Chapter 46

Nadia thought it was all a dream, but the hands she felt carefully wrapped around her waist felt so real, so as the chest she had rested her head on. She smiled softly when the memory of what had happened between her and Hussain came to her mind before she slowly opened her eyes. She found his eyes fixed on hers, as if he had been waiting for her to wake up and there was a graceful smile on his lips.
"Good morning, Singleton," he said softly and Nadia felt so shy to even stare into his eyes. She quickly ducked down her head and placed it back into its initial position, which was his chest. He chuckled and patted her head softly, "Don"t tell me you can"t even look into my eyes?" She nuzzled her head into his chest and he smiled.
"I thought someone was bold enough to..." She quickly cut him off, screaming a bit.
"You don"t have to say that, Hussain." She peeked slowly and met his eyes, which made her quickly went back to her initial position. "Oh my god!" She quickly gasped and sat upright, "Baby H! I don't..." She tried to stand up when he pulled her back and she stared at him, wide-eyed, as if she was wondering if he had heard what she had just said or not.
"Calm down, I've taken care of him, okay?" She stayed still for a moment before she sighed and slumped back on the bed. "You seem so tired to wake up and I got everything ready, our breakfast included."
"Aren"t you like...the best husband on earth?" She said matter of factly and he chuckled before he kissed her forehead. "Thank you so much for being this way, I would"ve been torn to have you act otherwise." He knew what she meant, they both did. That if he had acted so cold and nonchalant, unlike the kind of husband she was sued to, she wouldn"t have been able to take a hold of herself.
She hugged him softly and Hussain kissed the top of her head. "You don"t have to thank me for doing what"s my duty. Let"s take our bathes, I have to run to the AirPort in an hour."
She quickly looked up at him, "Again? Are you going to stay for weeks?" She was sad at the thought of not having him closely, but his smile eased her up that she wanted to melt at the instant.
"No, I may not even fly today, I just have to be there." He stood up and helped her onto her feet as well. "Should we...bathe together?" Immediately, Nadia took her eyes off him and ran to the door, he was just staring at her with amusement glinted in his eyes.
"What are you trying to do, Nadia?" He asked and she chuckled before she turned the doorknob.
"You know what you"re suggesting isn"t going to happen, right? I'll be at the dining table when I'm done." She heard the sound of his laughter while walking to her room and she couldn"t help the crimson red that painted itself on her cheeks too.
She saw Baby H gurgling those baby sounds as he played with a toy she hadn't seen before, but she knew that it was Hussain that had given it to him. He looked so cute in his attire and she was amused at Hussain"s sense of fashion and thankful for having someone like him.
"Hey Baby!" She greeted with a wide smile and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry that I left you all alone..." She quickly shook her head, not wanting to have those thoughts roaming through her mind when she was in front of her son. "I'm going to take my bathe, okay? Ammi is still so sleepy at the moment."
She quickly took her bathe, reminding herself that he only had an hour left before he leave and she didn"t want to miss the moments she could have with him until then. They met in the living room, wearing his pilot"s outfit and she couldn"t even close her mouth. He didn"t realize she was gawking at him until he turned to speak to her and watched the stunned expression on her face.
"What is it?" He asked with a hint of laughter on his tone and she shook her head to clear her hazy mind. What the hell?! Had this always been the way he looked in those uniforms? She had never seen him in one, maybe once I the plane. But then, she didn"t even allow herself to look at his face, talk-less of his body and if she had done that, she wouldn"t have been able to get this spectacular view because he was seated.
"You look...beautiful, Hussain! Ya Allah!" She exclaimed, walking towards him as he froze, taken unawares by her compliment that she took his breath away. She touched his arm lightly and looked up into his eyes, "Has this been the way you always look in this uniform?" She shook her head again, to clear the stutters and the foolish look she had on her face.
She tip toed and pecked his lips lightly before she grinned, "I"ve never seen a more beautiful man, really. Let"s take a picture." She had had him tongue-tied, never had he expected such a thing from her. He thought that the morning after they had consummated their marriage will be the most awkward morning of their entire lives, as they would be filled with so much guilt to even look at each other, or, they would even hate each other.
But, she acted the exact opposite, easing the guilt feeling he had been trying to fight and hide away from her at the same time. Instead of him to pose for the camera she had already lifted, Hussain moved towards her until he leaned in and hugged her warmly into his arms. He rested his head on her shoulder and sighed, "I love you, Nadia."
She gasped softly before a smile took over her lips, "It always feels great hearing that from you." She responded and with his head laying on her shoulder and his eyes closed, Nadia smiled widely at the camera and snapped a picture of them.
