I WAS RESTLESS. I always thought not having a job was the best thing that might happen to a person but I found myself starting to miss when I did have a job. And I still haven't told Ibrahim I lost my job nor the reason why I did. I couldn't find the courage to.

"I always wondered why you never told me about this." I complained as I strutted down the stairs.

"Because you'd most likely overreact." Ibrahim chuckled coming from behind me, already catching up to me due to my short legs.

"It's not overreacting when my husband was assigned a female masseuse." I grumbled pulling the door open looking over to Ibrahim on the other side of the car.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I imagined you doing it?" He raised both brows with a wince making me roll my eyes playfully, sliding into the car.

"I was trying my luck." Ibrahim raised his hands in defense as a mocking laugh escaped his lips. His fingers twisted the keys in the ignition roaring the car to life.

"I can't believe you." I crossed my arms over my chest with a slight huff, leaning back in my seat as he zoomed out of the house.

"We weren't in our right minds, you do know that, right?" Ibrahim licked his lips as he looked over to me, before forcing his eyes on the road.

"Exactly, who knows the things going through her mind at the time?" I quirked my brow causing a mocking laugh to escape his lips, throwing his head back in the process.

"How do you think of these kind of stuff?" Ibrahim mused, shaking his head in amusement.

"You were literally dosed with God knows what, you can't be a hundred percent sure she hasn't tried something at the time." I moved my head against the headrest to look at him, finding him focused on the road with a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Ibrahim was a playful person and it took some time before I got to see that side of him, but I loved every moment of it. We bantered a lot of times because we weren't really the list affectionate couple because of the type of people we were.

"You're very creative, anyone tell you that before?" He raised his brows causing me to furrow mine in confusion.

"No, because I wouldn't believe them if they did." I let out a breath as a laugh.

"The fact that you created different scenarios in a short span of time is really creative." Ibrahim stopped behind a car waiting for the light to turn green.

"I'll take that as a compliment then." I giggled meeting his dark orbs filled with mischief. He rested his elbow on the door as he pulled on his lower lip with his fingers.

"I forgot who I was married to for a second." He smiled weakly causing my smile to fall as I squinted my eyes at him playfully, only for my eyes to widen in horror the next minute seeing a truck approaching us at a fast rate.

"Ibra— " I wasn't able to finish my sentence as I felt the car jerk to the side from the impact of the truck knocking Ibrahim unconscious almost immediately, blood trickling the side of his face. Everything went black before I could think of anything else.

•••

I woke up to the flashing of bright lights blinding my eyes. I blinked my eyes repeatedly to adjust to the brightness of the room seeing blurry figures scattered around my room. A wave of headache washed over me eliciting a painful gasp from me.

Someone rushed to my side restricting my movements preventing me from sitting up. I groaned from the action as I was adjusted to lean my back against the headboard. My eyes popped open as I clutched the person's hand eliciting a gasp from them.

My eyes cleared in time to meet my mothers concerned eyes filled with tears. My head whipped side to the side frantically in search of Ibrahim but instead I was met with nothing which worried me more.

"Where's Ibrahim?" I asked turning to my mother who flinched, but remained silent as she shook her head side to side. I pinned my eyes on Safiya who pursed her lips, darting her eyes to her lap.

"Why isn't anyone answering me?" I asked frustratedly.

"Sumaya you need to calm down." Safiya murmurs form her seat, her arms wrapped around her middle. I scoffed out a laugh as I whipped my head to the side, meeting my mother's tear filled eyes.

"How do you expect me to calm down when I can't find my husband?" I boomed shooting her an irritated look, watching her retreat as she folded her lips.

I felt myself getting more agitated as they both seemed to be prevaricating and they weren't being so subtle about it. My mind was repeating the same thing but I pushed the thought to the back of my mind focusing on what's important.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" I snapped with a hardened tone, my face twisted up in anger.

"Ibrahim didn't make it." Safiya blurted out stilling my movements, putting a stop to my threats and continued questions.

I blinked angling my head to the side, letting out a delirious laugh as I pinned my eyes on my twin sister who appeared angry. I raised my head to stare at the ceiling trying to compose myself because I couldn't bring myself to take her words seriously.

"You find the smallest opportunity to say the harshest things to me. Don't joke with this." I warned in a steely voice, my gaze threatening.

