Life's a tricky thing, you know? You never really grasp how fast it can flip on you until someone you can't imagine living without comes close to leaving it all behind.
Death's got this habit of creeping up on everyone, yet we tend to push it to the back of our minds until it smacks us in the face. Well, it smacked me hard, and even though I don't let it show, I'm still reeling from it.
I'm sitting here, staring at the closed bathroom door, and the fear grips me again. Hassan just got back from his run, and is taking a shower, but all I can think about are those pills scattered on the carpet that one terrifying day.
It's been three days since we got out of the hospital, and tonight's a big deal. My parents, brother, and in-laws are all coming over for dinner, all at once and for the first time. It's also like an impromptu welcome home party for Hassan.
It's already five, and I should be downstairs prepping food for our guests, but I can't bring myself to leave Hassan's side. Call me clingy, I guess, but I just don't want to be away from him right now.
The door creaks open, and there's Hassan, dressed but still towel-drying his mop of hair. He shoots me a small smile as he hands me the towel. I chuckle and start drying his hair as he plops down in my lap.
"You're such a baby," I tease.
"Your baby," he shoots back, totally unashamed.
After a few minutes of towel-drying, I tap him on the shoulder.
"Come on, let's go cook," I say, urging him up.
We head downstairs to the kitchen, and I start pulling out ingredients while Hassan grabs the aprons. I ordered this cute couple set online, both black with 'His Chef' and 'Her Chef' written on them. Cheesy, I know, but we love it.
"Ready?" I ask, excited to cook with him from scratch for the first time.
"Always," he replies, goofily jogging in place. Such a dork, but I can't help but giggle and give him a tight hug.
"I love you," I say softly, burying my face in his musky scent. It's become my favorite smell, reminding me of our nikah day when I felt so safe and at peace. Hassan just feels like home.
"I love you more, baby," he whispers back, holding me close.
"Babe?" Hassan interrupts, snapping me out of my reverie.
"Hmm?" I mumble, still lost in bliss.
"Dinner? Our guests?" he reminds me with a smile.
"Subhana'Allah ! My mom's gonna kill me!" I squeal, jumping up to grab pots and pans while Hassan laughs and helps me out.
We had planned the day before to make a simple dish of grilled chicken breast, mac and cheese and sautéed mushrooms. I put hassan on mac duty while I took out the chicken and started preparing it to be grilled.
|30 minutes later|
With tongs in hand, I carefully place the chicken breasts on the indoor grill as I wait for them to cook. After some time I flip them. The aroma of charred meat fills the air, mingling with the smell of melted cheese that was coming from Hassan's side of the kitchen.
Glancing over at Hassan, I catch his eye as he stands at the counter, a box of macaroni and cheese in hand. He gives me an easy smile as winks at me. Such a flirt.
"How's it going over there?" he calls out, his voice carrying over the noise of the grill.
"Just about ready," I reply, a sense of satisfaction washing over me as I see the chicken nearing perfection. "How's the mac and cheese coming along? Edible?" I teased throwing him a smirk.
ESTÁS LEYENDO
HALF HER DEEN
Romance"Noor Ayn," Hassan began, his gaze intense as he looked at me with a soft expression, "Have you ever wondered why I called you that? It's not a mere term of endearment-it's a reflection of the impact you've had on my life. You coming into my life wa...
