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We sit around the three-tier wedding cake as we dig in.
Angelo sits with his laptop on his lap taking notes on what I am saying. "So who counts as a mahram?"
I take the fork out of my mouth and swallow. "Your immediate family, uncles, grandparents, and your future parents-in-law."
"So one day your mother will be my mahram?" Angelo says nonchalantly as my eyes widen.
"If we were to get married, yes," I reply and he nods. "That's nice."
He did not say if we get married. He said it as a fact.
I like to believe I am a good Muslim. My only flaw is that I hang out with Angelo without a mahram. But he is the only man I voluntarily spend time with.
"Keep dreaming ugly." Chasity pats her brother's back leaning back onto the sofa.
"I will." He replies and I let out a small laugh. I envy his bravery and courage to say bold things like that. My only fear is that one day he'll straight up admit to having a crush on me and wanting something more than friendship and that day I will have to burn my house down and move to another country.
My phone begins ringing and I look to see Hamza calling. That's weird...he never calls.
"Excuse me," I say to my friends and walk to the side of the room.
I answer the phone but skip the greeting. "What's wrong?"
"Amma told me you have been going out a lot. Now she's wondering if you have a boyfriend. So do you?" My brother Hamza and his subtlety.
"Why does me going out mean that I'm doing haram things? Astagfirullah." I mumble to myself.
"You're avoiding the question, Aya. I don't care about your love life so please don't ever confide in me about it because I will laugh in your face but amma does and she's scared that you're going to run away with a white man." Hamza is so caring.
"Because you are her messenger you can tell her that I am not seeing any man and that baba lets me go out. He said it's good that I'm making connections with rich people or something like that. " My dad only likes me spending time with the Russos because they're rich.
"That's a lot of words to remember just text me." The Ivy League genius ladies and gentlemen.
He hangs up on me and I walk back to my friends. "Sorry, it was my brother."
"Oh my goodness! When will we meet your siblings?!" Chasity asks, jumping up and down.
"Insha'allah, one day," I say and she glared at me.
"I know that in this context it means never but come on! Your family would love me, at least your siblings. I'm social, rich, funny, beautiful, kind-."
"And very humble," Angelo says sarcastically, rolling his eyes at Chas.
"Awe thanks. That too." She tells me but I shake my head.
