The difference she made!

Caring

قوية كالحرب، ناعمة كالسلام

Strong like war, soft like peace

Fajr heard Khalid's voice coming from the door to the apartment open and close. She stopped what she was doing in the kitchen and wiped her hands on a towel before heading off to the hallway.

With his hands busy, one opening the door and the other carrying some grocery bags. He was talking on phone, the phone cocked between his ear and shoulder.

"yes I had just come from hospital..." he was saying.

A questioning look appeared on Fajr's face as she followed him into the kitchen, took the bags from him and started removing items and placing them on the counter.

As soon as Khalid ended the call, she asked him; "how's grandpa?"

He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water before answering; "he is not so good. They moved him into the ICU."

He twisted the top open and sat down. After taking a sip he continued; "he was unconscious when I came, his blood pressure is extremely high and he has to stay in hospital."

She glanced at him and saw the worry written all over his face, "what caused his BP to raise?"

Khalid was recalling his last conversation with his grandfather when he told him about Muhsen's health condition. He silently wondered whether that was the reason.

"Anxiety and stress." He said with a tired sigh, rubbing a hand through his hair.

She looked at him as she felt his sigh; "don't worry. he will be fine."

He nodded and stood up and before stepping out of the kitchen he turned; "I'll return to hospital, you can have lunch without me."

With a little hesitation, she said; "but you have had nothing since morning."

Her voice was calm as she spoke, but he could hear the concern in her tone.

"I'll grab something on my way back to the hospital."

He had almost spent the whole day there and when he came back late at night, he was relieved and looked better especially after they discharged grandfather from the ICU to a private room, still fairly close to the nurses' station so they could check on him. 

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" My dear Reyhan,

How are you? Hope you are doing well.  Thanks for your email and all your concern. Sorry, I haven't been in contact recently. I've been meaning to write to you, but you know after my wedding I haven't got round to doing it. Don't worry about me, everything is good here. My relationship with Khalid is improving I guess and I start feeling that my first impression about him may be wrong. I find myself enjoying his company though he doesn't talk that much. It also surprised me that he recalled some of our childhood memories that I don't even remember. His mocking mood isn't bothering me as before but...

Fajr was lying in the bed with her laptop on her lap, replying to a message from Mrs. Reyhan, so immersed that she didn't get a notice of Khalid walking in their room approaching the bed. She did not know he was there in the room until she felt his weight on the bed beside her. She turned to see him peering into the screen and she immediately closed the laptop in a quick move to block his view.

He gazed at her, one eyebrow raised as if questioning her...

She moved her eyes around trying to escape his silent stare that he used as an interrogation tactic. When her silence lasted longer than usual he reached for the laptop, but Fajr stopped him putting her hand on his and held his still. Her soft lips parted; "I was writing a message to Mrs. Reyhan in London."