The Nanny

Chapter Thirty Eight

"I thought about Imad travelling along with his aunt and cousin. It doesn't sound like a bad idea. If he wants to, why not?" Ahmed said.

"Maybe we could all travel together. Since there isn't really a reason to stay back..." I said, and cleared my throat. "I mean unless there is a reason."

"I suppose whatever you want," he replied casually.

"Oh, okay." I looked and sounded somehow disappointed, not that I was. I started fidgeting with my scarf, unaware of how silly I look. I could feel Ahmed's stare and quick glances at every red light. But there was the strange moments during the car ride, when my heart would beat a little faster at the thought of him looking at me, I felt like a teenager sitting next to her crush. I didn't know how to comprehend the excessive flattery, that Ahmed shared with his look or glances. Since we left the hospital yesterday, I have been thinking about what Ahmed said. Interpreting the phrase one to many times, my mind hurts from all the wondering and what ifs. My heart insecure, at the thought of a made-up love story.

All that thinking eventually lead me to a pit of negative thoughts, where I was a student and suddenly my thoughts became my teachers who scolded me for not doing well by people. When I mean people I mean to say Adil, he deserves so much better — a chant it became. Yesterday at the hospital when the only way I could accept Adil's pain is to blame myself... Ahmed was was there, he cared and helped. Maybe I finally did find a friend in my husband.

I delicately press the home bottom on my phone and the time read 4:00 o'clock on my lock screen. We are heading over to Sarah's place for tea, she invited us over. It's been a while since I thought of my mother's passing, no I haven't forgotten her. I just forget that she's actually gone sometimes, to live in a world without your mother is... I don't think they have come up with a word to describe that particular pain.

Alhamdulliah.

"Layla," Ahmed said my name, I unforcedly looked at him.

"Na'am [Yes]," I answered.

"Nothing," He says, and his distinctive smirk forms on his face.

"I want to pursue my career," I confessed.

"You went to a university?" He asked, somehow amazed and his tone laced with eagerness.

"Yes I did," I replied, and quickly looked out of the car window.

"I never knew that."

"It's not really a big deal," I said and paused. "I just want to start dreaming again, and drawing."

"You're an artist," he stated.

"You could say that. I am an architect... Well that's what I studied for," I replied.

"That's amazing," he spoke, his tone slightly laced with excitement.

"Thank you," I said.

"You don't have to thank me," he said in a resonant tone. "It's the truth, you are amazing."

"Okay then. But if I can't thank you, how am I supposed to show you that I am grateful for your compliments or other things..."

"You can smile. That's how I'll know," he said and quickly glanced at me. I did smile, and shifted my gaze and looked at my phone. Hiding the fact that I am blushing. I then looked ahead and observed the neighborhood we entered, they were big light-brown houses that all looked big enough to be called mansions. They all looked similar but distinguished by their different gates. We pulled over in front of a huge gold and black gate, with a flowery metal pattern. The door automatically opened, and Ahmed drove in. The car pathway was by a beautiful small garden with a large fountain and it had a lot of diverse flowers.