Rania Algafari never asked to be different, and when she escaped the war in Syria and moved to the UK, her only goal was to live her life in peace. Get up, go to work, avoid talking to the dead - that sort of thing.
But not everyone dies quietly, an...
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"You've got to be kidding."
I'd been on my way out, but the cold squelch as I put my left shoe on stopped me in my tracks.
"What's wrong?" Rania called out from the kitchen.
She'd got up to make Aisling breakfast seeing as Shannon had gone back to work, but Rania should have stayed in bed. Nightmares had left her tossing and turning, and I suspected she'd slept even less than me.
But now I blinked exhaustion away and peered into my leather brogue. The stink made me want to vomit, much as that fucking cat had obviously done earlier.
"Taffy's puked in my shoe."
Footsteps came running, and Rania stooped to look before recoiling in horror.
"I'm so sorry! It must be the new brand of cat food. He's used to eating the cheap stuff, and I guess organic salmon disagrees with him. Uh, I'll buy you a new pair of shoes."
With money she didn't have.
"It's okay. Shit happens." Not that I had the money either.
"Not quite shit. I mean, that would have been worse, wouldn't it?"
We stared at each other for a beat, then doubled up with laughter. Only with Rania could this situation be funny. Her smile made even the worst days bearable. I held the shoe out at arm's length and dipped to kiss her.
"Let's go into town later once Shannon gets back. I need shoes, Taffy needs different food, and you need a Kinder Egg."
As I hoped, that made her smile. The little things always did, and she returned my kiss, softly on the lips.
"Sounds like a plan, Mr. Lawson."
***
Except you know what they say about plans...
We got into town, all right, and we even got the cat food and a pair of decent brogues in a half-price sale. But just a few yards from the car, we passed a pharmacy, and I made a schoolboy error. I asked a simple question with far deeper connotations than I ever imagined.
"Nia, how about we get something to help you sleep?"
She froze. "What do you mean?"
"Night Nurse, or maybe some of that valerian extract?"
Silence.
"You tossed and turned all night."
"Can you unlock the car?"
As I climbed into the driver's seat, I hoped I might have been imagining the stiffness in her tone, but there was no mistaking the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
