Ali had slept all through the night, and it was the first time since he had began his travels with Nora, that he had felt remotely well rested. Today was their final day, and according to the internet, the drive home would be approximately 4 hours and 17 minutes,  without stopping.

Ali had learnt the hard way, and knew that their journey could easily be extended by two hours-it was entirely dependent on Nora's mood. He had been awake since 7am, having completed his morning prayers before helping himself to breakfast. Nora's snores drifted into the kitchen area as he dined, and he shook his head in amusement as he glanced as the slightly ajar door.

She'd been on the phone to Leo for a while last night, and though Ali wished to wake her, once more he knew better, knowing a dragon would fill her place. It seemed Billy hadn't adjusted to her routine however, and soon escaped the snoring by padding into the kitchen with a meow on his tongue.

Ali still had marks from where the cat had sunk his claws but after careful examination in the mirror, he believed it was safe to determine that they would not scar. Still, he was wary of the feline, and when Billy approached, tilting his head to stare at his co-owner, Ali took the hint to deliver him some much needed breakfast.

To his surprise, the cat seemed comfortable to sit on the dining table beside him, and though the words 'germs' and 'unhygienic' came to mind, Ali didn't want to frustrate the cat further. Instead, he smiled and upon remembering Lena's instruction, took a picture and sent it his daughter to admire.

Once Ali had enjoyed his breakfast and washed up his own dishes, he returned to his already packed room and pulled out his sketch pad,  and pencils. He'd completed the outline the night before but wanted to add some final shading before he added colour. It was a beautiful piece of work, showing a woman in dungarees and purple converse, skipping into the forest, and he had a feeling Nora would love it.

The idea of finalising their trip with a gift of sorts warmed him, and he was thankful for the bright light shining through the windows that encouraged his sketch to come to life.

His phone buzzed after almost ten minutes of being in the zone, and though he had expected Lena, to his surprise it was his sister instead.
"Gorgeous cat!" She had commented beneath the image he had mistakenly sent, "do they have a name?"

Ali took a moment to re-read the message. His sister was completely aware of Billy the cat, especially since she had named him and yet her message was as if she'd never seen him before.

It was bizarre, and immediately worrisome but Ali could only assure himself this was Apa just joking around. Still, Ali wasn't in the mood to play around and concern laced the tone of his next message.

"His name is Billy, remember?"

The three dots that indicated Apa was typing were perhaps the most excruciating few seconds Ali had ever experienced. And his concern, for once, was rightly placed.

"No?"

"A cat...named Billy?" She typed. "Oh, as in Billy to mean cat. That's genius!" 

It had been Apa's idea to name Leena's cat in the first place, something was wrong, and his face failed to hide his worry as agreed with this sister, knowing it was better to pretend she had made the conclusion herself, rather than be the one to invent it. 

"What's up?" A familiar voice called, and the strong waft of salt entered the room as Nora appeared, crisps in hand. It was irksome that the sweet salty smelt Nora carried was now something he was familiar with but somehow it brought him comfort. Though the scent was no comfort as she asked "what's wrong?"

"I was just talking to my sister," He confessed, with a heavy sigh. "She seems to have forgotten all about the cat and well, it's strange,"

"Are you sure she isn't pulling your leg?" Nora asked, and when he shook his head, she moved to sit cross legged on her preferred arm chair, her curly hair unkempt at falling out of it's bun, as she raised a single brow, with a small pout. Thankfully, it was Billy that came to his rescue, preventing Ali from confessing the truth he knew, as the cat immediately jumped on to her lap, causing the crisps in her lap to crush, as she cooed.

"Why hello there," Nora grinned, stroking beneath his neck, "Did grumpy pops feed you?"

Ali raised his eyebrows in surprise, not having heard the nickname before but she shrugged and stuck out her tongue, encouraging him to return to his messages. It was an appropriate label, he supposed, Ali was grumpy. Especially towards Billy, but surely this morning he had proved to the cat that he did somewhat care. He had chased him all the way to Inverness after all, and that was what he decided to highlight to Apa, when she asked why he hadn't visited the last few days.

'There wasn't a choice'. He noted, 'And it's a long tale involving the cat, a pink car named Barbie and many hours driving with a stranger.'

