And it looked just like a normal day… Soap operas playing in the background. The scent of Sandalwood from the candle near the prayer table. Mother Devi serving rice to Augustin who was sitting at the dining table, conversing to someone opposite to him. To whom? Oh to Afsah… Wait what?
…
After the threat he had pulled on her in the morning, this sight was the last she had expected.
It took a few minutes for Archie to stand there by the entrance, still holding her bag before she had their attention. Although it was merely for a second from Afsah, who carried on his plate despite Augustin and mother Devi who paused on their spot.
"Come in dear, I'll serve you lunch." Mother Devi said quietly.
…Silence
"Afsah. What are you doing here?"
Afsah didn't look up from his plate while Augustin sighed and resumed his lunch.
"What do you mean. I live here."
"Oh really? I'm a bit late on the news. Since when was this exactly?"
"Since this morning." He managed to say while he furiously swallowed dangerous chunks of rice.
"…"
More silence while Archie bit the inside of her mouth in deep thought, squinting her eyes.
"Alright then."
She sped off upstairs and into her room.
She blocked her mind from the expected overflow of questions and simply calmed herself. Was he joking this morning? Probably… But she was already half way through wiping him out from her mind.
She got changed and joined the three by the dining area.
It took a good few minutes for the silence to be broke but it was better late than never.
"So aren't you going to ask why he isn't gone?" Augustin asked, slowly looking up from his plate and smiling.
Mother Devi leaned herself against the door of the kitchen and watched the drama unfold with a wooden spoon in her hands.
"Right. Why are you still here?" She said bluntly, looking at Afsah with no friendliness in her eyes nor her tone.
He refused to contribute to the gasping conversation, trying not to die.
"Well he's staying here forever." Augustin added after noticing his silence.
"What's that meant to mean?"
"It means he's moving in."
"What. I thought he felt 'unnecessary' staying here."
"Well I changed my mind" Afsah finally decided to add.
Archie smirked, looking down at her plate. She hadn't expected this but it was something quite his character.
Augustin and mother Devi busted into laughter as the other two shyly looked into each other's eyes from opposite ends of the table.
~
It was night time at San Diego. The city was getting ready for bed but like every other day, the mansion was alive and happy, the thought of calling it a night, not even crossed its mind especially since it was a holiday for Archie the next day.
Afsah and mother Devi were downstairs in the living room munching on snacks and watching soap operas while Archie and Augustin were upstairs in Afsah's future room, unpacking his things as they offered to, music playing in the background.
Archie was kneeling on the bed, with cardboard boxes surrounding her, looking through and sorting his work documents while Augustin was on the floor, checking out the wardrobe he had arranged with Afsah's clothes.
"He has a peculiar sense of fashion" Augustin said, trying to wrap a turban around his head.
"That's not a fashion item" Archie laughed.
"I've seen a lot of the males from my mom's side wear it on the portraits. It's a Muslim head piece called a turban."
Augustin gently removed it from his head, understanding that it needs to be respected and not played around with.
"You know. We need to ask him one day."
"About what?" Archie said, still shifting through the boxes on the bed.
"The portrait."
"…"
Archie stopped and sighed.
She would have never had any suspicions about him if it weren't for that portrait. Why has he never told her about his relation to her mother… they've talked so much about their lives but not once had he explained to her the meaning of it. He was definitely hiding something and her heart became sore, thinking about that possibility.
"I will when the time is right."
Augustin smiled calmly at her response. It was then that she remembered about the gold bracelet she had bought for them.
"Wait here." Archie said, running out the room and into hers.
She took the glass box from her bag and looked at the two bracelets inside.
He heart was overfilled with joy and unexplainable nervousness as she looked at the pendant. It meant so much, although she knew it wasn't needed to define their friendship.
Back in Afsah's room, Augustin was surprised to see Archie at the door, holding a box.
She slowly walked towards him and looked up to his eyes.
"Close your eyes."
He was confused.
"Hi… This is me, Augustin. Afsah's downstairs if you wanted him." He joked.
Archie threw a punch to his stomach as they bother laughed.
"No shut up and close your eyes."
He slowly and suspiciously closed his eyes.
She took his wrist and tied the bracelet around it.
"Open." Archie said, nervous to see his reaction.
He stared deeply at the pendant on his wrist, of the two figures merging together by their fingertips. His eyes starting to water, he didn't question the meaning of it. He instantly knew what it showed and had felt the same unexplainable delight in realising the connecting it held to them both.
He leant down and embraced her in a hug and happily sobbed by her shoulder while she couldn't help but do the same against his chest.
After they're tear festival had ended, he took the other bracelet from the box and tied it around her wrist. She looked at him with cheery eyes as she shook his hands.
"Congratulations brother."
"Congratulations sister."
They exploded into laughter, rolling around on the floor, destroying some of what could be Afsah's important work documents without a care in the world before reluctantly resuming their unfinished job as they heard the TV turn off downstairs.