Dalal’s heart started racing as she read the message again. She didn’t know what to feel or what to do. She was speechless. She wanted to run back to Faisal with open arms. But she didn’t know if she should let her guard down again. Should she open up her fragile heart again and give him her all? Should she love him back again with all her soul? She just didn’t want to be disappointed again.
Dalal breathed out as she replied to his text.
“Welcome back Faisal. I missed you so much more and there’s so much you should know. 7:30 it is like always xoxo."
She reread her message and felt it was too cold. She never sent a single message without ending it with ‘I love you’. She typed those three words and erased them. A voice inside of her told her to slow down and miraculously she listened to it and sent her message. She waited for a few minutes for a reply from Faisal but she didn’t get one. So she immediately messaged Mariam and told her that things are okay and she kept the details to a minimum.
Faisal smiled when he got Dalal’s message. ‘Ya7lailha,’ he thought, ‘trying to protect herself from everything.’ He put his phone away and he got back into his car. He knew it was only 6:30 and that their date was an hour away but he was too excited to wait so he drove off to Caribou, stopping at a small shop on the way.
Dalal put her phone away and went to look for clothes in her closet. She stood in her big dressing room staring at all her clothes. She silently waited for an outfit to appear but she couldn’t make up one. She didn’t know what she wanted to look like. Should she be causal for him? Should she dress up like she usually does? Should she care what he thinks of her? She didn’t know why she doubted Faisal now. She sat on the floor and stared at the mirror. ‘ Why am I scared?’ she thought. ‘Why am I hesitating? I do want Faisal. I do miss him. I do right?’ she asked herself. But there were no answers to her questions. She put her head in her hands and breathed out slowly to calm herself. “I can’t and will not live without Faisal. Ana a7ba.” She whispered to herself. Anyone looking at Dalal would think she’s a deranged person, but the love she has for Faisal has made her crazy for him.
‘I can do this,’ she thought as she stood up and picked out her outfit for the evening. She wore a black high-waist skinny with a silk blouse that she tucked in. She put on her gold studs and her gold locket hung down her neck and fell playfully on her tummy. She wore her black gold studded ballerinas and wore very light make up. She looked at her self in the mirror and pulled her hair into a high ponytail and observed her look. She liked the ponytail but she knew Faisal liked it when her hair was all over her shoulders so she pulled down her hair and tucked her long bangs behind her right ear. She knew Faisal didn’t notice the bangs this morning because if he did he would’ve thrown a fit because he hated bangs. She breathed out as she reapplied her lipstick and left her room.
As she made her way downstairs she found her mother sitting in the living room enjoying tea with her elder brother Nasser.
“Mama ana 6al3a okay?” She stood in front of her mother.
“Wayen betro7een?” Nasser asked.
“Caribou Salheya” Dalal answered Nasser and looked straight at her mother who knew what that meant.
Dalal’s mother sat quietly sipping on her hot tea and contemplating the idea of letting Dalal go or not. She knew that Dalal would go no matter what she said but she appreciated the fact that Dalal told her mother. She liked the trust they had between them.
“Okay mama?” Dalal gave her mother a pleading look.
Nasser looked at the time and said “Dalal mala da3ay etro7een Salheya, ro7ay eljam3eya agrab wela bas degay khal ewa9loonlech ely tabeena.”
Dalal ignored Nasser’s remark and frowned she hoped her mother’s answer was different than Nasser’s.
“Ro7ay 7abebty, bas lat6awleen.” Dalal’s mother said.
“Bas youma, mala da3ai?” Nasser said.
“Nasser khalas mama galat okay.” Dalal snapped.
“Malich sh’3l feeh youma, yala ro7ay lata2akhrayn. Oo ekhthay shawl weyach tara el hawa shaad.” Dalal’s mother said.
Nasser sighed as Dalal smiled and kissed her mother’s forehead. All her brothers know that Dalal gets what she wants and when she wants it because she’s the only girl. Dalal turned to face Nasser and smiled, “Tabe ayeeblk shay weyay?”
“Laa mashkoora, bas nafs ely galeta omy, don’t be late.” Nasser said as he got up and left the living room.
As Dalal turned and was aiming to the door, her mother spoke, “Faisal rad mu chthy?”
Dalal turned around and smiled shyly, “Eeh, shdarach?”
“Ashoofch kashkhtla.”
“Laish feeha shay?” Dalal asked.
Her mother sighed, “la bas ya3ne deray balich.”
“7ather mama. Etha baba sa2al shbtgoleen?” Dalal asked.
“Bagoola 6al3a weya refejatha.”
Dalal smiled, she loved that her mother was always covering for her and watching out for her.
“Thank you mama,” Dalal said as she ran out the door before her mother got the chance to ask more questions.
Dalal got in her car and speeded off to Salheya. It was almost 7:30 as she drove into the parking. She found her usual parking space empty and as she parked her heart stared racing as she saw Faisal’s black jaguar parked two lanes away. She turned off her car and regained all her focus. She grabbed her maroon Chanel tote and got down.
Faisal watched Dalal slowly approaching him and he couldn’t help but smile. ‘ God she’s so beautiful’ he thought.
He got down and stood in front of his car waiting for her.
The moment Faisal stepped out of the car Dalal quickened her pace. She wanted to run into him but she controlled herself. He was still in the same clothes that she saw him in that morning. ‘7abeby marad elbait,’ Dalal thought as she stood smiling in front of Faisal.
They stood there for a few seconds staring into each other’s eyes. No one said anything at first, but then Faisal moved closer to Dalal and the first thing he did was kiss her right cheek and whispered into Dalal’s ear, “I hope that made up for this morning.”
Dalal blushed and her face became hot. She looked at the floor shyly as Faisal took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.