"Well when are you coming home?" She asked, and without hesitation, Ali promised that he would be home that evening. Ready to take care of his sister, as he had been doing for the past few months.

Whilst he was sucked back into his drawing, he heard Nora leave the lounge, placing her used cutlery in the sink before moving to her room. She was likely packing, and he could hear the slam of the cupboards and her strange noises as she attempted to shove her clothes into the small bag she had brought. Out of the two, she had clearly been excited to go shopping yesterday, and though she hadn't shown him all of her purchases, he doubted her things would fit in the bag she had brought.

Still, he continued to focus on the drawing, glad that he could add some colour to the leaves in the orchard he had depicted, and was almost finishing adding the first layer, when Nora returned, this time dressed in the same clothes she had travelled in, just under a week ago.

For some reason, her arrival had brought a wave of tension as she moved to her designated space, and when she sighed, the ease Ali felt, began to fade as he glanced her way. Her brow had folded, and she worried her lip, fidgeting with her hands as she met his gaze.
"What's wrong?" He asked her this time round, and she sighed; the sound filled with despair.

Ali had only seen a hint of this side to Nora, and he placed his book on the coffee table, open so that the colour did not smudge, as he offered his full attention. "Is everything okay? Is some-"

"I can't accept that you've paid for everything," Nora interrupted, invoking his own frown. "It's not right and-"

"But we agreed," He intercepted, "Obviously I wasn't going to include the last few days but you helped me get Billy, you fulfilled your part of the promise,"

"But you wouldn't have lost Billy if it wasn't for me in the first place,"

Silence filled the room as Ali stared at the young woman before him, as the information processed in his mind.

"You're the one who sold Billy?" He queried, and when she nodded, he sunk into the chair, feeling his shoulders tense as he acknowledged the deeper meaning behind her words. "You lied to me," He highlighted, pinching the bridge of his nose with closed eyes, "and you have spent over a week with me, running frantic...not because you wanted to help, but because you had no choice but to?" He clarified, and Ali didn't need to open his eyes to know she had nodded.

"I did," She confessed, "and it was wrong of me, on so many levels,"

"You got that right!" He snapped, glaring in her direction as she cowered beneath his stare. Billy had remained frozen the moment the conversation had begun, standing on all four legs as he moved his head in response to whom was talking. It was almost comical, and though Ali was upset, he could see that Nora had genuinely meant what she was intending to say.

"I'm so sorry, Ali," She apologised, "I was so desperate to avoid this confrontation that I thought I could maintain this farce, and we'd go on without you ever finding out,"

"Then why would you give it up?" He asked, his voice low, as moved a pillow to his stomach hugging it tight, so that he could feel relief from the pressure he applied to his stomach. He didn't know why he felt better with the force, but it kept him grounded, and he was glad to be in a position to hear Nora's true apology. Compared to the concern he had felt earlier about Apa, this anger was new. A force of energy that forced Ali to squeeze the pillow so tightly his knuckles showed through. 

And for once, the method seemingly worked, and as Nora continued to apologise and express herself, he was actually able to listen. A skill he had yet to master when it came to challenging his anger, and something his daughter Leena would be proud to see. After all, it was this anger, and inability to control his frustrations that had broken his family in the first place, all those years ago. It was the reason why his walking stick now accompanied him, and was medically assigned to support every footstep, he now walked. 

"Because I knew it was wrong, and yes I felt guilty, but telling you hasn't made me feel better," She confessed, wiping away the single tear that had fallen from her left eye "I just knew it was the right thing to do,"

Ali could only nod in agreement, and a glance at her grief-stricken expression, encouraged his anger to simmer and cool He was calm and Nora had apologised, and she'd meant it. Being angry for something she was clearly concerned about, wouldn't change the past. Still, it had the power to change the dynamic of their relationship, only if Ali permitted it too, and when he looked at Nora, he knew one thing was certain. As bonkers as she was, and how much he mentally pertained that she came from a different planet,  she was his friend. And friend's forgive one another. If anything the past had taught Ali, than this was what was most important. 

