Three Years Later.

It has been three years since Ayat and Naeem's wedding. It is Maya's fourth birthday and Ayat has been waiting to talk to her husband about something important.

Flashback.

Ayat was pacing around the living room while Layla sat on the couch.

"How much longer?", Ayat asks her sister-in-law.

"Two more minutes sister", Nayla replied to her." Calm down, everything will be fine In shaa Allah, besides anything can happen. What matters is that there's always next time, right?", she tells her smiling.

"Naeem always wanted to be a father but what if I can't...."

Before she could continue, they hear the timer go off. Ayat rushed to where she kept the tests and smiled knowing it is great news.

"Alhamdullilah", she says taking the tests to where Layla is sitting.

"Well, what happened?", Layla asks her.

"Take a look", Ayat showed her the three pregnancy tests she took.

"Alhamdullilah. Congratulations sister. I am very happy for you. But don't tell him just yet. Surprise him at Maya's birthday which is also the anniversary of your engagement", Layla tells her.

"Okay but how?", Ayat asks her.

"Leave that to me", Layla tells her.

End Of Flashback.

The day has arrived for what they have planned to happen. Ayat was nervous to see how Naeem will react once he knows about her pregnancy.

"Just a little warning habibty. He will never let you out of his sight so be prepared for whatever will happen", Layla tells her knowing that Jason was the same when she was pregnant with Maya.

"Great just great. I started cravings a week ago and I didn't want to wake him up", Ayat explained to Layla what had happened when Naeem found her in the kitchen eating Nutella and lying together.

"That's hilarious", Layla started laughing until tears come out of her.

"It's not. I didn't know what to say to him. Thankfully all he did was shake his head and walk away. Alhamdulilah he didn't ask me the next day otherwise I won't know what answer to give him. Do you how hard it is to hide this from him? He is like a hawk", Ayat tells her.

"I know and understand what you mean but you can hold on for a few hours and then you will tell him about it", Layla smiled at her sister-in-law.

Everything was ready for Maya's birthday including the surprise that Ayat had planned for Naeem.

Meanwhile, Naeem was in the office trying to work but all he could think about was finding his wife eating in the middle of the night.

When he found her, her mouth was covered in chocolate while in her hand she held a packet of lays chips. Naeem just shook his head and went to the kitchen to get her a glass of water.

He then placed it on the table beside her and walked away knowing if he asked, Ayat might end up crying.

"Sir, the meeting room is ready", his secretary informed him.

"Okay, let's go", he walked out of the office and into the conference room where the meeting was held. Naeem needed to get home early for his niece's birthday and his engagement anniversary.

He wanted to ask his mother about Ayat's weird behavior. But decided against it.

"Sir, what's your decision on the report?", one of the gentlemen asks him.

"We can do better and better we will be. The meeting is over", Naeem answered gathering his things and walking out of the conference room.

"Are there any meetings left?", Naeem asked his secretary as it was a Saturday afternoon. The meeting was very important as he needed to know the financial reports of the company.

"No sir. None until Monday", Lucy replied to him. Naeem nodded and walked into his office.

Lucy followed him inside, she needed to know if some work needed to be done.

"You can go now", he dismissed her as he walked out of his office carrying a present for his niece Maya.

"Okay, sir. Have a good weekend".

"You too".

Lucy became his secretary because his mother didn't want Ayat to go back to working for him. Lucy is happily married and has two kids.

Everyone was at Nayla and Liam's house for his birthday party Maya was dressed in a fairy costume.

"Everything is set to go, Ayat. If you need my help let me know okay?", Layla tells her.

"Layla, stop making her nervous", Nayla tells her daughter.

"I am not making her anything, mama. Plus you don't even know what I am talking about", Layla says to her.

"Yes, I do. I am getting another grandbaby soon. In shaa Allah, right?", she says looking at Ayat.

"How do even know that?", both Ayat and Layla ask her.

"Remember I am also a mother. And I notice things like Ayat sneaking into the kitchen to just take a bite of the chocolate cake that I made for the family dinner last night. And I also know that you started having cravings", Nayla explained to them. "Don't worry your husband doest know yet. And I am not planning on telling him", she added giving Ayat a slice of chocolate cake.

"Thank you".

Ayat felt very lucky to have Nayla, Liam, and Layla as her in-laws because she always thought that most in-laws are evil to their daughter-in-law.

It was time for the birthday girl to arrive as she was at her nana Kate getting ready with her father.

"Papa, where are we going?", Maya asks her father as they were in the car.

"Baby girl we are going to see your mama, Khala, and everyone who is waiting for you", Kate explained to her.

