Chapter 38: Chapter 38

With each contraction came a pain that dominated Amira's entire being. In those moments, she regretted ever agreeing to have a baby. She shook her head wondering why she stopped taking her birth control pills at the first place. She would have continued taken it and fooled him but rather she did it Just to irritate her co wife now she was between life and death.

When the pain passed it was only for a minute or so and she breathed with closed eyes, unwilling to re-engage with life outside of her own body. The room might as well have been empty for all the awareness she had, and when they did talk, touch, gain her attention she found it so hard. To reply, she had to find herself from the deepest recess of her own mind and drag herself forward, to use her voice, open her eyes.

The midwife was telling her that it was time, time to push again. With a guttural grunt she did so and was told to stop, one was enough. She felt the baby crowning, the hot stretching of flesh and held her breath. Without any further effort the baby slid into the hands of the midwife. There was elation, a girl at last, and in the seconds she was there, nascent eyes opening, mouth rooting for milk.

She rested her head back, gasping for air. Finally, she could rest and continue living the way she did before.

A long while later after amira had woken up, she met her mother in the room together with Muhsin holding the baby as he rock her back and forth. She smiled at him, trying to keep her eyes open. She was still tired despite the fact that she had slept throughout the day. "Can I hold her?" She spoke weakly stretching out her hands. "No amira, you're not strong enough to do that. Wait after you've eaten at least." She looked at her mother before she shrugged it off and turned her gaze away.

She knew why her mother did that; because amira doesn't know how to hold babies. She had never attempted it no matter how many times she was given a baby to hold. Not to be judged but amira disliked babies. Everything about them was stressful, in her opinion. They don't allow you to sleep, they cry a lot, some eat too much. They always make a mess. She cringed at the thought of that. She looked his way, he still had the baby with him. The sight was cute but she would never find babies something to be proud of. It was a waste of time and life destroyer.

The next day, they got discharged after amira had thrown an unending tantrum to get discharged from the hospital. She was taken home and after the naming ceremony, she went back to her parents house even though she had begged muhsin not to agree with her mother about it.

Muhsin sauntered into the house after he had dropped amira at her parents house. He walked in as he thought of the way he'd live for forty days or so alone with dalia. How was he going to resist being together with her, in the same roof without anything going between them. Impossible, he mused to himself.

Just as he expected, he met her in the living room but she wasn't watching TV, she had books piled all around her. She looked stressed, lost weight; he noticed. She turned her head to his direction when she heard his movement. They both gazed in each others eyes longingly until she spoke. "Welcome back." But he never uttered a word, rather, he kept looking at her for a brisk moment before he walked passed her and headed upstairs to his room. The last thing he'd want was to have anything come between them and that was impossible if she keeps appearing everywhere he was.

He took a quick shower before dressing up for the night. He sauntered downstairs, still she was there studying. "When are you starting exams?" He found himself asking her. She raised her head and looked at him with her tired eyes. 'What do you care about my studies?' See badly wanted to say that but the least she needed was to fight with him. She fixed her eyes back on the book in front of her. "Tomorrow." He stared at her for a moment before he walked away to the dinning area to have his dinner.

From the dinning, he called out her name. She hesitated before answering. She got to her feet and entered the dinning area. "You called me?" He looked at her, holding a stoic expression. "Yes I did, sit." He gestured to the seat beside him. She stared at him, perplexed. "Sit, we're going to eat... together." He looked away and opened the warmer.

She settled down beside him without uttering a word. She peered at him to the food he was serving them. She couldn't remember when last she last saw him eating her cooking, let alone eating together. He pushed the plate to her side and rested his elbows on the table, knuckles under his chin. "Eat," he urged her. She looked at him. "I'm not hungry. I have a lot to study before tomorrow." She attempted to leave the place when he beat her to it by holding her hand. Her skin tingled at his touch as her breathing becomes shorter and faster.

She slowly freed her hand from his hold. "Then sit if you don't want me to touch you again." She felt the urge to hiss or at least roll her eyes at him, but she dared not to. She sighed before sitting down again. She took the spoon as she stole glances at him. If she wanted to eat, looking at him would definitely make her lose appetite. Now that he was sitting too close to her, it made things worse.