"Sumaya I'm telling the truth. He didn't make it. He suffered the blow and he lost a lost of blood in the process. He couldn't be saved." Safiya wrung her fingers together as her eyes bounced to my mother momentarily before pinning her eyes on me.

I parted my lips to deny her allegations but the sound of the door prevented me from doing so. Hameed walked in looking exhausted and worn out. If it were any other time, I would care to know what made him look that way but I didn't find myself caring as I pinned my eyes on my sister who looked pale.

"I want to see him." I demanded already peeling off the plasters on my body, desperately seeking to see Ibrahim only for Hameed to place his hand over my arm preventing me from doing so.

I raised my eyes shooting him a deadly glare, flickering my eyes to his hand on my arm once again giving him a silent warning. He retracted his hand pulling the chair my mother was once sitting on closer to the bed, settling on it. My mother on the other hand was standing in the corner watching the scene unfold, not doing anything as usual.

"Ibrahim didn't sustain any injuries from the accident." Hameed stated in a low voice, his eyes boring into mine.

I sighed out in relief lowering my head, placing my hand on my forehead. It was like a weight was lifted off my chest, I could breathe and suddenly felt like my world wasn't falling apart anymore.

"That's a relief." I murmured.

"Sumaya." Hameed called out my name making me look up. "He didn't sustain any injuries because he was never in the car to begin with." Hameed revealed as I jerked my head back, my face twisting in confusion.

"What are you talking about? You just told me he was okay." I exclaimed.

"I said he didn't sustain any injuries." Hameed countered.

"Then where is he?" I tilted my head to the side.

"I think that question is meant for you." Hameed stated in a gravely voice, his eyes cautious.

"How am I supposed to know? The last time I saw him was in the car." I recalled frustratedly, tired of repeating myself when they knew what happened. Hameed shook his head coming to sit on my bed, inches from me, his tentative gaze on me.

"Sumaya, when was the last time you really saw him?" He questioned and although I knew the answer to the question, my mouth didn't spurt the truth immediately and I found myself stammering.

"Before the accident, I was with him I —" I trailed off unknowingly, looking over to Hameed who held a pained expression on his face.

"Ibrahim never came back. The last time you saw him was the day he left." Hameed murmured and I found myself shaking my head vigorously.

"No no no you're not going to treat me like I'm crazy. He appeared at my front door two weeks ago. He was with me for that long." I insisted squinting my eyes at Hameed who released a breath.

"Let me ask you a question," Hameed started. "How is it possible he came back with everyone thinking he was dead and his family had no idea he was back?" He asked and I pondered for a moment, before letting out a breath as a laugh.

"You're contradicting each other. Your wife just told me he died from the accident and you're telling me he was never with me to begin with?" I angled my head, my eyes flitting from Hameed to my twin sister. "Can you stop these mind games and tell me where my husband is, please?" I exclaimed.

Hameed pinched his nose looking over to Safiya who placed a hand over her eyes before letting it fall to her lap, revealing her tear filled eyes.

"I thought that was the best way to go about it." Safiya choked out averting her eyes to Hameed. "Hameed is telling the truth. His death devastated you and you weren't yourself, you didn't eat or talk to anyone so the next time you came looking fuller and happier, I thought you finally got over it, but you broke to us that Ibrahim came back so we visited you the next day." She blinked back tears, cutting herself off as she released a breath.

"When you called Ibrahim there was nothing there, and you were talking to the air like it was him —" Safiya couldn't finish her sentence as she bursted in tears and I felt my eyes welling with tears.

"You're not the woman I married." I heard Hameed echo before he pinned his eyes on my mother. "You deserve each other because if you both think that was looking out for her, I'm scared of what you're capable of."

I felt Hameed jerk me back to reality as he pulled on my arm. I turned to look at him finding him staring at me intently, a focused look on his face.

"When was the last time you saw him?" He asked once again.

"Before he left, he told me it was a see you later and he promised me he would be back." I recalled slowly my heart clenching remembering the day so clear my head hurt.

"And what happened after?" Hammed continued but I couldn't bring myself to reply, feeling the shiver run down my spine.

"I —" I was at loss for words as I parted my lips only to close it right back. Everything rushed to me and it dawned on me that I was staying in that house all by myself, seeing the image of my dead husband for the past month when I could've taken that time to help him by praying for him, but instead I was laughing alone with no one to tell me I was talking to the air. I felt anger bubble up within me when I realized my sister did come and find me in that state but chose not to help.

