Forgetting Love (Dublin Sisters #2.5)

Chapter 11

               

"Mommy my colour pencil broke," Liyaanah rushed to her mother thrusting the pink colour pencil and the sharpener.

"One minute Liyaa let me finish feeding Salim," murmured Samreen. Her one arm was cradled under Salim on her lap as she breastfed the baby.

"No now now now," Liyaanah cried.

"Liya, I told you wait sweetie. Just a few more minutes. He is about to go to sleep as it is," Samreen explained as the frustration was growing.

"You don't wanna love me. You're always busy with Salim," whined Liyaa.

Sighing in exasperation, "Fine give me,"

Smiling through her tears Liyaanah handed Samreen the sharpener and the pencil. Samreen held the sharpener in the hand that was around Salim and then sharpened the pencil with the other hand carefully not to disturb Salim as the baby had his eyes closed and was slowly going in sleep as he suckled.

Even while she was nursing the baby, she was not at peace. The other children needed her attention then. It was so difficult how to unlatch the baby from her breast to meet the other older children demands or ignore the older children and continue breastfeeding. Excitedly, Liyaanah skipped back to her room but soon there was a loud cry heard. The baby jolted in his sleep, Samreen closed her eyes and calmed herself.

Gently, she pulled out the baby's mouth from her nipple and placed him in his Moses basket. Patting him several times to ensure he was in deep sleep. She then ran towards the shouting coming from the children's room.

Liyaanah was yelling and Daniyal was crying. The sight that greeted Samreen annoyed her further. Liyaanah was pulling Daniyaal's hair while he held on tightly to her colouring book.

"Stop it both of you, right now." Samreen scolded as she strode towards them. She immediately separated them and took hold of the colouring book.

"He coloured on my book. He dirty it." she wailed without any tears.

First, Samreen turned to her young daughter, "Liyaa learn to share with your brother."

"But I wanna colour myself. Not with him."

Samreen huffed, "Sharing is caring sweetie. He is your little brother, who else will he play with?"

"I wanna play with girl not him."

Samreen rolled her eyes, there was no way she can bring a girl at home. After the traumatic last pregnancy, the last thing in her mind was to have another baby, "Brothers are fun too. I used to play with my brothers many games. I am sure so can you. Now why don't you become a princess and he will be the prince, okay?"

Liyaanah's lips quivered, "My colouring book."

"And I will erase the colour from it for you." She took the book from Liyaanah's small hands. And then a strong odour spread the room, Liyaanah scrunched her nose, "Mommy Dani stinks. He done poo."

"Yes I am well aware of that. C'mon big guy time for nappy change," Samreen lifted her son in her arms.

The same old routine, the same old tantrums. It was like a never ending chores loop Samreen was stuck in day by day. But it was getting worse. In the last few days, Daniyal had been teething that made him irritated and many times she was sleeping in children's room with all the children to pacify Daniyal and meet the constant Salim's night time feedings.

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It had been several nights since Samreen slept on their bed. She slept early as Daniyal not only was cranky but also feverish. She had moved the Moses Basket in the children's room so all the children and mother slept together. While Faraz slept on his own. Many nights there was literally no conversation between the couple. He had stopped seeking ways to get Samreen's attention. Rather he was getting more and more remote from her. But there were no complaints. The transition between closeness to being distant seemed natural as Samreen ran around fulfilling each of their child's needs.