The lounge space was unexpectedly large, especially considering it was a middle floor apartment and the pictures had been of shoddy quality. Still, with the attached kitchen, the comfortable sofas positioned around the TV, and the windows that backed against the north wall, offering stunning views of the...car park, it wasn't quite large enough for Nora to feel like she could escape.

"So what is it you need to be home for?" Nora asked, finally acknowledging the elephant in the room. The entire drive to their new home for the next two days had been weirdly silent. And Nora knew Ali was quiet...and slightly weird, but this was even stranger.

The elder man sighed, and rested on the sofa closest to the window, his concentration focused on the cars parked outside that made it almost impossible to tell if what mood Ali was in. A second sigh clarified that he wasn't exactly happy and after excusing himself to pray, it only gave Nora more time to grow concerned.

When Ali returned however, it appeared as if the news his sister had communicated was no longer a pressing concern, making the unanswered messages on Nora's mobile her top priority. She wasn't meant to groan but when it released she gained the attention of her companion and unlike his ability to keep secrets, Nora spilled her truth.

"Can I confess something?" She asked, digging through her rucksack to find a packet of crisps. Unfortunately she was all out of ready salted, but salted pretzels had the kick she needed, and she settled on to the sofa before continuing. It wasn't like Ali had much choice but to listen anyhow.

"It's my father's wedding," She confessed and the sudden attention almost caused her to giggle.

"What? When?"

"Tonight," She sighed, "About an hour from here,"

"And you wanted to go?" Ali asked, and the side eye she offered was enough to give Ali the truth. "Are you going?"

The small silence was deafening and Nora was one more hounded by the thoughts of how many calls she had ignored by her parents and brother about the wedding in the past. As much as she hated the thought, she knew she didn't have any choice but to go. " I kind of have to don't I."

Ali nodded in response.

"Will you come with me?"

Ali's eyes seemed to soften with surprise but when he nodded, Nora knew her smile was real.

"Thank you," She beamed, "I guess I'll message my brother and....oh shoot! I don't have any clothes," The realisation was almost enough for Nora to back out but Ali was the first to clip her doubts before they appeared.

"Nonsense," Ali claimed, moving to his feet, "It's a beautiful day and it's still rather early, we can go shopping."

Nora didn't need to suggest that they would be leaving Billy behind in the apartment as they slipped on their jackets and prepared to exit the apartment. The cat had done enough damage, and every time she caught a glimpse of the fresh scratches marring Ali's cheek, the humour returned in full force.
Ali had provided ample dirty looks for the expression to now be ingrained in her mind, but she didn't believe the threat, the situation was too funny for her to even care.

They crossed the road and followed the path towards the town center that was beginning to blossom to life. It was 10 am on a Sunday, so they were already limited to how many shops they could visit. Fortunately, there were more than enough charity shops for her to seek a buzz, but it seemed her companion didn't match her excitement.

"I can't wear used clothes!" Ali complained, dousing his palms with hand sanitiser upon realisation of where Nora had led him, as she rolled her eyes and pulled him by the arm.

"Relax, they're practically brand new," she stated, pointing to the tags. And she wasn't telling a lie. Some of the pieces could be sourced to Primark and New Look, but she didn't doubt that something expensive would be hidden in the rows of hangers. And while she searched for Ali, there was no harm in picking something up for herself. In fact...a hint of red flashed through the array of colours, and her smile brightened as she pulled out a red, glittery dress.
It was mid-length, and could have belonged to a grandmother, but with the proper adjustments, and if she cinched in the waist, it could look somewhat remarkable.

Ali clearly couldn't see her vision as his nose wrinkled in distaste before he shook his head and continued to browse. It allowed her to try on the dress in the changing room, and when she described what she thought to the elder woman tending the store, she could see she had at least one vote.
She would have returned to change if she hadn't seen Ali pull out a shirt, only to replace it again.

"Hold it," She ordered, and he froze, catching her in the dress. It seemed that even wearing it hadn't successfully changed his mind, but she didn't care so much as she moved forward to investigate what he had found.

The shirt belonged to Zara, and the quality could speak for itself. It was brand new, and the brass buttons added an accent that she hadn't seen in fashion for a while. Still, it was perfect, and against Ali's deeper skin tone, she was quick to decide for him that this was what he would wear when he spoke to Safa the first time.

They didn't linger in town, longer than they needed to, and when they returned to the flat with the ingredients to make sandwiches which Nora took responsibility for, Ali washed and ironed the shirt.
Upon her suggestion, he had paired it with his brown chinos, and her smile widened as he entered the lounge area. "You look great!" She complimented. "Now, eat this and tell me what you think,"

His eyebrows raised in surprise, but he acknowledged her request as he sat down to dine in on the sandwich she had made. His slight hum of approval sent a tingle down her spine, and she grinned, glad to hear compliments of her food once more. To most, it may have appeared to be a standard grilled cheese toasty, but Nora had her tricks, and she'd added mushrooms, caramelised onions, and garlic, along with a seasoning of salt and pepper to make the meal conclusive.

