After finishing their morning routine on Saturday, Yusuf kissed Asiya on her forehead and left for the gym.

When Asiya was certain Yusuf had left the building, she flung her duvet off her body and dropped to her knees.

Her knees pressed against the wooden floor, sending painful shocks of excitement through her as she reached under her bed.

Asiya's hands teased the sides of the boxes before she managed to latch onto the edge of one and pull it out. 

She huffed and flattened her body against the floor to pull out the remaining boxes of stuff she had ordered and hidden from Yusuf.

Artwork, slippers for Yusuf to wear, personalised blankets, cushions with feathery designs sprouting out from their fronts, and small furniture and toys were some of the things Asiya had quickly accumulated ever since she had spoken to Yusuf's mum, thanks to same-day delivery.

Asiya waltzed over to her intercom when the buzzer sounded. She pressed the silver button firmly and moved her lips closer to the speaker.

"Hello, Mrs Asiya. Your deliveries have arrived. Shall we send them up?" David's voice crackled through the intercom.

"Yes, please!" Asiya squealed.

She ran into her room and twirled her jilbab over her head.

Asiya galloped to the front door and threw it open. 

Her palms were plastered over her smile as she watched the bellmen lug the final pieces of Yusuf's surprise into her flat.

Asiya wanted to make Yusuf feel like he belonged here and emphasise that she wanted him here too.

"Hello," Asiya gingerly cooed as she bent down to introduce herself to her new freeloading housemate.

The kitten scratched its nails against the walls of the plastic carrier it had travelled in.

Asiya stared as the kitten's mouth opened and expanded. It took over her entire face as though she was going to roar.

Instead of releasing a ferocious sound, a soft meow exited the kitten's mouth, and she tilted her head backwards and seemed to blink in disbelief.

"I'll let you out soon. I promise," Asiya said to the kitten.

Asiya carefully used scissors to remove the plastic covering on the chair she had bought for Yusuf. Olivia had sworn it was worth the money, claiming it felt like sitting on a nest of clouds.

Asiya looked at the kitten. "Soup wey sweet na money kill am," she said.

Asiya spent the next half-hour putting on her best Mrs Hinch act.

She squished the kitten's furniture and toys into spare corners, swapped pieces of her decor for faceless pictures of Yusuf and her at their nikkah, and finished by draping new blankets across the top of Yusuf's chair and placing his slippers at its feet.

Asiya picked up the kitten's carrier and put it in her bedroom. "I'll be back. I promise," she said as Yusuf's keys jangled at the front door.

Asiya skipped across her flat and met Yusuf at the door. "Asalamu alaykum Yusuf."

Yusuf moved forward, and Asiya lagged in front of him, stopping him from properly entering. The front of Yusuf's eyebrows tugged together. "Wa alaykum salam? Asiya?"

"Notice anything?" Asiya drawled. She had initially wanted to keep her purchases a secret and wait for Yusuf to notice them alone, but she couldn't contain her excitement.

Yusuf's eyes moved around the open-plan room.

The more scenery he took in, the wider his eyes grew. "Asiya," Yusuf said in a low, serious voice, "Why have you spent so much of your money?"

"Ta-da!" Asiya yelled.

She steered Yusuf into the centre of the living room.

"Just sit down." Asiya forcefully pushed him into his new chair.

"Absorb, take everything in." Asiya gripped the side of the seat and pushed it, causing the chair to swivel to the side. "Don't you dare mention money, Yusuf, because I wanted to spend mine on you."

Asiya picked up the slippers and handed them to Yusuf.

"Wear them because from this day forth," Asiya cleared her throat theatrically and acted like she was unrolling a scroll, "I'll be hearing no more complaints from you about the floor being cold. If you dare to moan, I'll throw one of them at you."

Yusuf chuckled. His laughter was light and breathy, and the sound caused Asiya's insides to erupt into flutters.

"You didn't have to spend so much money. You didn't have to do this."

Yusuf leaned up to kiss her. 

He placed his hands on Asiya's waist, and once his lips brushed along hers, the flutters inside of Asiya floated to her head, causing her to forget what she was supposed to be doing. She closed her eyes, lost in her thoughts until the kitten roared.

It was a roar for a cat of its size, anyway.

"Yes!" Asiya cried as she pushed her way out of Yusuf's arms.

"What was that?" Yusuf quizzed.

"You call yourself a lawyer." Asiya stuck out her tongue. Yusuf had noticed the furnishings, blankets, art, and chair but had failed to notice the colourful rubber mice, cat bowl and scratching post.

