Father of the Bride

Part II: Chapter One- Truth is Out.

Four weeks had passed and spring was blossoming from the petals of the daffodils. Ayaaz sat on the lush green grass lying back and staring into the blue sky. There was 3 months left for the wedding and he wasn't feeling the vibe, he was deflated. Sitting in Small Heath Park, Amirah took out her laptop updating the guest list. Ayaaz stretched out dressed in his black jeans and white shirt that Amirah bought for him. He lazy to shop for clothes, Amriah took the responsibility of dressing him from his mother and took over. There was a satisfaction in purusing in the men's section knowing that a shirt, a pair of trousers would be for her fiancé. She would stand at the checkout and proudly talk about the pair jeans that she purchased for the love of her life.

"You've got 45 more families that you can invite." She checked the spreadshet. "Your need to sit with your mum and come up with a list." Amirah looked over at Ayaaz but he wasn't listening to her.

"I'm planning to call Zayn Malik to the wedding."

"Hmm.." He replied unintelligibly.

"I'll probally end up running away Zayn if he gives me a better offer."

"That's good."

"You're not listening." She slapped the latop shut. "You've been away with the fairies since you've come here. What's wrong? Am I boring you?"

Ayaaz sat up. He crossed his legs and snatched a handful of grass. "It's mum." He replied.

Amirah swallowed the lump of guilt in her throat. Ever since the dinner the atmosphere had turned sour. She wasn't sure what happened after her dad left. He reverted back to his old habits of working day and night and she rarely saw him. Something serious must have happened.

"Something is troubling her.She'd gone cold, harsh and angry. The pain in her knee has come back again and she can't go jogging. I tell her to make an appointment with the doctors but she doesn't listen to me. I don't know what to do."

Amirah opened the laptop again. She began to scroll through the spreadsheet distracting herself. She couldn't bear Ayaaz's despair, she felt sorry for him as he sat in the dark unaware what happened between her dad and his mum. But it was over; no one mentioned anything so she couldn't tell him.

"I've fixed her car last week last night, I hoovered my room, threw my clothes in the laundry and made her egg fried rice for when she returned home. But she didn't say anything nice. She complained that I hadn't emptied the vacuum cleaner, and then she said I didn't wash the dishes after cooking and I should have given my clothes on the weekend. Have I done something to upset her? I wish I could make her happy."

His shoulders slumped with worry. Amirah bit her nails unable to watch Ayaaz convoluted with worry.

"It's not you." She edged towards him.

"Do you know something?" For the first time he looked at her.

"Promise you won't go off the handle?" She narrowed her eyes with worry.

"Tell me." He pressed with urgency in his tone.

"Remember that day when I arranged to go shopping with your mum and my dad and cancelled because I wasn't feeling well?"

Of course Ayaaz remembered those nude pair of ridiculously priced heels Khizar bought his mother. Last week his mum threw them in the charity pile saying they didn't fit.

"Well.." She paused biting inside of her mouth. "Dad told me not to go."

"So you lied to mum?" He sat up straight.

That sounded bad. "No..."

"We're not married and already your dad is influencing the way you behave with my mum."