She took few spoons and dropped the spoon back on the plate. "Why did you stop?" He asked her. "Because I told you I wasn't hungry." She swiftly stood up and left him there. He shrugged and rested his back on the chair. He scooped his phone up from the table as he looked at the mouthwatering dish but he had already vowed he won't eat her food again, not now at least. His stomach grumbled making him to hiss. He groaned and got to his feet.

He stepped into the living room to find it empty. She couldn't stand him near her. He looked around, smirking. He exhaled and shook his head before sauntering out of the house.

**

"Look I've told you already, even if she was the one that did it, it's high time you stop this childish act of yours and make things right with your wife since you're a father now. Wasn't that what caused all of this at the first place?" Muhsin averted his gaze from his computer to Yusuf who has been blabbering about dalia for the passed minutes he cared not to count. "It's like you guys don't really get it. You're saying all this because you aren't the one. I mean, she is my first love then ended up betraying me, how do you expect me to handle the pain? Everything came all at once and I couldn't handle it."

Yusuf couldn't help but smile. "Like I said, even if she was the one that aborted the baby, it's high time you forget about it and make things right before it's too late. Take it or leave it."

"I don't care. Until she confesses and apologize but before then, we continue living this way." He turned his attention to his work while his cousin gaped at him in awe. Yusuf nodded his head before standing up. He bid him goodbye before leaving the office.

And like he said, they continued living that way without any progress between them. Muhsin was mostly at his in laws house not because of amira but to see his daughter.

A week before amira returns to the house, after isha muhsin entered the house and met the spotless living room empty. He scratched the back of his head anxiously before he sashayed into the kitchen. He made coffee before he settled down on the stool.

He kept the mug with a sigh. My heart twisted and sunk with nerves as he rubbed his eyes with his fingers wondering if he could do what he had in mind or not. He couldn't handle the pressure anymore and he knew there was no way he could wait for amira.

He finished taking his coffee and got to his feet before leaving the kitchen and headed off to his room. After taking his bath, he dressed up in shorts only and stepped out of the room as he thought of any way to approach her. What if... what if she doesn't cooperates with him, with what he needs. He shook the thoughts away, she dared not to do that to him.

He stood by the door, having several thoughts about it. He groaned softly, resting his forehead on the door. He hesitated before finally opening the door and entered her living room. It was dark which meant she was in her room. He found the switch and turned on the lights before he headed straight into her room without having second thoughts.

She turned her head to the door, briskly. She heaved a sigh after she was sure he was the one. He looked at her from where she was standing, by the dressing mirror. She had a cropped tank top on with short that barely reached her thighs. He squinted at her through hardened eyes that once had been her salvation, but now they brought only accusation of a betrayed lover.

"Do you need anything?" She finally broke the tense silence. He breathed out not knowing he had held his breath for too long. He nodded his head slowly before he approached her. He reached his hand to cup her cheek , his fingers warm against her skin. The look in her eyes says she was afraid of something, particularly him. He smirked, pleased with that.

His lips finds hers in a tender, yearning kiss. He held her tight against his bare chest, deepening the kiss into a fervent embrace. He carefully lifts her up, gently placing her on the bed as she sinks back into the soft sheets. He showers kisses on her chest and neck and she shuddered with pleasure. His kisses dotted up her neck, until he reaches her lips. He enraptures her in a heavy kiss until finally pulling back.

Tonight she was happy, but she doesn't think he could tell she was. It’s under the surface and mixed with some anxiety. She wasn't used to this combination, it's truly odd. It was either she was happy or sad but tonight she was happy which takes her up and anxious which brings her down.

Her breath catches, and he tilts his head to meet her lips once more. She tangles her hands in his hair as he kissed her. He traced kisses along the curve of her jaw, tailing more down the side of her neck to linger, teasingly. She felt electricity in her skin, hormones shutting down of her higher brain.

"Dalia." He whispered her name. She could hear and feel the desperation in his voice. He buries his head into her neck and his hands rove all over her body. Their breathing then became rough and fast. "You're irresistible." He says while kissing her chest. His hand comes down to her top and lifts it up. He grabs the middle and yanks it. She hears the fabric rips and gasped at what he just did. "Shh.'" He shushed her.

That night wasn't like any other nights. He took all of her, savoured every moment.