Emeralds

Sixteen.

Sixteen

[Adam]

She said yes!!

I hang up with Mr. Aly on Saturday’s morning and literally run downstairs, and the first person I meet is Aya in her pajamas. I lift her off the floor and spin around carrying her, she screams until I let her down. “What happened?” she asks with wide eyes.

“She said yes!” I say loudly, and run to the living room where mom is supposed to be.

“Mama, I–”

“Congratulations, habibi!” mom says welcoming me with a hug, I tighten my arms around her waist and carry her too and sway her a little, she screams and laughs then Mariam comes running in.

“Did she say yes?” she gasps.

“Yessss!” Aya squeals.

“Oh my God! Wow!” Mariam says hugging me. “This is amazing,” she says.

Hend comes running followed by Omar–both looking hilariously puzzled. “She said yes!” Aya tells them clapping her hands together.

“Oh my God! Congratulations, Adam!” Hend says with the widest smile ever.

“Congratulation, bro!” Omar hugs me and pats on my back and we both laugh.

Mom dials a number on her phone and speaks up, “W’alikom Asslam, Ahmed. Leen said yes!” mom almost squeals. “Yes, habibi, we’re waiting for you.”

“I don’t know whose best friend is he . . .” I say.

“I was actually gonna say the same,” Mariam laughs.

This night, Mariam suggested we should have dinner outside because ‘Adam is about getting married, guys! We must celebrate!’ But I told her we better stay home today because Ahmed isn’t feeling really good.

“Maybe going out would cheer him up,” she says when we’re alone in the kitchen. Ahmed has actually told Omar and mom only that he left Reham, non of my sisters knew anything yet; we kind of avoided talking about it.

I sigh, “He just left Reham last week, Mariam. We can’t just celebrate that I’m about to get engaged when he just broke up with his fiancée.”

“Oh my God!” she gasps. “How come we never knew?”

“We’re trying to avoid talking about it,” I say. “It’s really bothering him.”

“Poor him,” she says sadly. “Reham never actually understood him or appreciated the kind of guy she had.”

“Yes,” I say. “I’m actually kind of glad because he gets to find better than her.”

“Inshallah,” she says.

We return to where everyone is in the living room, Ahmed has brought his family over too, and it’s almost like Eid.

“When are we supposed to speak with them about details?” mom asks.

“Mr. Aly said that Leen’s sister engagement is next Thursday, and that we can plan our own engagement after hers,” my heart does a quick flip at the words ‘our own engagement’ but I act nonchalant.

“Jenin’s engagement is this week?” Mariam gasps. “I’ll have to call them.”

“We’re actually invited,” I say.