"Nora...this is truly delicious."

***

"Hey sis," Leo greeted with a polite wave from the mobile device. The hustle and bustle of his cafe could be heard over the phone, but it seemed that Leo had given himself kitchen duty, providing him a spare moment to take her call. "I'm so pleased you changed your mind, how's the trip going?"

"It's going really well," She grinned, collapsing horizontally over her bed so that she leaned on her stomach. "I think it's been the right thing for me, I didn't realise how much I needed the break,"

"Well, you certainly look good," He confirmed, and she frowned, surprised by his assessment. She watched as he lowered the gas on the hob and added some seasoning before meeting her gaze through the screen. "Don't get me wrong, I love you, every side of you," Leo said, increasing her trepidation. "But I don't know if you've noticed that since you lost the restaurant...you've been different."

"Different how?" She asked, and his smile dimmed as she realised he wasn't about to compliment her.

"You just stopped caring Nor," He explained. Had anyone else told her those words, she would have denied it but coming from Leo; she knew it had taken every ounce of courage to tell her the truth. "You just settled with what you had, and you stopped being excited about the future and life you wanted."

She could tell there was something more he wanted to add, and though she really didn't want to hear it, she nodded, permitting him to relieve himself of all he had held to himself. " But maybe...maybe this trip is changing you. And going to dad's wedding is an excellent step for that," He smiled. "It will be good for you, for all of us,"

She could only nod in agreement once more. Leo was right; the wedding didn't start until the evening; she had more than enough time to make the vows and look pretty for the part.
The silence that remained forced Nora to realise that she'd started to cry until Leo's lips quivered. This truth had pained him, just as much as it had hurt her, but he was right. If Ali, the most rigid person she had ever met, could allow a stranger to tour him across the country, she could loosen the reigns a little and perhaps build the ties with her family once more.

"I love you, Leo," She confessed, and is smile was utterly genuine, allowing the moment to clench her heart before she cleared her throat and revealed the update she had for Ali. It was the trick they needed to ease the tension, and she ended the phone call feeling lighter than she could ever have imagined.

"How'd it go?" Ali asked, looking up from his sketchbook as she offered a one shouldered shrug.

"Better than I expected," She smiled. "Now, I just need to dress; you're more than fine as you are," She didn't give Ali another moment to question or ponder before slipping back to her room. The red dress she'd bought would need a lot of work before she could wear it, but thankfully, underneath the pile of clothes was a pretty, champagne blouse that would be nice enough to rise for the occasion. And a layer of makeup would undoubtedly help; her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks were definitely not wedding appropriate, and thought she would need time to reflect on her new-found emotion, and the discussion she shared with Leo, now was just not the time.

***
Ali waited in the lounge for Nora to appear by biding his time with his sketchbook. He had finally found a spark of inspiration based on the beautiful countryside surrounding them, encouraging him to start his next piece, and by the time she had emerged, he had finally completed the outline.

"You look nice," he complimented, and he genuinely meant it. Most of Nora's outfits erred on the side of caution, but just as she had commented, he looked 'normal' less than three days ago; now, he could say the same. She had paired her blouse with a burgundy skirt that matched her curly, red hair, which for once wasn't braided or held in a bun but fell in soft waves to her waist. The look suited her, and she was clearly happy with her presentation as she curtsied, pulling at the ends of her skirt with a bright smile.

"I know," she beamed, "now come on, we'll leave Billy as I've already taken his food out and he'll be asleep by 6 pm," Ali couldn't disagree, and after checking the door was shut, he followed her to the car, that brightened to life with a press of a button.

"Did you ever get your license?" She asked once they were strapped into their seats. As always, she was only half-secured, but so far, they had been safe with their driving, and so Ali's concern was now subdued.

"Erm, I tried," He confessed,  as she looked behind them to reverse out of their space before moving onto the main road. "but my instructor was a moron, and he wasn't patient,"

Nora pursed her lips in disappointment. "Moron is an excellent word," she complimented with a snort, "and if it makes you feel any better I had to take ten tests..." The thought did not make Ali feel better, at all, and he immediately gripped the hand rail, though his grin was innate.

According to the SatNav, they were heading further south to Manchester, and if the traffic update were correct, they would arrive by 7:30 pm. It sounded rather late for a wedding, particularly on a Sunday, and for once, Ali was able to ask his own questions before Nora shared her own.

"So we're going to your father's wedding?" He asked and she nodded, clenching the wheel until her olive toned skin turned white. It was clear that she was nervous, and when she began to speak almost too quickly for Ali to undertand, he knew it was best for her to take everything out of her system before she exploded.

"Yes, we're going to a wedding. It's my father's wedding. My father that I haven't seen in three years. The father I have ignored...my father,"

"Hey Nora," Ali called, gaining her attention, as she peeked away from the road, into his direction.
"It's going to be okay," He assured and she exhaled slowly with a nod.

"Yes it will be, but I'm just worried about you. You're about to meet my entire family," Her statement was enough to encourage his smile to drop. Just what was she dragging him into?