REMARKABLE

42

After the other day, Armineh stopped looking at him. Her heart beat increased whenever she had caught him looking at her but she didn't look back. She refused to do so. She forced herself to look anywhere but him whenever he walked into the room. They had fallen into this of routine where they sat together in the evening in the garden and Armineh had tried her hardest to become uninteresting because if he was going blame himself for something he hadn't done, she'd destroy the very reason he'd do it for so he wouldn't shoulder the unnecessary guilt he so much wanted but Armineh had found herself become the focus of his undivided attention, anyhow.

"Yaya, can I water, too?" Sarah said she had been moving alongside him as he watered the plants.

"But I am almost done."

"Please... Please... Yaya."

"You really want to?" Yahya Firas looked down at her, he spoke slowly but his gesture had inevitably gained Armineh's attention.

"I think I want to try," Sarah spoke, her hands tied behind her back, her eyes wide and bright. Innocent. Curious.

"Okay. Do you know how to do it?" Yahya Firas stepped away, a little. She had come too close not that she knew, stretching her hand to take the pipe. Confident.

Yahya Firas chuckled under his breath as she tucked the pipe under her arm and put her forefinger on its mouth. His jaw dropped open as the spray of water fell on them, both.

Sarah giggled, loudly, turning her head back as she tried, again. Yahya Firas bent his head to look at the shirt clinging to his body, now with an arched eyebrow.

"You said, you knew how to do it."

Sarah shook her head, grinning, now, "I didn't."

"Stop. Stop." He blew the water from his mouth as Sarah looked up at him, she barely reached his knees. She was too small and not nearly dry, enough. Water dripped down her golden ringlets. Where Yahya Firas was wet from his torso to his thighs,  she looked like she had just showered.

Yahya Firas noticed the slight tremble of red her lips, she must be feeling cold, his own body had goosebumps scattered all over the cool flesh as the cold breezed played around them.

"Last time, Sarah. You get it, right, you can water. You don't, you go, inside and change." Yahya Firas told her, sternly, rolling his lips inside his mouth and she nodded her head, eager to please and stay back, "Press your finger harder on its mouth this time, yeah?" Yahya Firas instructed, his hands resting on his waist.

Yahya Firas groaned as the water hit him square in the face, must be the angle.

"Enough, kid." His chest rumbled with restrained laughter as he took the pipe from the grumbling little girl, "Now, get inside and change."

"Go on, Sarah. You'll catch a cold. Let's not forget your mum's anger, yeah?" Armineh spoke as she crouched before her niece.

"You'll let me try again, tomorrow?"

"No." Her lips turned down from a hopeful smile and Yahya Firas cursed himself, internally.

"In summers, it's only a few short months, away. Don't want you getting sick." He explained. Disappointment filled him when his words didn't bring back the full-blown smile she had been sporting on her lips as he had hoped but then she had gone ahead and hugged him around his knees, surprising him.

"Thank you!" She had said before she turned around and ran inside with an evident jump in her steps. Yahya Firas feared for the warmth bursting in his chest and he almost dreamt of a daughter of his- he caught himself in time.