Their Asia (Geniuses and Genetics Book 3)

17

Lail

I opened the door to our home and saw my uncle walking through with a newspaper in his hand. He stopped looking up at me and then sitting the paper on the table under our family picture. It had my dad, mom, uncle, Laila, Matteo, and me. Geneva was in it too but my uncle Saif had her photoshopped out of it.

"Lail. Welcome home"

"Thank you" I sighed

My dad and uncle always tried to keep the spirit of my mom alive. Saying little things she did like welcoming us home or celebrating holidays. We all didn't care about the holidays but she loved them. I think it helped them more than us. After Laila died Uncle Saif was left alone until my dad had just recently gotten his head back together.

He came over hugging me "Did you enjoy your time with Enya and Aurora?"

"I did, Aurora and Enya were upset that I had to leave, but I told them I would be back as soon as I could"

I saw my father and Karim walking up to me together and nodded to Karim "How was America?"

"Good. Ready to take back Aurora's detail?" I asked Karim, as much as I loved spending time with my nieces it could be a taxing job.

"Actually," my dad said "I was thinking since Laila has passed that Karim would be your second once you take over"

"If it's okay with you" Karim added "I'm fine with security. I don't want you to feel like I'm taking Laila's place"

I scoffed shaking my head "Why would you ever think something so stupid" I said harsher than I intended too

"Lail he didn't mean it like that," my uncle Saif said calmly

"Lail-"

I pushed passed Karim and went downstairs to my room. I took my jacket off threw it in the chair and laying down on my bed "Fucking idiot"

A knock on my door "It's me" my dad said.

"It's open," I said sitting up

He came in shutting the door and leaned back against the wall "You know that's not what he meant Lail"

"It hasn't even been a year yet and you're already trying to make me find a second. You get to have Uncle Saif help you with no problem"

"You would have had to find someone else anyway. Laila wasn't going to leave Aurora and Enya."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore"

"You haven't been to therapy in a while," he said

"Yeah? I've been in America"

"Does spending time with Aurora and Enya help you?"

"Sometimes, other times it makes it worse." My dad came closer sitting next to me "Aurora looks so much like Mom and Enya looks like Laila"

"I know" he smiled "She's calming like her too," he said folding his hands together "Enya has the attitude of Laila"

I started laughing and nodded my head "She does. Fakes innocent then tears you up" my dad nodded his head laughing "I took her to this bookstore and she already had a lot of books, but she wanted more and I told her to wait. We could come back another time and get the rest. You know what she said to me?"

"What did she say?"

"'And here I thought you were a millionaire'" I said and we both started laughing

"She did!" he said laughing "What did you do?"

"I bought the damn books" I laughed harder "I wasn't about to just let her say that. I let her get more too"