WHATEVER, POLICE OFFICER

One.

TEXAS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

"Everything is packed?" Ruwaidha Muneer asked her son who stared at the boxes filled with their stuff waiting to be shifted to Nigeria with that blank stare of his that he gives criminals, it scares her sometimes too. The guy literally changed from a sweet boy into a man at the age of seventeen, she understand why he became so stern.

"Yes, Ma. You still didn't say anything about the houses I showed you earlier. Where do you plan to stay if you can't chose any?" He sat down comfortably on the sofa still in his blue American police officer's uniform. His arms bulged beside him while his legs hang on the center table completing his sturdy and tall physique he maintained for his profession.

"Your Aunt, Adeela wants us to live with her for the time being since her husband is hardly home. She wants to spend sometime with me, I want that too. I hope it's okay for you?" Her eyes are searching his, trying to gouge out his reaction to the new answer she has been hiding from him till the last minute. She knew how protective and proud he is so those words wouldn't have worked a day before.

"Why didn't you tell me about it earlier? I can just stay in an apartment till you guys finish 'catching up' then we get a house. You did this on purpose didn't you?" He narrowed his eyes, sarcasm dripping off his words. His mother knows how to bend his rules and principles like no other. She is just too much, he loves her from the deepest core of his heart, she knows that and takes full advantage of it.

"I'm clever, aren't I?" She gave him a sheepish grin, he only smiled at her while she does so. She manage to look exactly like a movie he's watched mistakenly in his colleague's MacBook, so mischievous and beautiful.

"Not really." He shrugged when her smile suddenly yawed to a glare, this could get to her for the time being. Her happiness is all that matters to him, he needs to keep that smile on her face intact or he lost himself too. She is amongst the only two things keeping him sane, he would've been long gone into the pits of insanity.

"I am done packing too!" Another reason for his sanity none other than his stepbrother of five, Zafar came bounding into the room with his bumblebee backpack in hand. He thinks his toys are the only things he needs to pack to leave the country. Children are so innocent and bundles of joy, they make life worth living.

"Really? You did that all by yourself?" He took him in his arms, raising him up above eliciting a loud giggle from the child. A smile took over his face again too at the precious sight of his little brother's smile.

"Yes, Nana didn't help me with anything." He proudly stated that his nanny didn't help him pack. The nanny actually just left the room with his many luggage to fill in the SUV he rented for this special trip. Their things are going to be shipped to Nigeria before they arrive, the next day.

"Wow, I'm so proud of you." He beamed at the kid who wouldn't stop smiling then started wiggling around his arms, wanting to gain freedom which he gave him. He is probably going to disturb his mother about his toys or something.

"Maaa, I don't want those toys anymore, they are old. Have you seen the ones Uncle Oliver bought for Kyle? They are so strong and could fight all the ghosts at night but mine are mostly old and tired. They are not as strong as Kyle's." He complained to their mother as if she is the one who buys them for him, Ahmad does all that himself. He shook his head, the guy is very smart.

If he had told him that with his own mouth, he wouldn't have given him a second glance and tell him to appreciate what he has not because they are not wealthy for they are wealthier than wealthy with the amount of money their father left for them but because he needs to stop seeing other people's lives and comparing it with his. That is inappropriate which he needs to put an end to at that very young age. He wants to disciple the little boy like he would his son so that is the first step of telling him to keep his high expectations low, life doesn't work like this. Expectation and comparison ruins lots of lives, he should change that at this young age.