Being Mrs Dantata

47

They all moved on from the heartbreak and sorrow Asma left behind.

They did not pretend as though everything had been nothing but a bad dream. They did not try to forget it overnight. They did not hide their momentary breakdowns either. They relied on each other, strengthening their bonds so they could heal together. The photos they had with her on their social media pages were taken one by one and their followers noticed. Questions were raised and gossip sites reached out and raised speculations but received no responses or official statements to clear up anything.

Hussayna and Salim focused on their daughter and jobs, silently coming to the agreement that Nana Aisha needed a sibling. Jameelah focused on her catering and her new restaurant, Luqman right beside her the entire time. Catherine and Sunday had more than enough to keep them busy; stubborn twins and a sassy baby who did not like the word no. For Hanan, Amal and Zayd, the unborn twins were what they focused on, three of them going over routines and putting everything in place for their arrival although they still had time on their hands.

Ahmed slowly moved on too. The kids warmed up to Suraiya quick and it made him breathe a little better. She was the nicest person and she noticed every little detail. She easily fell into the routine he and Asma had created for the three children and even went ahead to make a few adjustments for their wellbeing. She made tiny renovations around the house too. Every time he saw something new, Ahmed would stop and stare for a long moment so he could get used to it.

As he had asked, she did not try to form any deep relationship with him. She only spoke to him when there was something that needed his approval or further clarity. That did not mean they acted as strangers. They greeted each other when they saw themselves and when she was in the kitchen preparing something for the kids, she made some for him too. She always stayed decent and he never saw her in anything other than loose dresses and baggy sweatpants she always paired with loose long sleeved shirts. If her hair was not covered with a cap, there was a veil wrapped around her head. She did not cross any boundaries and he was more than grateful.

May came to an end and June rolled in. Hanan returned to work despite everyone telling her not to. When they complained, she told them "It's as though I prefer being unconscious. You people should better savour my enthusiasm before you need me in this office and I wouldn't want to show up!"

It always shut them up and although they muttered under their breaths, they knew better than to say it to her face. As the days turned into weeks, she noticed that one baby moved more than the other. When the other baby moved, it was very brief and then there was silence. When she shared her worry with Zayd and Amal, they took her to the hospital. Tests were run and results came out clean.

"It's normal for one baby to be bigger than the other so there is no need to worry." Dr Martha assured them. "Your baby boy's the energetic one of them both, that's why he's moving around so much. Your baby girl is healthy, Hanan, so you don't have to be scared of anything. We'll keep a close eye on them if that'll help in easing your worry."

Hanan nodded, turning back to the screen where both babies were displayed. "I'd like that. I don't think I'll be able to stop worrying."

She became more attentive after that. Each time her baby girl moved, she closed her eyes and exhaled in relief. As June came to an end, she reduced the number of times she went to work per week until she only went out of the house when there was a meeting and her presence was vital. Jonathan, who had proposed to Busola, became the interim president and Jane became the interim vice while also supervising the activities of the Interior Consultancy Unit.

The nursery had been set up. The only things left could be leisurely gotten. Zayd and Amal had automatically assumed the teal side will be given to the boy and the aquamarine to the girl but Hanan had done the exact opposite. After settling on their names, she picked out gold letters in an interior shop and with Zayd's help, their names were put up on the walls to show what part belong to whom. Yarah, the female name they had settled on for the baby girl, hung on the teal wall while Yazan, the male name, hung on the aquamarine wall. Two nude coloured cots were in the room, one for him and one for her.