Swipe Of Love

26

♕ 3 R D P O V ♕

Khalid was worried sick. His heart tightened, hearing his wife was crying. Slamming the door open to his office, he ran in front of her. Amina was sitting there, sobbing like a little kid who hurt herself riding her bike. She kept whipping her eyes.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Khalid grabbed her hand in his.

"I am craving for some ice creams, and your sister won't give me any," she sniffed.

"But Antonia said you have something to say. It's important," he rubbed her palm.

"I'll tell you as soon as you get me some ice cream," she crossed her hand over her chest.

Relishing a breath, he got up and ordered some ice creams. Amina started to finish her ice cream, Khalid, on the other hand, began to work on some office files. Once she was finished eating it, she threw the small cup in the trash can.

Nervousness hit her nerves. Her hands started to sweat; she took a deep breath before exhaling. She couldn't tell him, and she was just too darn frightened.

All those 'what if' questions hit her head.

She walked around the table and stood next to him. Feeling the presence of his wife, he spun his chair around toward her. She took a seat on his lap. Taking the tie in her hand, she started to play around with it. He looked at her hands. It was shaking. He gently grabbed her hand to calm her down.

"What's wrong? You can tell me anything," he kissed her forehead.

"You know how I have been in a bad mood. My mood has been changing. So Antonia took me to the clinic..." She mumbled

"And?"

"I took a pregnancy test. I found out that," Amina releases a deep breath before revealing the big news, "we are having a baby!"

Khalid grabbed her cheek and kissed her, "I am going to be a father again! Oh, my Allah! I have to tell everyone!

She got up from his lap, "We have so much to do. We have to buy baby clothes, a crib, and other stuff. We have to!"

"Now I have to give you a bodyguard even though I know how much you hate it," He hugged her.

"Khalid, I don't want on," she sulked.

"Yes, I know. I'll personally make sure it's a woman too. So don't worry," he chuckled.

"Fine," she mumbled on his chest.

"Please try not to kick this one out like the last one," he kissed her cheek.

"It's not my fault that they suck at their job," she huffed.

"They are good at doing their job. It's just you what they are scared of," Khalid threw his head back, letting out a laugh.

"Whatever! I have to bring Antonia with me for shopping," She gasped, getting up from his lap.

"I don't think she will come. Especially shopping with you," Khalid touched her cheek.

"What does that suppose to mean?" she crossed her arms.

"Nothing. Now I have to do something that I have been waiting for the past couple of minutes," Khalid smirked, pulling her toward him.

"Oh yeah? What is that?" she smiled.

"This," he leaned in toward her.

♕ O M A R P O V ♕

I didn't understand how this happened. His sharp jaw, blue eyes. Everything matched with mine. However, one question still was unanswered to me. Why did he return? Why?

That was the breaking point of my patience. At that moment, I was blinded by a five-course serving of rage that tasted bitter yet surprisingly satisfying.

I reached out. I went to punch him in the face. When my fist came in contact with the punching bag, I imagined his face. I tried to shake the aching after taste upon the taste buds of my hand. Much like coffee, its bitterness drew me in to take another sip, knowing I would be more awake than minutes before.

I felt guilty, but I couldn't stop. Many years of loneliness sunk deep into my mind and added a divine spice that completed the vexed dish I was serving.

Nothing could compare to what I was feeling right now. Nothing. He was in front of me all along. He didn't think it was right to let me know he was my father. Why is he back? What was the reason behind for him to leave us?

I can't let him break my mother again.

No! Not again.

He has done enough damage to both of us. Who does that man think of himself? If he believes that it will be okay to pop back into our lives out of nowhere, then he is wrong. He is very wrong.

Sweats ran down my body. Every unhappy memory that flashed in my head, I punched the bag hard. The more bitter memories I got, the harder I hit. My legs are empty, and there is a rising feeling of nausea from my stomach. It never ceases to amaze me that the muscles working so hard only seconds ago now struggle to hold my weight. My breathing was uneven.

Grabbing a water bottle, I drank it all. I slid down the wall, closing my eyes; an earlier event flashed right back in my eyes.

I don't want him back in my life. I don't. The more I think about it, the more I feel grief. I will not let him again in my life without knowing the reason behind what he did back 20 years ago. I pray that Allah (SWAT) keeps my mother strong.

♕ B A C K A T A N T O N I A ' S O F F I C E ♕

The intensity of the study room was very high. Nothing made sense to me. Nothing at all.

"How can you show your face to mom after what you did?" I snapped.

"I have no shame of showing my face to the two most important people in my life. The people that I love and care for," he answered. How can this man be so calm?

"Love? Care? Yeah, right!" I laughed sarcastically.

"I am honest with you, kid," he shrugged.

"If you care, then why did you leave?" I got up from my seat.

"That's a personal problem," he looked at me.

How can he say that? He is standing right in front of us, and he is saying this! The more I look at him, the more indignant I get. Nothing this man says makes any sense.

"Too personal enough to not share with your own family," mom snapped.

"Yes," he answered.

"Then why did you come back? If you don't tell us why you leave, then there is no point in staying here and trying to get back into our lives. Because it won't work!" I exclaimed.

"I have my reasons," he stated once again.

"How can you still say that? You tore our family apart. Mom cried her eyes out every day and night because of you; you weren't there for me and never showed up to my birthday, my first step, my first word, or take me to my first day of school. Mom did!" I yelled, trying to control my emotions.

"And I regret it," he sighs.

"Do you have any idea how I felt watching all those kids holding their father's hand and do everything? It makes me wish my father was here. Kids' father was there in every single step of their life! Every single new thing that they did. I would cry to sleep as a kid. Every night! I would stare at their father and son bond. The happiness and joy they had in their life wanted me to have the same lives as them. Yet now, I wish you were never my father," I spat, storming out the room right after slamming the door vigorously.

"Omar!" mom gasped

♕ ♕ ♕

♕ 3 R D P O V ♕

"Well, that went very well."

"I am sorry for his behavior. He is not like this usually," Antonia stated.

"Don't worry about it! He is just angry right now. I'll talk to him some other day," Walid got up from his seat.

"Why?" she asked, not looking at him.

"Why, what?" He looked confused.

"What's the reason for choosing Rachel over me? Why did you do all this? What do you really want, Mr. Khan," she inquired.

"I can't say anything right now. When the time comes, I will. You should know better than anyone that I do things with a reason behind it," Walid responded.

"That's why I am asking you. Why?" She asked again.

He got up from his seat and walked up to her. "Because to keep you safe. I am not going to put you in danger. I love you way too much to lose you," he kissed her cheek.

She stood them like a block of ice. Her eyes and her mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise. She rotated her head to see him walk out the door. She slammed down on the seat. Closing her eyes, she repeated that same word.

Why?