Two crossing paths

part 13: a shift in their daily routines

“Good morning, sleepy man,” Ann greeted softly.

“Come on, I barely slept six hours,” Adam groaned, rubbing his heavy eyes with a comforted sigh. “I still need my eight hours if I want to stay a young, healthy man.”

With a sleepy grin, he added, “I’ll get up now, brush my teeth, shower, pray, and then cook a meal for my diet. I need to hit my macros”

Ann chuckled. “You’re so cute, you know that?”

Adam smiled warmly. “Oh, Ann, you’re even cuter.”

“Alright then, Mr. Teddy Bear,” she teased. “I’ve got to go help my mom. Ugh i just remembered It’s cleaning day, and there’s so much to do.”

Adam felt a swell of pride and smiled. “I’m really proud of you, Ann. Your efforts mean a lot to me, just as much as they do to your family. Take your time, and know that I’ll be here for you.”

Ann’s voice softened. “Oh, Adam, I love you so much.”

“I love you much more than much,” Adam replied with a sincere voice.

Ann dropped her phone, her heart light and energized, ready to do what she does best—make everything cleaner than clean. This habit was something she inherited from her mother, Nesreen, who couldn’t tolerate anything being untidy. Nesreen would get frustrated when her kids left things out of place: her sister leaving books and pencils everywhere, or the boys leaving their T-shirts on the bed instead of in the laundry, with empty mugs forgotten on the computer desk.

Ann stood up from her bed, taking a deep breath. She opened her nearly empty water bottle and finished it with a soft, contented  "Alhamdulillah." Pulling back the curtains, she let the sunlight pierce through the darkness of the room, followed by a refreshing breeze as she opened the windows wide. She stepped out to refill her bottle, grabbing fresh clothes to start her day with a shower but choosing what to wear for the day is almost always a delay. "Today’s not a hair-washing day," she reminded herself. After a refreshing shower, she greeted her sweet mother with a cheerful "Good morning," and asked if she could help with anything. As always, her mother requested a cup of tea. Ann had always been the best at making tea—Mrs. Teacups, they called her.

Yet, as she was preparing the tea, a thought crept into her mind. *Why do I always feel a bit worried when I ask to do something for my mom?* It was strange, unsettling even. Maybe it was because her mother sometimes didn’t seem to appreciate her efforts enough. Perhaps Ann got worried that her mother might tell her she wasn’t good enough or helpful. Maybe she feared that after the tea, her mother would dismiss her gesture and instead criticize her for not starting to clean sooner, or for leaving her room untidy.

But then, Ann felt that worry being overshadowed by another, more positive emotion. Ever since she had talked to Adam, he’d given her a different perspective on things. *Maybe I shouldn’t be worried or afraid,* she thought. *Maybe it’s just in my head and would ruin my mood.*

Feeling re-energized, she set out to conquer the world—or at least her house. Ann began with her room, sweeping the floor to clear away the dust. She used an old cloth to wipe down the surfaces and the steel railing of the balcony. This piece of old cloth that was a piece of someone's shirt or an old towel .Then, she grabbed a bucket of water and mopped the floor, making the ceramic tiles gleam like pearls. Squatting and stretching, she cleared away small pieces of debris, replacing the old blankets with fresh ones. Now, her room was as spotless as a hotel room at dawn. Exhausted but determined, she moved on to clean two other rooms. Despite her fatigue, she was motivated by the desire to help her mother. And yet, in the back of her mind, she wished Adam could see how much she was doing—she wanted him to be proud of her. And indeed, he was, more than she could ever know.