"How could you?" I whispered raising my eyes to meet my sisters bloodshot ones.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She repeated over and over like a broken record but I couldn't bring myself to feel sympathy for her after what she did to me.

"How could you?" I screamed making an effort to lunge at her only for Hameed to wrap his arms around me preventing me from doing so. A gut wrenching scream ripped through my mouth as I struggled against Hameed in an effort to let me go.

My energy gave out and I slumped against Hameed's chest, soaking his shirt with my tears. I found myself gasping for air as I pushed against his chest, and he finally pulled away moving his hands to cup my face.

"Breathe." He coached but the simple thing was a huge problem for me as I stared into his eyes frantically, my mouth wide open as I struggled to breathe.

"He can't be gone." I choked out.

FIVE MONTHS EARLIER

We found ourselves sitting at the shore with a blanket draped over our bodies as I leaned against Ibrahim, staring at the sky. After shouting and crying when he broke the news to me, I realized it was better to take advantage of the situation to make memories and make the best out of the vacation.

"We chose the most predictable place to go." I cackled burrowing into Ibrahim earning a chuckle from him as he gulped down the drink squished in his hands.

"Our late planning cost us exclusive countries." Ibrahim mused making me laugh as I hit his chest playfully, causing a chuckle to rumble through his throat.

"This made me realize that the country doesn't matter." I stated staring at his serene face as his eyes roamed around the shore, the reflections making his eyes darker than usual.

"I've been thinking of names." I whispered nervously, taking his larger hand in mine playing with his fingers to avoid his eyes. He hummed still staring ahead, but as if he processed the words his head snapped to me.

"Are you sure?" His dark orbs roamed over my face for a few moments in concern. I nodded in confirmation watching as a grin washed up his face. He pulled me closer to him kissing all over my face making me giggle loving every moment of it.

"Marry me." He exaggerated making me laugh harder as I leaned forward clutching my stomach.

"You didn't give me that choice." I chuckled going back to my original position only now I was facing him.

"I'm going to ask another favor from you." Ibrahim nibbled on his lip, his words careful.

"Anything." I said with no hesitation.

"Whatever happens, promise me you'll let go. You won't let anything hold you back — even if it's me." He tucked his lower lip in his mouth, his eyes held a twinge of pain and I felt myself cussing him out in my head. How could he expect me to move on from him when he said things like this although it was killing him inside.

"Your lips is saying something and your eyes are saying something completely different." I muttered sadly, moving my hand to cup his face lovingly. He flashed me a weak smile tilting his head to the side.

"I want to be selfish. To keep anyone from falling in love with you just by being with you but I need to know you'll fulfill this so I can go with a clear mind." Ibrahim admitted and I knew he said those words from the bottom of his heart, I found myself nodding.

"I promise."

"I'll let go."

STORY ANALYSIS

Sumaya is suffering from a mental condition called schizophrenia and the loss of Ibrahim pushed her to start hallucinating creating images of him in her head.

In chapter 21 when she called Ibrahim and it went straight to voicemail was the reality where Ibrahim was gone, not that he wasn't able to answer her phone call.

In chapter 20 Ibrahim knew about Sumaya and Hameed's relationship when only the four of them knew of it. He knew of it — not because he eavesdropped but because he was the projection of her mind.

In chapter 19 she asked their gardener Musa about Ibrahim and he was confused because he was already pronounced dead.

There are no workers in the house because Sumaya sent them off when they started to ask questions and her mind made up reasons to push them out of the house.

Sumaya was evasive whenever Ibrahim brought up her past because she didn't want to relive that, and she would snap back to reality when she realized Ibrahim wasn't with her. Sumaya shared everything with Ibrahim so the fact that she didn't was a huge part of the plot.

AND THAT'S THAT FOR THE ANALYSIS.

Thank you for reading "LETTING GO". I have enjoyed writing this book which I've had support from you for me to keep writing. Unfortunately, this is the end of the book and it will not have a sequel. There are some characters that would appear in some books but that will be it. I hope you enjoyed this book and be hyped to read my other books. Please Vote, Comment and Share with the people you know if you liked this book.

_blackkbear⚪