Cursed With Beauty (76)

Epiphanies:
Having been through quiet a bit, I'm coming back with a deeper understanding of my purpose to share my story with you.
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Previously:

Saeed: "Can you please tell me something? Have I done you wrong?"

Amal:
Dalal was the kind of girl with great looks, and grades, but her social life? No one really knew much about her.

Khalid:
Her hands won't let go of mine, I didn't want to let go either.
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Khalid:

"Could you please remember to put your clothes in the basket Khalid?"

I see Mai trying to reach down to grab my shirt. "Sit down, I'll do that in a second."
"It's as if I have to teach you everything all over again!" She seemed frustrated. I help her to the closest chair. " Hey, calm down, I'll do anything you want me to, just relax.." She inhales her tears away, and my heart grips. "Mai come on!" I pick the shirt up and throw it in the basket. "Come on let's go down, they're probably close.

We meet Mr. Nicolas and Anna, his wife. Mai definitely needed another woman to talk to after all this time being locked up in the hotel room. Mr. Nicolas was a grumpy french guy whose belly seemed to start swelling as if Mai's condition. Anna on the other hand was the complete opposite. She seemed so lively that, without her, I concluded that Mr. Nicolas would've died of negativity.
The first discussion over dinner came about were children. Anna seemed to have so many good tips to share with Mai. "Any idea how you handle that?" I whispered to Mr.Nicolas. "Buy a sofabed in the livingroom, oh, and college funds." "That's it?" I wonder. "Yup, that's almost it."

After a great dinner, we go out for a walk around the city. Anna and Mai instantly clicked, walking around arm in arm while windowshopping. "She's a beautiful woman you have, Khalid!" I smirk. "I guess so. I don't know how I got so lucky." I didn't remember either, I guess the smirk disappeared along with that.
"That doesn't matter though, the question is how are you planning on keeping her?" I pause for a second.
"Wait, how do I do that?" He chuckles at my ignorance. "She's here now because you need her. The two of you all alone in Paris? Of course she does too, but once you're home again, always give her a reason to need you."

Amal:

I sit around my friends as they chat and I start to zone out, I bring myself out of this point of view into a stranger's. Salma's laying her head down on my lap, Joojoo gossiping, Dalal's gasping at what she's hearing, and then there's me, appreciating the sight that is my friends. "Sit up Salma, the boys are coming." She sits up to fix her shaila. Shy as usual, she pulls on her long sleeves to cover her hands, it's so weird how she's changed.
Saeed, 7amad, and someone else who made my heart skip a beat walk up to us.
Saeed approaches us, and I thought he'd call Salma, or Joojoo out, but he called my name. "Yeah?"
Joojoo's curious, I could tell. "Come to the library." He knew she was listening too.

"There's something very wrong with Joojoo, what is it?" authorative, very angry Saeed begins. "I don't really know.." I shrug. "She's been acting so secretive, and not her gossip kind of secrets, there's something wrong,  I can feel it in my gut."
"Why don't you just ask her? Don't walk around it, face it." "I'm trying, but she's not saying anything, and apparently, not to anyone. I'm having nightmares Amal, help me out."

"Calm down, she's your wife you know. Talk to her, there's only so much I can do." I didn't want to be a part of it, but he seemed so frustrated.."Well, I.." I hear the library's huge door creak. "Hey!" Joojoo hugs Saeed. "What's going on?" The curiousity is killing her.
Saeed pulls her away, then walks away.
"Saeed come back." He stopped. "Sit down, talk. Joojoo, speak up, but I have nothing to do with this." I walked away.