Father of the Bride

Chapter 2- Fallout

Four weeks passed and spring washed in like the tide advancing confidently with warmth and white sunshine one day and retreating the next. On some days the new vibrant hues of the pansies and daffodils bathed in tepid air that encouraged them gently, on others the wintry wind gusted fiercely - demanding a return to the bitterness of the months before.

On a crisp Saturday in Small Heath Park, the dishevelled grass became lush erasing even the memory of their wintry, selves trees budded with leaf and blossom. Dressed in his black jeans and blue checked shirt with a navy blue baseball cap shielding the glare of the sun, Ayaaz lay  on the lush green grass staring into the blue sky. Amirah sat beside him tapping on her laptop updating the guest list on her spreadsheet. Every so often she would look at Ayaaz dressed in the shirt she bought from Topman. Amirah took the responsibility from Mahnoor to dress Ayaaz as he was too lazy to go shopping. There was a satisfaction in perusing the men's section knowing that a shirt, a pair of trousers would be for her fiancé. Once at the checkout she would proudly announce to the cashier that the checked shirt was for her fiancé, and her cheeks would round with rouge.

"You've got 45 families you have to invite." She checked the spreadsheet. "You 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 laptop shut. "You've been away with the fairies since you've come here. What's wrong? Am I boring you?"

On the contrary Ayaaz was deflated. He wasn't feeling the celebratory vibe of the wedding. He sat up and crossed his legs snatching a handful of grass. "It's mum." He replied.

Amirah swallowed the lump of guilt in her throat. Ever since the dinner the atmosphere turned sour. Mahnoor didn't mention the dinner and continued like that day never existed. Amirah wasn't sure what happened after her dad left. Her father reverted back to his old habits of working day and night and she rarely saw him. Something serious must have happened.

"Something is troubling mum. She'd gone cold, harsh and angry. The pain in her knee has returned and she can't go jogging which makes her grumpy. I tell her to make an appointment with the doctor 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 finding a distraction from the overwhelming guilt. Ayaaz was in the dark, unaware of the threatening truth which she hid from him. She felt sorry for 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." His tone flat and deflated. "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 fly 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.