Asiya watched Yusuf swallow with a smug smile on her face.

"Asiya. Is there an animal in here?" Yusuf asked.

Asiya scurried into the bedroom and remerged with a kitten violently wriggling and scrapping in her arms.

"Gosh," Asiya jerked her head back as the kitten launched her paw at her face. "I thought we'd established a relationship."

Yusuf felt a comforting squeeze vibrate through his chest. It was like Asiya had placed her hand through it and cradled his heart. It was a complete feeling, one that came from being recognised, heard without speaking, and answered without asking a question.

He quietly observed the milk-coloured kitten intent on storing Asiya's DNA under its nails.

"Let me try," Yusuf offered while holding his arms out.

"Please." Asiya pulled the kitten away from her body and held her out to Yusuf.

"Hello," Yusuf babbled as he gently lifted the milk-coloured kitten into his arms. He cuddled the kitten's body against his chest, and the kitten settled its head over Yusuf's arm, blinking slowly. "Where did you get her from?"

"Remember when I told you I was late home because I went to book my GP appointment for birth control? Well, I did book it, but over the phone. I was actually out adopting her from a shelter," Asiya said.

Yusuf's eyes connected the brown splotches dotted through the cat's cream fur. "She's a ragdoll," he informed. "You found a ragdoll at a shelter?"

"I didn't actually know what she was until you just said. I went in, intending to adopt the cat that had been there the longest, but she had died and left kittens," Asiya explained.

"She looked so sweet and innocent." Asiya glared at the tiny holes the cat had punctured into her bright blue pyjama shirt. "I was wrong."

Asiya straightened out her shirt and looked up. Yusuf wasn't listening to her.

He nuzzled his nose into the kitten's fur, and while the animal seemed to appreciate his gentle touches, Yusuf purred in a high-pitched, baby-like voice.

"Do you and your...second wife want some space?" Asiya joked, raising one eyebrow.

Patches of colour freckled across Yusuf's cheeks until they combined and turned his entire face red.

"What's her name?" Yusuf asked.

Asiya shrugged. "She doesn't have one. I was going to let you decide."

"How about Swiper?" Yusuf teased. As he moved closer to Asiya, the kitten uncurled from Yusuf's torso, stretched out her paw, and swiped for her.

"How about bad-mannered," Asiya frowned at the cat.

"I think Biscuit will suit her," Yusuf grinned as he lowered Biscuit onto the ground.

Biscuit bolted into a corner of the kitchen, and her nose twitched as she became acquainted with her surroundings.

"Thank you," Yusuf said. He sounded congested.

Yusuf's heart expanded as his eyes moved across the room.

Asiya hadn't told him why she had bought all these things, but Yusuf had unwrapped the message she was trying to convey. He understood.

The gifts were more of an invitation, an open door, and they subtly addressed a topic the couple had hesitated to approach since they had moved in together.

Yusuf knew he would eventually get used to using and seeing what Asiya had bought him. 

Like everything familiar, his eyes would become blind to their physical significance, and they would eventually blur into the background. There was no remedy for that effect of time.

Yusuf moved around the flat. He touched the chair, the artwork, and the cushions, stroked Biscuit, who slipped out from under his hand like water, and imagined he was shedding pieces of his love into their home.

As a security measure, Yusuf decided he would pray tahajjud. He would ask Allah to preserve the feelings he was experiencing in case his touch had been too light and weak.

Yusuf wrapped his arms around Asiya. He ignored Asiya's protests and cries that he was sweaty and pressed her body tighter against his own. They were so close that Yusuf was sure he could feel the repetitive blooming of Asiya's heart.

Eventually, his slowed down too, and began to beat in sync with hers.

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Author's Note (ReWritten Version): I actually do not like this chapter at all but it's for the plot. I'll think about it but I may be back to take it out haha. 

Also, we hit 10,000 reads and like 1.4k votes. I am beyond grateful. Thank you all so much for showing me kindness. 😭❤️.

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Chapter Glossary

Jilbab: A full length, loose garment.

Soup Wey Sweet Na Money Kill Am: A saying in Pidgin English. It means (something along the lines of) good quality is expensive. Good things are expensive.

Asalamu Alaykum: Arabic greeting. It means peace be upon you.

Wa Alaykum Salam: Arabic response to the above. It means, and unto you, peace.

Tahajjud: Voluntary night prayer.

Allah: The One God