Maya looks like her father except for her eyes which are of her mother. She and Layla have almost the same characteristics.

"Okay, Nana".

Maya thought that they have forgotten her birthday but what she didn't know was that her family was planning a huge surprise for her.

As they arrived at the house Kate got out of the car while Jason parked the car. There weren't any sounds that came from the house.

Jason texted his wife letting them know that their princess has arrived. He opened the door letting his daughter walk in first.

"Papa, there's no one here", Maya tells her father.

"I think they are in the backyard having coffee. Why don't we go and check there?", Jason led her to the backyard.

As soon as she entered her entire family shouted;

"Happy Birthday Princess".

Her mother walked up to her making Maya run into her arms hugging her.

"Thank you mama", Maya tells her mother kissing her forehead.

"Happy birthday Maya", her grandparents wished to kiss her.

"She is your daughter", Jason whispered in his wife's ears.

"Why?", Layla asks him.

"Because she thought we forgot her birthday", Jason explained as they watched their daughter play with the kids who were invited to her party.

"MayMay, this is for you", a young boy says to her handing her a rose. It was plastic but it will hold great meaning to their story.

"Thank you Roc", Maya tells him pecking his cheek and making him blush.

"Time for cake", Layla tells them.

They all gathered around Maya and started singing a birthday song to her.

Layla and Jason held the knife with their daughter and start cutting her princess Ariel's cake. Maya fed her father and mother the first pieces of cake.

Layla started cutting and distributing the cake, Maya took a plate and walked over to the young boy who gave her the plastic rose.

"We can share this cake", she tells him putting the plate down on the grass and handing him a fork.

"You eat first because you are the birthday girl", he tells her while starting to feed her.

Jason started to look for his daughter when he saw that she was sitting on the grass with a little boy who was feeding her cake. He wanted to go over there but was stopped by his wife.

"Go and you get to sleep on the couch. Let her have friends. Besides she needs to have friends so that she can't get out of her shell", Layla explained to him.

"Fine, but that boy should stay away from our princess", Jason tells her as he kept an eye on them, especially the little boy.

Who is he?

He asked himself but no answer came to mind.

"Thank you Roc for being here with me. Promise that we will be best friends and never forget each other", Maya tells him extending her pinky finger for him to promise.

"I promise", he answers her placing his pinky finger with hers.

But none of them knew that even promises made by the heart can be broken but on purpose. Due to unwanted circumstances, promises will be broken.

As time passed by, it was time for the guests to go home and for Ayat to reveal her surprise to her husband.

Maya hugged him without knowing that it might be the last time they will see each other.

"Wait, I have something for you too", Maya tells him. She hands him her favorite bracelet with her name on it. "To always remember that you will always be my best friend", she then hugged him.

"Let's go. We are getting late", a woman shouted at him. Rocco kissed her cheek and walked away from her.

After every single guest left, the family gathered around waiting for Ayat's surprise.

"I know that it is supposed to be Maya's birthday. I have an announcement to make but first, this is for you", Ayat says handing her husband a box.

Naeem slowly started opening it. Inside he saw a onesie saying; ' You are going to be a father '.

"Really?", her husband asks her not believing what he is holding in his hands.

"Yes..."

She didn't even finish when he hugged her and started spinning her.

"Naeem, stop you will make her dizzy which isn't good for the baby", his mother scolded him.

"I am sorry. Are you alright?", he asks her making her sit down on his lap.

"I am fine, I knew this was going to happen", she says to him whispering the last part to herself while looking at Layla who was smiling.

"That explains the weird cravings you started having these past few days", Naeem tells his wife.

"what do you mean?", Ayat asks him.

"Well, you wake up in the middle of the night looking for chocolate and eating them with lays chips. I thought I was dreaming now I know that dreams do come true", he says kissing her forehead.

"They taste delicious", Ayat tells him grinning.

"Yeah, no way you are eating that again...."

"Well I guess I should thank Mama who said that I could sleep here for the rest of the pregnancy", Ayat cut him off making him shut his mouth. 

"No you aren't leaving me ever", he tells her holding her close. Making everyone laugh at them.

Naeem never thought that he would fall in love with her.

The light to his dark heart.

Through her, he learned that everything happens because of the way it is written by Allah. He knows best.

Looking now at his family, laughing, and being happy that's what he always wanted and needed in his life.

"Thank you for coming into my life. I love you", he whispers to Ayat making her blush.

"You are welcome, Habiby. And I love you too", she replied to him. "Thank you for hiring me as an intern", she added.

Love has no status, and no warning it just happens without realizing that you have fallen for someone. Many will say love doesn't exist but in a way it does. Not many people have seen or even live it. It is there.