A Match Made In Jannah

Epilogue - 3 Years Later

HUSNA'S POV

"Zaid! Stop it!" I whispered. "You're going to make me laugh," I said, swatting his hand away. He loved to tickle me at the most inappropriate moments, and right now was one of them. I put my nearly two year old twin daughters, Naailah and Laa'ibah into their separate cots, and my youngest, a boy name Salahuddin, in his. He tugged at my clothes, and I gently prised his fingers off while trying to reprimand Zaid. He was the most amazing father to my children that I could ever ask for, but sometimes, just sometimes, he acted like a two year old himself.

"Come on, come on," he said, pulling my arm just as I had put all the children to bed.

"Zaid! It took me two hours to get them to sleep. Give me a break," I reprimanded.

"Put on a cloak and pardah. My friend's wife is going through labour pains and things. I think you should go help her," he told me.

I frowned. I didn't want to leave the children home alone, but obliged anyway. I set the NannyCam next to the cots and synced it to my phone. I was that overprotective parent.

We rushed out of the front door and to the car. Zaid began driving, though it was a bit too slow for my liking, considering that a woman was in labour and I had children back at home.

He drove for about an hour and then parked the car at the side of the road.

"Here we are," he said.

I climbed out and then stepped back in.

"Zaid, this is a la di da place. I'm pretty sure they don't stay here. Check the address again."

"Just be patient."

I followed him and he exchanged a few words with the lady at the front desk. She stood up and escorted us outside to a pool deck overlooking the sparkling beach waters. The deck was empty, except for a table for two laid out fit for the Queen. It even said 'reserved for her majesty, the Queen.'

"This right here, is for you, your majesty, my Queen," Zaid said.

I was spellbound. It was beautiful. I drank in the cool night air and listened to the water crash upon the shore. Coloured lights flickered across the large, deep blue pool water that lay beneath and adjacent to the deck.

"In case you forgot, today is our third anniversary. I wanted to treat my queen to something fit for her, but this was the best I could get. I hope you like it," he smiled.

I planted a kiss on his cheek and told him that this was the best gift I had ever received, after the paper that officially declared us husband and wife.

"I love you Zaid. I love you like nothing I've ever felt before. You're mine, forever. Promise?" I leaned over.

"Promise. Not just till death do us apart, because Insha Allah, I'll be right next to you when you walk into Jannatul Firdous. No time with you is enough, Hayati, but let's start with forever," Zaid said.

We held hands and ran, bare foot onto the beach. He held me to him as we watched the waves lap the shore and then retreat, only to return once again. He held me so tightly that I knew he would never let go, and I knew that his heartbeat was the only sound I yearned to listen to forever.