Chapter 75

It left him in awe how she would be quiet at a moment and the next, she turns to a talkative. They started strolling around their neighbourhood to their small market and headed to her hiding spot. "You were just talking few minutes ago and now you seem distant." She looked up at him with her furrowed brows. "It's just mama and her sister. They keep giving me some pills that I don't even know what's it for. I keep asking and today at the end my aunt said I should ask you." She looked at him again, waiting for his response. He eyes bulged out as he suppressed his laughter. "But I don't know which pills you're talking about." She looked away and furrowed her brows again. "Some aphrodisiac I think," she spoke innocently and shrugged. He dissolves into a puddle of laugher which made dalia to pause and look at him. "Dalia..." He called out trying to restrain himself. "Why are you laughing? You haven't told me what it means? Is it something bad?" She lamented, tilting her head. "No it's not something bad, it's actually good, for us. Just do me a favor and don't tell anyone about it, okay? Not even your friends." She hesitated staring at him, what did he mean by ‘for us?' She shrugged the thought off and nodded. "This is my hiding place." She grinned looking at the enticing place. It never changed even though she haven't visited there for weeks. "Now I don't blame you for running off here. It's really beautiful and quiet. Does anyone come here?" She shrugged her shoulders, "sometimes but most of the times I'm alone." The place hums life all around her. She twirl about, gazing up at the canopy, searching for the birds that sing sweetly. The sunset breaks through the cracks, lighting up the place. He smiled at her because there was so much to admire about her. It takes a great spirit to come through so very much and become the person that she was. He admired her, that's easy peasy. "Dalia," he called for her attention. She looked his way and raised her brows. She was enjoying the moment before he interrupted her. She moved closer to him as she waited for him to say something. He looked around the place and spotted a huge log waiting to be seated on. "Come, let's sit over there." He pointed at the log before they moved to the place ad settled down. He holds her gaze for a long moment. "What are your dreams?" He asked her. Her eyes sparkled while she gave him a grateful look. "No one has ever asked me that," she muttered still having a smile on her face. He urged her to speak. "Well, I'm not going to lie, getting married now was not in my plans but you know.... We plan and Allah plans, and Allah is the best of planners." He nodded his head in agreement. "I just want to finish school, get a good job if possible, and take care of my mother. Basically that's all, really. Mama is my top priority, you know.... She's basically the only person I have now since he left us." He stared at the girl beside him. How can he make her the happiest girl because she deserves it, after all what she had gone through. "What about you? What's your dreams?" She asked not gazing at him. He averted his gaze to the dancing tall trees above them and smiled. "Mine is sitting right beside me." He dared not to turn because he knew she would and as he predicted, she looked at him astonished. "How?" She asked softly. "What? You don't believe my words?" He met her gaze, and her expression twists with happiness. She looked away and chuckled. "No, I just want to know how your dream is sitting right beside you." "I never lived a moment of my life, before meeting you. I just don't ever want to be separated from you. This heart," he paused and pointed at his chest. "It was angry when I was without you. Today, I want to make a confession. You know before I met you, I didn't believe love actually exists, not even after I married amira, sorry to say. I used to laugh at people who actually claim they were in love. But, today, I have the chance to tell you that you have completely changed my notion in life. Since the time you entered my life, I started loving you more. I love myself for falling in love with you. What is this and how has this happened, I don't know. But, I have found my true soul mate in you. And I believe that if love exists it's only because of you." Her face lit up with a smile, the kind of smile that shows all your teeth. She couldn't hide it. "You feel that way about me?" She asked and he nodded. "You have no idea what you've done for me this past months. And you have no idea what a great achievement it is to marry you." He beheld her gaze for a moment and smiled more, "just three weeks more." "It's almost maghrib time. I have to get home before mama starts looking for me," she hurriedly said and stood up from the log. He chuckled as he stood to his feet also.