Life becomes lonely without friends and he had lived long enough without them. Meeting Omar at the Mosque the week before had shown him a glimmer of what his life could become, and Nora had only intensified that feeling of wanting to live. To seize life and to actively want to better himself. Because Ali had flaws, and though red haired girl before him hadn't opened his eyes to them, she had taught him that he could change for the better. He just had to be open to it.

"Thank you," He started, persuading Norato meet his gaze, "for telling me, and bringing me here. It must have been difficult harbouring such a secret, and I'm glad you confessed," He paused momentarily, wishing he had some water, as she lowered her eyes to the laminate that coated the floor. "I forgive you, Nora,"

Her head raised so quickly, Ali also heard the crick in her neck as she grinned and leapt off her chair, jumping on top of him, to claim him in an embrace. She was far too close for comfort, and he pushed her off, instinctively, gaining a knowing chuckle as she wiped her eyes using the pads of her thumbs, causing black shadows to form.

"Do you really mean that?" She asked and he nodded, gaining a watery, snotty grin. Ali would need to change as soon as she released him, but for now, he quickly offered her a tissue and a small smile, unsure of what more he could say.

"Right," She sniffled, leaning back to give him the space he desperately desired, "Shall we have some lunch? It will probably take us 6 hours to get back?" He nodded, and her stomach gleefully rumbled in agreement, permitting amusement to once more line his lips.

Had it been any one else, he would have questioned their humility, but Nora was most definitely one of a kind. He lingered to make sure she had washed her hands, which she thankfully did, before returning to his room to swap his shirt for something clean. Annoyingly, only a hoodie remained untouched, but he reassured himself that they would only be in the car today, and he was grateful for the eggs and little questioning he received upon returning to the lounge.

They dined quickly, did a final rummage to ensure everything was packed; Ali had found Nora's toothbrush and toiletries in the bathroom, and once Billy was secured in the back seat, they were on their way.

To Ali's surprise, Nora's 'going back home' playlist actually consisted of songs that he knew from his youth. Familiar songs, notably from BoyZone and Take That caught his attention, and when he raised her awareness, she had actually screeched. It was hard on his ears, and on Billy's who meowed in protest, but she only hushed him before singing along, terribly off tune.

They reached the city of Coventry by 17:30, which was where they stopped at the petrol station, Billy could stretch and Ali could pray, before they were back on the motorway. Eventually, the music had become a murmur in the background, but knowing home was so close, eased any form of conversation forming.

"Hey Ali," Nora called his attention, before glancing his way. "Could you get my snack bag? It's on the floor, I just want a packet of crisps,"

"Sure thing," He nodded, slipping his hand sanitiser out of his pocket, and he could feel her stare as he rubbed his hands together. "What?"

"I've had enough of this," she commented, looking at the bottle he had rested in his lap, "Covid was yonkeys ago, a few germs isn't going to kill you," He could see the humour burning in her brown eyes, but felt compelled to justify his use.

"You don't know that," He defended, adjusting his belt so that he could grab her bag, opening it on the floor, so that the material didn't touch his chinos. He pulled out the packet, returned the bag, and opened the snack for her, before reopening the bottle gaining a look in return.

"Seriously Ali, you're going to ruin your hands," He rolled his eyes mockingly, and though she giggled, he didn't expect her to snatch the bottle and throw it behind her.

"Hey!" He complained, pulling the belt so that it loosened around his waist, so he could reach the plastic that had ricocheted off the seat, onto Billy's cage, before sliding onto the floor.

"Hey back!" She returned, and he could feel her eyes on him as he attempted to reach for the gel. "You shouldn't sit like that," Nora warned,

"Say's you," he retorted, his voice strained as his fingers caressed the plastic. And he was right to be stubborn, in the whole week he had known Nora, she'd never worn her belt properly. "I can almost-"

Ali didn't see when Barbie screeched and collided. He didn't feel the pain of glass slicing across his skin, or digging deep into his body. But he could certainly hear screaming, and when he lifted his eyes, it wasn't the roof of the car, but the sky that greeted him. He was outside, lying back Barbie's once smooth bonnet, crushed beneath his back, as he finally felt pain, and then nothing. His eyes closed, and he drifted into nothingness. Blank.