"Look, you look like a baby not wanting to be separated with his mother." She chuckled at that and he took the phone from her hand, feeling as he magically wrapped her entire waist with just one hand of his. She placed her hands on top of his arms and smiled, she loved what she felt whenever he held her close to his body, feeling the heat radiating from him and leaning onto the solid maleness of him.
She felt his lips on her cheek as he pecked her and then came the sound of the camera, "This looks like I'm so much in love, not that emotional man clinging to his sanity." He chuckled and she felt her heart being filled with something, an emotion unfathomable to her-he had referred to her as his sanity.
"I want to post them, is that fine?" She asked as they walked to the dining table, hand in hand. She could remember their dining table fights and banters as she always got confused by the two men, a sad smile gracing her lips.
"Why not? Send the pictures to me, I want to post them too."
She chuckled and shook her head, waiting as he pulled her chair backwards for her to seat and when she did, he gently sat down on the chair next to her. "You? I've never seen you post. The last post you did was three days after we lost him and you thanks your friends and family in general. Then when Baby H was born, that"s all. You only post during occasions, good or bad, and it"s usually just one picture or writeup."
He was serving her as she spoke and when she was done, he glared softly at her. "And who says this isn"t an occasion? Should I remind you the grand occasion that happened yesterday at night? Maybe I should even write a caption that says She"s mine, in every sense there is." what do you think?"
She screamed lightly and punched his arm, rolling her eyes at him. "When have you turned this way? I dare you to do that, and you"ll see what I'll do to you when you"re back." He smirked, and she knew he had taken the challenge, even though in her heart, Nadia knew he would never try doing that.
"You should eat, you barely got some minutes to spare, unless you can be late and nothing will happen." She said, pushing the plate towards him and he naughtily grinned at her.
"I can be late for a reason if you want. Last I checked, you were almost drooling at the sight of me in these uniform." She coughed, not wanting to make a comment on that. Because now that she had recalled her expression and the words she had uttered, she knew she had given herself away and she would never get the end of it from him.
He ate quickly, throwing a few comments here and there that threatened to get her choked up with the food and all he did was laughed. She stayed by the door on his way out and smiled at him. "When should I expect you? I'm already missing you now."
"I may be back late in the evening or at night, it depends. I'll just call you on my way." He stepped closer and she could feel her nerves instantly calming. He lightly hugged her and pecked her forehead, "I love you, Nadia."
She stared at him and smiled, nodding her head. "You shouldn"t take long after you"re done. And no woman is allowed to gawk at you, tell everyone that you"re mine; in every sense there is."
He smiled and nodded his head, "I dare not tell them that, Singleton." She waited until she was no longer hearing the sound of his footsteps before she walked back into the living room and slumped on the sofa, smiling to herself.
Who would thought, that she would be able to live this amicably with Hussain? She heard her phone ringing and when she saw that it was Sohila calling her on FaceTime, she instantly smiled. "Hey, baby!" She called out, and the mischievous grin she saw on her face made her curious.
"So, I guess things have worked out the right way, ehe? I called him but he wasn"t picking, knowing fully what I was going to say."
"What are you talking about?" Nadia asked, even though a part of her mind told her what it was, but she didn"t want to believe that.
"Second Baba posted a picture of you two-" Nadia shook her head, no, he didn"t. "It was actually Hajia that showed it to me, she was grinning from ear to ear, we all are. And the captions he had written? I've always known that he was in love with you!"
"What did he..." She shook her head, "Hajia had seen it, you said?"
Sohila chuckled, "Yes, you seem fazed. She even screenshotted it and sent it to our family group, telling everyone that reprimanded her for having you two married that she made the right choice for the both of you-" Nadia didn"t even wait for her to finish, she quickly ended the call and checked his status, what the hell had he written?
The first picture was the one she snapped and the caption under it said, To the one that got my heart long before my body and soul. I've always being in love with you, and now that I've finally gotten you, you"re stuck with me forever, Singleton." She chuckled and he tears bursted out at the same time. What...is Hussain doing? What has gotten into him?
The second picture was the one he snapped, and he took the challenge! Damn him, he even overdid it. She"s mine in every sense there is. I love you so much, Nadia, but if I may confess, I"m thrilled about the bold and eccentric part of you yesterday, a grand occasion it was! Thank you for being strong enough for both of us, and letting me cook a dish so exotic in that magnificent womb of yours. I love you."
She was both laughing and crying when she was done. And when his call came through her phone, she let her tears flow freely, laughing at the same time. "No, you didn"t write that, Hussain!" She shrieked and heard the way he bursted into a peal of laughter, shattering the walls guarding her heart in the most subtle way. Feeling as love, happiness, and solace embraced every nook and cranny of her soul.
"Oh, yes, I did that, Singleton." Of course he did, not just that, he made her fall in love with him.