My Husband's Twin ✅

17

Dr Dara was waiting for them at their office when they arrived, she was being careful with each step she took, forcing herself not to look at the room she stayed only a few months ago. Where their happiness started and all that love bloomed more beautiful than it was. She was fighting herself not to cry and while she sat on the chair as she answered the doctor's questions patiently, she figured how short life was. And how funny and scary it was.

He was dead, but nothing stopped. Instead, his twin brother was the one that brought her to the hospital so they could check and see if she was fine. Her health mattered, no one spoke about him, just prayed for him as everyone waited for his or her time. How funny life was. And to say we all carried it on top of our heads to please the creations of Allah was even funnier.

They finished with the doctor and he told them that nothing was wrong with her, she was just stressed out. And with proper meals and sleep, she would be back and the baby wasn't affected too. She just have to be taking her meals on time and the pills he had prescribed for her. They went back to the car and instead of him to drive them directly back home, Nadia noticed he was taking a different route, none of them spoke and she wished she had enough energy in her to ask him.

She watched as he stopped and when she looked around, she realized he stopped by havilla and somehow, a smile found its way to her lips. He turned to look at her, "Making you eat will you pointless without an ice cream, which flavor would you like?" She stared at him for once and wanted to take her eyes off him but she couldn't. Forcing herself to believe that this man wasn't her husband especially when he's being so understanding was so hard and she felt her eyes pooling with tears. It could be pregnancy hormones for all she cared.

And for the first time in her life, she didn't want all her favorites, "Your favorite, get me that..." She let loose of her words, "I mean, you used to have same favorite with him, right?" He had now turned to being addressed as him between them, which was so sad if you could ask.

He nodded his head and walked out of the car. Nadia didn't stop her tears, she began to cry as silently as she could, thankful for the dim tint he had on his windows if not, someone would be weirdly staring at her. Wait, was it his car or that of Hassan? She didn't even know.

He came back bearing two cups and drove ahead, aware of her tears but he didn't say a word about them. She couldn't wait to go back home and when she felt as he pulled over, she opened her eyes and found them on the outskirts of Katsina, a few kilometers away from Shinkafi local government.

She turned to look with inquisitive eyes and he sighed, handing her the ice cream. "Nature heals me, I just want to be alone and I guess you might need some time away from the house." She was just watching him as he spoke. How each word he uttered weighed so much grief and how he was trying as much as he could to stay strong for his family despite him being the one that was hurt the most.

He walked out and laid out a carpet for them and when he motioned for her to come out just beside the car, she inhaled a deep breath. It was so silent and full of green, with the shade they were in it was almost impossible for the Katsina sun to peek through their skins. She sat down and rested her on the tree trunk, smiling as she watched the beautiful clouds, while she softly licked her ice cream.

They sat that way for as long as they could all remember, deep into their thoughts until they both finished their ice creams and she sighed heavily. "He would've whined to have me take an ice cream on an empty stomach." Softly, she chuckled, but one could hear the grief rolling off her every word.

"I'm a bad influence then, I guess." She heard his reply when she least expected it. She turned to look at him and found that he was staring at her, maybe he had been staring at her for a very long time now. Despite having her eyes red from the crying and her face puffy, Nadia managed and sent him a decent smile.