BorderZ

33.

"Melony." He says, causing me look at him. "May I talk to you for a minute, please?" he asks.

"Yes Mr. Malik." I say and he chuckles.

"Call me Yasser, your husband is Mr. Malik and you're the Mrs. Now." He says with a smile. I smile back and look ahead. Things are still awkward between us. I have not forgotten anything he has said or how he made me feel. I don't hate him, I just don't know how to react to him. "I want to apologize." He says.

"For?" the hurt is evident in my voice.

"For not being supportive of your relationship with my son. For trying to steer him away from you." he sighs, and I keep quiet. I wouldn't know how to reply.

"I see now I was wrong. It wasn't that I thought you were not worthy of my son or that you in any way lacked something. There was nothing wrong with you. There isn't. You are the ideal daughter-in law and I carry a great deal of respect for you."

"Then why?" my voice sounds soft and disconsolate.

"Stupidity or something else that would never excuse my behavior. I thought I was saving you kids from pain and heartbreak. I grew up in a very racist society. A very segregated era where interracial couples like yourself would have the worst experience. Everything would be ten times harder. The hate you'd get would be so strong, you'd later project it on one another. You'd be judged, ridiculed, discriminated against. Your lives would be made hell. You'll face struggles you'd never thought would arise. Sacrifice things you never want to." He shakes his head sadly.

"I have experienced as much racism as I can take. Even without Zayn, I would get all that. I have and I'm certain, I will in the future. I would take every knock given to me if it meant I get to hold your son at the end of the day. I can be hated, ridiculed or whatever else, and it still wouldn't make me turn away from Zayn. I love him. No amount of hate directed towards me or him will change that." He nods solemnly.

"I know that now. I was just scared for you two. I saw how you looked at one another and I thought I knew best. I've seen and heard some terrible things done to couples such as yours and my wife and I's. We experienced things I don't care to mention Mel, and I just wanted to spare you from that. I didn't want you to experience the same things we did."

"Did any of that change the love and happiness in your relationship?" he shakes his sadly.

"It was hard. Really hard but we pulled through. I realize my mistake. I shouldn't have tried to push you away from one another. I should've been there as a parent and someone who is also in an interracial relationship to give advice and guidance. I guess I thought, like his previous girlfriends, you'd leave as soon as it gets hard. It was unfair of me and I am truly sorry."

"I had really lost respect for you at some point. I couldn't understand why it all mattered. We loved each other. That should've been enough." I sigh and lean my head back on the chair. "I know it's going to be hard. I see the comments and articles about us. Obviously our skin color is a determining factor to the world." I take a shaky breath as the words flash through my mind.

He got himself a slave. Good for him

These niggers are everywhere now

He really downgraded

An actual African, really?

He just wants to taste the swirl

He'll fuck her, then get tired of her black ass

That is so wrong. Disgusting.

Couldn't he find someone like himself?