Waiting For This Cough Syrup To Come Down (Re-write)

Chapter Four

The ring seemed to weigh a tonne on my finger, just because I was starting to feel the pressure of what it all meant. Honestly, I never even saw myself getting married, much less to Zayn of all people. My finger tapped against the steering wheel as I drove, and I glanced every now and then to the ring that sat there; it was unnerving, feeling almost wrong that I had it, only because I hadn't seen my family yet. I trusted Zayn; I knew he was telling me the truth when he told me how this whole thing had come to plan, but I still felt uneasy, like I had something to finish.

Instead of going back to Oxford, I stopped at my aunt's house, looking for answers.

When she opened the door, I was immediately engulfed by her arms in a warm hug which also pretty much cut off my blood circulation. 

'So you heard,' I joked half-heartedly. Behind her, I saw her daughters - two of my cousins - descend down the stairs, running like five-year-olds when they were really in their late-twenties. 

'What are you two doing here?' I asked, half-laughing. 

'Had some time off,' said Sofia shrugged, throwing her arms around me. 'Thought we'd come visit.'

'Lemme see it!' Maha yelled, the older of the two sisters, wrapping me in a tight one-armed hug, pressing a kiss to the crown of my head, and holding my hand in hers to get a look at the engagement ring. 'How d'you feel?' 

'Apparently less excited than you,' I said bluntly, jokingly staring at her like I thought she was crazy. I mean, I did think she was crazy. My whole extended family was crazy. 'What even happened?' I asked the three of them, mainly looking at my aunt. 'I mean, how?'

The story was similar to Zayn's. He asked, they said no. He practically begged for a while, arguing that he could take care of me and that I could take care of him, and then they said yes. 

'He's a good boy,' she said as I passed her a cup of tea. 'Good family, good values; I know he can take care of you.'

I snorted. 'I don't need to be taken care of.'

My aunt rolled her eyes at my stubbornness. 'You know what I mean. He's good for you, you need someone like him.'

The ring finger, the one sporting the engagement ring, tapped against the mug in my hands. 'I'm still surprised you approve of him,' I admitted.

'His career's unconventional,' she said. 'His lifestyle's different because of it. But look at us,' she shrugged. 'We aren't totally orthodox or reserved, either.'

I realised that I was playing with the ends of my long hair, which were free from a headscarf. I think only two or three women in my family wore one, and we were liberal in other ways as well. She had a point. 

'So ... what now?' I asked her. 'I mean, where do we go from here? I can't plan a wedding, I've got no time. I'm still in my internship, I'm going to specialise when I'm thirty at the earliest ... I can't afford to take a break from work and do this.'

'Slow down,' my aunt said calmly. 'This is a conversation Zayn needs to be a part of as well, and you've got plenty of time to figure it all out.'

I puffed my cheeks out, not really liking that there was already so much that I was unsure of. 'Yeah,' I muttered. 'Yeah, okay.' I pushed my tea away, half-finished. 'I should head back, I've got work tomorrow.'

Sofia nudged my elbow gently; she was only three years older than I was, but it didn't feel like it. 'You okay?'

'I'm fine,' I said, not sure whether I was lying or not. But I supposed, if I wasn't sure I was fine in the first place, then I was lying and I wasn't fine. Not completely. 'Just a lot to think about.'