Edited by WhiteHeart 💞💞💞
"Of course I know Toby. Who doesn't. Major's Nephews are quiet infamous around here, plus shouldn't you know he's your family." I pointed out
"It's been awhile since I saw him." He muttered looking down
"So you expect other people to keep track of your close family? That's...pitiful." I told him looking at his slumped shoulders as I peeled the orange Yuusha had come running to give me.
"Excuse me?" He asked. As if hoping he had been imagining the words I had just said.
"The door is that way if you want to be excused." I said my words clear as day.
"Maria!" Hanaan exclaimed, giving me the look to tell me I was going too far. Seemingly a bit shocked about my hostility towards Ethan Sanders
"Who are you to cast judgment on him" Sophia questioned
"Bitch swerve. You don't seem to know the first thing about judgment." I snapped at her
"Did you just call me a b...."
"Hanaan if you're going to have him here I'm out. Seriously I need a break from all this drama in my life. I've been having a bad day already because of his cousin and I'm just vexed seeing him. Call me when he's gone." I told her as I got up all the while taking off my shoes switching them with comfy sneakers.
Taking my laptop and wallet with me I left the condo and drove to my favorite café.
"Salam Maria" I called out to Fahima one of my favorite waitresses and friend at The Place greeted me as I walked in.
I ordered west African ice tea and took a zip locked bag of free dates on the table and sat at my favorite corner by the window. It was my favorite because it gave me a view of everything inside and out.
I had just open my laptop when I got a coded message from someone that I was sure was Ian.
My heart stilled as I read the message.
They know.
Those two simple words gave me the chills.
There's only one reason why Ian would go through such lengths to send me a coded message.
Someone connected the dots and were going to use him to get to me.
It was disturbing because I didn't know who he meant by saying they. My first suspicion was Toby but Ian would know how to deal with criminals and thus wouldn't have sent the message.
I'm pretty sure someone like Toby wouldn't be able to connect the dots that even the profilers and cyber officers couldn't trace. They can't even track my Swiss accounts overseas how would they be able to track me to the last place someone would think to look for the tracer.
After finished my tea and failing horribly in paying attention to the performances going on because of how disturbed I was by the message I got from Ian I went home more irritated then I was when I left.
Luckily the guests had left and Hanaan had texted me early saying she was spending the night with her mom thus leaving me home alone.
I went to my room and cuddle up getting into as comfortable position possible before watching my usual Back to back episodes of a Thai lakorn.
*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~
The next morning Hanaan was visibly upset at how I had treated her guests. However before she could get into starting on a scolding I gave her a big bear hug and promised to do 2 weeks of volunteer readings at the library.
The best thing about Hanaan is that she doesn't keep grudges and had a personality that loved to forgive and see the best in people. For as long as I'd known her she has been a very caring person when it comes to children and their education and thus I knew that offering to do the reading would soften her heart a little.
In fact, that was the main reason why she decided to become a preschool teacher. It's also one of the many things I like about Hanaan and I'm glad she was the one my brother Zubair married, may Allah bless his soul.
Their personality had just fitted together. They truly were the embodiment of the ayat that stated Allah had made humans in pairs. The way they understood each other and clicked was as if they had been made specifically for each other.
I could only hope and make dua that my nephew becomes like them as well. The world needs more people like them and god willing he will someday he'll meet his Hanaan and complete his faith. Maybe I will too someday.
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My boss always seems to have something shitty to say about how I dress occasionally I just want to flick him off. He is a total ass but him being a total ass keeps me entertained and makes my day. Usually I just laugh in his face and go about my business.
Talha always says that I have a narc for negative comments towards me, instead of getting angry I tell them off, laugh it off and go about my about my business or do things that make them infuriated which results to me laughing my ass off at them. I know that me laughing infuriates them even more and that's what gives me the most pleasure. If they try getting physical I act like the victim or the damsel in distress which makes them mental or seem mental to everyone around them.
Which results to their down fall and my ultimate joy. I being #Teamschadenfreude can be awesome sometimes.
Today I decided to wear something gloomy and contradicting; a bright red maxi dress with a black leather jacket and black wrap around hijab, touched up with black lipstick and simple eyeliner followed by a pair of black designer combat boots. Looking at myself in the mirror I could see my boss's disapproval over my choice of attire was guaranteed.
Walking in to work I could see the irritation in his eyes but I just smiled at him and waved before walking towards my work area.
As usual Adrian handed me his usual Thursday treat for me, a box of mini yogurt smoothies which were my absolute favorite food in the whole world after cherries.
"Isabel told me to tell you to call her ASAP or she'll come marching down the police station." He told me with a smile on his face as he watched me devour the smoothies.
"I just saw her yesterday" I replied questioningly
"Apparently, she's wants to talk to you but you turned off your phone" He replied as if all the worlds pressures were on his shoulders.
"Alright Mono I'll call her don't worry I promissse she wouldn't pulverize you I got your back" I said elongated and drawing out the word promise. "I just have to wait till my break or David is going to have a valid reason to fire me. " I continued.
"I'm sure he wouldn't you're the best analysts there is in this town" He replied endearingly before picking up my trash to bin.
"Awe thank you mono. You always know exactly what to say to flatter a girl even a computer geek like me." I called out to him.
I could hear him chuckling as he walked away.
I had a busy morning because of two corpses that were found. Once their identity were verified I had to go through deleted emails and recover data that has been deleted. As well as going through phone records and giving the data that I recovered to the detectives to help them with their investigation. There seemed to be a lot of blind spots in the case but that was their problem to solve.
By my break time I felt a brain drain because of all the demands I kept getting.
I'm a forensic Analyst for heaven's sake! Sadly, some people here don't get that my job description doesn't include me fixing their simple technical problems.
As I was looking at my phone thinking of calling Isabel her Caller ID appeared.
"Salam Aleykum Mia! How are you doing"
"I'm super tired. But Alive so what's up" I asked curious as to what she wanted to talk about.
"Mia guess what?" She questioned trying to create tension
"What?" I replied confused as to why we were suddenly reverting to elementary schoolers.
"You'll be a nephew soon." She said stating the obvious
"Yeah I know that already. Hanaan is like 5 months pregnant now." I replied wondering why she was having a duh moment.
"No" She laughed. " Not Hanaan, I mean me and Muhammad are going to have a baby." She announced her voice going high pitch and celebratory at the end.
"Another one! Wow! Girl you're on a roll MashaAllah. Soon you'll be having your own football squad"
"Ha Ha Ha" She ground out unamused "I wish I could just skip the morning sickness." She sighed
"I'm just kidding habibti. Inshallah this one will be easier. How is my baby niece Anisa." I asked
"Anisa is doing fine now. Let's get to the real deal what happened to you yesterday?" She questioned final getting to the heart of the matter. "You're weird, mocking and irritating at times but never that rude to guests at your house. What triggered it."
"I... Ran into Toby." I replied hesitatingly
"Oh...okay so...." She asked as if that wasn't a big deal.
"He's messing with my hormones" I stated bluntly
"TMI chica I get that Toby might seem attractive to you but never thought it would be to that level." She said grossed out.
"He's so tall and handsome as hell. And he's so bad and does it so well." I replied sounding very much like a valley girl in any classical tv show.
"Oh my God did you just quote a Taylor swift song? He's got you bad." She pointed out laughing at my expense in the process.
"No not that he's just got something on me and I can't really think straight with him around."
"The first stage is denial Amiga." She said laughing once again through the phone finding great amusement at my misfortune.
"Denial my ass." I said to her before I hung up.
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