that you know about him is through watching him? You guys have not spoken?"
She turned to him.
He turned to her then paused before their gazes met. Right, he still needed to keep his gaze lowered in the presence of her aunt, his mother, and Fayza.
"Oh dear," Auntie gasped. "They have hardly even spoken and we're bothering the two of them. Why don't you come with me, Um Muhsin? I'll make some tea and we can sit in the dining room. We should leave these two to talk."
Um Muhsin rose. "What a wonderful idea. Come along, Fayza, I'm sure we can find you something to drink as well."
Fayza glared at the both of them as her mother led her away.
Once they were gone, Muhsin turned his body toward her and dropped his voice. "You saw me yesterday but it was Farouq who said those words," he narrowed his eyes at her. "They were not yours."
Amani shrugged. "I was thinking them."
"That's why you were so affected?" His question wasn't serious. In fact, his tone seemed to call on her bluff.
She frowned. "You never told me your mother was coming."
He raised his hands defensively but kept his elbows rooted to his knees. "I did not know she planned on it until this morning. Can you blame her? She must have been confused as to why I asked you again after you gave such a firm no."
Fair enough.
Amani fiddled with her fingers. "I just didn't expect it to move this fast. We're supposed to have time to get to know each other, aren't we? Now, with them here, it feels so... real."
Muhsin's eyes focused on hers. "Is it... not?" The rhythm of his question mimicked the rhythm of hers.
She met his gaze and, for the moment that his eyes flickered between hers, she saw a fleeting expression of distrust. The moment she recognized it, Amani's attention shifted entirely on getting it off his face. She didn't like when he looked at her that way. "I'm just not used to doing things this way, that's all. Not to mention, without my parents or brothers here, it feels weird."
He lowered his gaze. "I understand. Family is important."
"Exactly," Amani continued watching him, waiting for the hints of suspicion to completely fade from his features.
"Is that why you were upset yesterday then?"
Amani rested her shoulder on the arm of the couch beside her. "Maybe," she whispered. Muhsin held her gaze and waited patiently for an elaboration that she hadn't planned on giving him. "I missed my brothers, that's all. I guess I didn't realize it until I saw Amjad and Ezzo so, when I did, it was all the small times missing them joined into a larger one."
Muhsin remained silent to watch her sigh at the memory before speaking up. "I didn't know you had brothers. If I had known, perhaps I could have made the connection, but I didn't. So I couldn't."
It was unusual sitting in an empty room with Muhsin. Like the act of sitting itself was one she hadn't imagined she would do beside him. Sitting together and speaking. Not having to whisper or run into one another in the dark streets of midnight. If anyone walked in on them now, they could simply keep speaking.
She liked it.
"I didn't mean to cause a scene like that."
"You didn't. It was very quiet actually and unlike you," he whispered. Amani saw the hints of a smile teasing at his features, but where she saw humor, she saw something else. "When you left like that, I was worried."
She grinned. "You flatter me."
"I don't mean to. I'm only being honest."
"Well, I'm still flattered."
"Will you go back then?" He asked, the lightness in his expression fading as he watched her closely. "You miss your family now, so will you leave and return to them?"
Amani snorted, turning to the living room around them with a building frown. "If only it was that simple. Baba's the only one who decides when he wants to see my face again just like he was the only one who decided to send me...." Muhsin was waiting for her to continue when she paused and Amani realized to her horror that everything after the first sentence, she'd said aloud for him to hear.
When she didn't finish her response, he did. "Your father sent you here and he is the one who chooses when you return," he mumbled as if repeating the fact to himself more than to her. "Is he angry with you?"
"I thought I was the one who got to ask the personal questions."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "He is, then."
"He blew it out of proportion. Baba gets like that sometimes. He becomes so absorbed in his own anger than he listens to nobody else. That term 'blinded by rage' suits him perfectly," Amani reasoned, though her reasoning sounded more like a frustrated rant.
Muhsin's curiosity laid elsewhere. "What is it that you did?" He asked carefully, unsure if she'd give him the response he was searching. "That made him become blinded by rage."
Amani turned to the boy. Part of her wondered if it would be OK to tell him and the other warned her that his respectful, playing-by-the-rules persona might condemn her to eternal suffering if he learned she'd done something as abominable as having a boyfriend. "Do I have to tell you now?" She asked.
"Are you afraid I might become blinded my rage?"
She breathed a chuckle. "Are you even capable of such a thing?"
He waited another beat, his focus so intent on her that Amani was sure he already knew everything there was to know about her. "You don't have to tell me now. We are not there yet, I understand. Once we arrive at that point, I would appreciate knowing."
Amani nodded.
If they arrived at that point.
_______________
You guys... this is probably going to sound like such a loser thing to say but over the past few days, I've gained like THREE readers and I feel like I'm on the moon actually. You don't understand how hard it is for halal romance genres on here (or maybe just mine lmao) but I'm actually SOARING. YOU GUYS. ARE ACTUALLY THE BEST😭😭♥️♥️