Coming Home (English Version)

27. Angel

Hamdan

The helicopter begins to lift up and I fix my eyes on the ground below that gets farther and farther away. I glance over at Saeed, sitting across from me with crossed arms and then my sight goes back to the window. She hasn't made any contact, I still don't know for sure if she will show up and I'm starting to wonder if this was even a good idea to begin with. What if it is too much pressure for her? What if she doesn't come? I meant what I said when I told her this was my last attempt to make things work between us but that doesn't mean I won't be heartbroken if she decides not to come. I take out my phone from the pocket of my shorts and check the time, it's already 10 a.m. and I guess she's still debating on her decision. Saeed gets my attention when he reaches for his phone, I hold my breath and wait but he only smiles at the screen and starts typing. Evidently, it's not Layla.

Soon there's only the monotonous image of the ocean below us but I keep staring at it anyway as the same questions keep rolling inside my head without an answer to put them at ease. When I finally see land, I grab the small traveling bag I brought with me, I won't be needing much for a couple of days. The pilot holds position over the helipad in Al Qaffay and the aircraft starts lowering down. I gave him instructions for a quick drop off so he won't even turn off the helicopter. Unbuckling my belt I move to the edge of my seat and Saeed prepares to open the door for me. As soon as we land Saeed opens the door and the sound of the blades intensifies, I shake hands with him and step out lowering my head and covering my eyes with my arm to protect them from the wind full of sand. The sound of the blades fades away and I'm welcomed to the island by a very unusual stillness. Normally, I would hear kids playing and shouting in the pool, my sisters laughing and talking but today there's no one else here.

I stop by the pool, drop my bag on the ground and stare into the waves softly crashing on the beach. I take my phone one more time and check the time again. I have a feeling I will be doing that a lot until Layla arrives. If she decides to, of course. Come on, she will, she has to. I let my phone down over the bag and take my t-shirt off, maybe time will pass faster while I swim.

"What took you so long?"

I take one sharp inhale and spin around, Layla is standing there, just a few steps away from me, as casually as it could be, gently looking back at me while the breeze plays with her dress and hair.

"Wh-- wh-- you're here!" I exclaim.

"Such a clever observation." She teases while squinting her eyes.

I scoff and look down briefly. "I mean, how? When did you get here?"

She gives me a one shoulder shrug. "I have my own means."

And it suddenly hits me, not the fact that she actually came, but what this shows. I still don't want to get ahead myself. Is this real? Could it be possible that she really wants to be with me? That she really believes there's a way for us to be together?

"Does this mean that...?" I trail off. "You-- You truly want to do this?"

She smiles and nods her head.

"Really?" I ask again.

"Hamdan!" She complaints followed by a chuckle. "I love you, I want to be with you."

My stomach turns and I attempt to breathe out the excitement. "Are you sure?"

She groans and rolls her eyes running up to me and jumps to hug me, wrapping her arms around my neck and legs around my waist, I hold her up with both arms with joy erupting from every cell in my body.

"Yes, I'm sure." She says down to me and then her soft lips crash into mine.

She pulls apart with a giggle, her eyes as bright as the sun. A smile is plastered on my face as my sight soaks on the face of the angel I'm holding. That's what she is to me; a guardian angel, always has been.