Two crossing paths

part16: two birds and one table

Seemingly endless thoughts rushed through Adam's mind. He couldn't figure out what to do or how to prepare for meeting Ann. What should he get her? He had always wanted to bring her a tulip, but where in Egypt would he even find one? It was late at night, and everything was closed. He couldn't stop thinking about what would make her see his true self. He wondered how he could present himself as a gentleman, someone worthy of making her feel like a princess. The anticipation made him anxious-this day would determine if they were right for each other, a real face-to-face interaction for the first time.

Adam worried about everything. What if she didn't like his appearance, his face, his height, or the way he smiled? Maybe she had specific expectations. He also carefully considered how to make this meeting respectful, socially and religiously acceptable. Before telling Ann, he had prepared everything-his habit of analyzing every detail kicked in. He opened maps, checked the Cairo metro lines, the distances between places, train schedules, and transportation options. He devised a plan.

"She starts her day at 9 a.m., so I'll let her work and be there around 12 or 12:30 when she can leave early," he muttered to himself. "We'll meet for a couple of hours, and then I'll make sure she gets back home safely." But he hesitated over where they should meet. He felt shy, unsure if it was appropriate to suggest a place. It seemed nicer to let her choose, so he told Ann he would see her tomorrow.

"OMG, are you serious? Adam, I'm so excited!" Ann's voice was filled with a cool breeze of relief, soothing the stormy emotions she'd been wrestling with. She had been feeling bloated, her body uncomfortable, but hearing his words swept all of that away.

"Yes, Ann, I'm serious. I wanted to surprise you, to make you feel better because I know you haven't been feeling good lately. Tomorrow would be perfect, don't you think?" Adam responded, hoping to cheer her up.

"More than perfect! But where and how will we meet?" she asked, her excitement bubbling over.

"I thought I'd leave that choice to you. You can choose anywhere you feel most comfortable. I don't want to come across as a creep or make you feel uncomfortable. It should be a public and respectable place, like if we were meeting as colleagues or coworkers," Adam said, even though deep down, he was already imagining telling their parents one day how they met-how it wasn't just a social media relationship. He knew that some parents still held on to old-fashioned ideas about how people should meet and fall in love.

Ann quickly suggested a place. "Look at this one, I think it's really nice."

Adam checked it out. "Oh yeah, that sounds perfect. And it's close to your home."

"I'm really excited. I can't believe I'm actually seeing you tomorrow!" Ann said, almost breathless with anticipation.

"I'm more excited, Annie," Adam replied, though he was still nervous. He didn't know what to wear, how to talk to her, or even how to approach her-he'd never met a girl before. He made sure everything in his plan was right, then picked out his clothes. He wanted to look like a gentleman but not too formal, so he prepared his white shirt and the navy suit pants with a brown belt and shoes. He got out of bed and trimmed his beard, but he still felt sad about not being able to bring her the tulip rose he had wanted to give her.

Meanwhile, Ann was preparing her outfit-her formal clothes for the bank, but this time she ironed them with extra care, almost like she was preparing a wedding dress. She then took a shower, washed her hair, and applied all her creams and lotions, feeling fresh and happy, when suddenly, a painful spasm in her tummy reminded her of her dysmenorrhea. "Oh no, not today," she groaned.

She messaged Adam, telling him about the pain, and he reassured her, "Oh Ann, it's okay, don't worry. This pain is just temporary, and it will go away. Take your Brufen and rest well. I'm here for you; I'm not going anywhere."