Aya

Chapter 22- The Family That Sits On The Ground Together Sticks Together

"Adda?"
Aisha's voice echoed softly through the hallway.

She found Aya sitting on the tiled floor, knees drawn close, staring at nothing.

After the phone call, Aya had simply sunk to the ground. She wasn't sure whether it was the weight of her emotions or the heaviness in her limbs, but she couldn't bring herself to stand. The silence of the house wrapped around her, too loud, too empty, too full.

She didn't hear Aisha approach until her sister lowered herself beside her.

"Adda, are you okay?" Aisha asked, her voice full of worry.

Aya let out an empty, humorless laugh. "I don't know why everyone keeps asking me that," she murmured, eyes still fixed somewhere far away on the wall.

Aisha gently leaned her head on Aya's shoulder. "Because everyone cares about you," she whispered. "You're our big baby."

Aya exhaled shakily, a sound that was half-laugh, half-sigh, she turned her head slightly resting it against the wall. For a moment she looked like a little girl again someone tired of being strong, tired of holding everything together

"Aisha... do you think I'll be okay?" she asked, her voice soft and raw, not defensive, not dramatic just a quiet plea for reassurance.

Aisha immediately took her hand, squeezing gently. "I know you'll be okay, Adda." She said with certainty that didn't waver

She shifted to face her fully, her voice soft but full of meaning "You should see Humairah upstairs Wallahi she's glowing. She's been waiting for her Baba to call da kyar na samu tayi bacci. Doesn't her happiness calm you a little? She's the reason you agreed to this arrangement. And now she's the happiest I've ever seen her."

A small crack of emotion slipped through Aya's chest at that.

"That alone" Aisha continued "is a sign you made the right decision. Allah will put barakah in everything else and He will not abandon you"

Aya's throat tightened not painfully but in a way that reminded her of hope, of relief she didn't know she needed. Aisha was right. She didn't need to understand everything today, Humairah's joy was enough to anchor her even if only for the moment

Just then a voice cut through the hallway

"What are you two doing sitting on the floor in the hallway like this?" Hammah asked raising a brow

Both sisters looked up, he stood there arms folded, pretending to be annoyed but the soft amusement in his eyes betrayed him. Aya and Aisha simply smiled in response.

Hammah shook his head and lowered himself to the ground beside Aya. "Aisha, it's getting late. Shouldn't you be heading back to your house? Ina Faisal?"

"I'm sleeping over today," Aisha replied with a bright grin. "He already went home."

Hammah let out a long-suffering sigh that didn't match the small smile forming on his lips. "Wannan auren naki... at this point the two of you should just move to the guest chalet beside mine."

Aya laughed an actual laugh this time, warm and soft. Aisha, unashamed as ever, shrugged.
"I actually suggested that to him, and he said no."

This time both Hammah and Aya laughed hard, because Aisha's tone was not joking she genuinely meant it, the sound of their laughter echoed in the hallway like a breath of fresh air after a long day

"Gaskiya, Aisha," Aya said shaking her head, "you and your madness only Fahad can handle it."

Their laughter filled the hallway, chasing away the earlier heaviness. For a brief precious moment everything felt familiar again like home, like childhood, like peace.