Fatigue knocked on everyone's eyelids. All the Patels dreamt of their warm bed. Aisha took everyone by surprise, eclipsing Sierra, who most forgot except one person in the household.

"Where's the girl?"

"Which girl, mother?" Ms. Patel asked as she made herself some Chamomille tea.

"Vincent's fiancée."

"You heard the discussion, mother. She isn't his fiancee anymore."

The elder lady frowned, "what? Why?"

Ms. Patel shook her head from side to side, "were you sleeping this all time." she said, avoiding calling her mother-in-law senile.

"No, I thought they would patch things up."

"What? The woman has a child."

The old lady shrugged, "it doesn't change the fact he loves her."

Ms. Patel's mouth remained open while the tea overflowed from her cup," oh gosh, look what you made me do." The woman said as she realized the saucer was full.

She cleared the saucer and came to sit and watch the old lady unwrap her present.

"Are you really opening it?" She asked while twirling her spoon in her tea.

"It's a gift. Why shouldn't I?"

Ms. Patel muttered something under her breath and took a sip of her tea while watching the old lady's reaction, "what is it, mother?" she asked when she saw the old woman's face light up.

The elder lady lifted Saregama Carvaan's portable vintage player. It was not expensive but an incredibly thoughtful gift as it would allow the old lady to listen to over five thousand retro songs of her youth.

"How did she know?" The older lady said while turning the playback to the front.

"You've never expressed the need to have it."

"But you all could have thought of it."

Ms. Patel was curious to know what was in her parcels but did not want to seem eager in front of the older woman.

"Go on, open yours," the older lady said.

Prompted, ms Patel grabbed hers and began to open. The first present was a dupatta. The silk scarf was one of the most beautiful the woman had seen in years. All the details were handcrafted. One could only find such a detailed piece in India.

How did Sierra manage to find it?

Underneath, there was another surprise, a complete set of Shu Uemura products no longer available in great Britain. Mrs. Patel had spent months trying to find the skincare in vain.

Excitement seized Vincent's mother, who ripped the paper off the other parcel like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift. It was a crochet beginners pack, the woman frowned.

Didn't Vincent tell Sierra she was an expert?

Something else retained her attention at that instant. A letter sat between the items. She opened and began to read silently under the older lady's glare.

Dear Ms. Patel,

Vincent told me you were an embroidery expert. I've never been crafty with my hands, but I'm learning. This gift is very selfish, as it represents my wish to learn.

I never knew my mother, and I hope to learn many things from you.

I know this might sound pretentious, but I wish one day you might see and accept me as a member of your family and that you'll teach me your crochet techniques.

Please be well and stay strong.

Sincerely Sierra

"Ha, what on earth."

"What?" Asked the elder lady who sat across from her.

Ms. Patel leaned and stretched the letter out to her; the older lady took out her spectacles and began to read, "well, she's more educated than you at her age, and you say she's not fit for Vincent. How foolish you seem."

The older woman received Sierra's words as a blessing for their household.

"Goodnight, mother," Ms. Patel said, abandoning the discussion she knew lost. She retired to her bedroom, where she found her husband marveling in front of his gift.

"Arent you tired?

"Look, Prisha, it's a chessboard. The pieces are themed, and look at the box; it's fantastic. What did you receive?"

"A silk dupatta, Shu Uemura products, and a crochet set, mother got a Seragama Carvaan player."

"Wow, the woman did her best," Mr. Patel said while he calculated the amount spent. The chessboard alone was four hundred pounds apiece. Altogether it was about eight hundred pounds worth of gifts for people who mistreated her.

"Stop acting as if it's a miracle. Vincent helped her pick."

"Still, she wasn't obliged and weㅡ."

"I know," said Ms. Patel, patting her husband's arm.

Sierra had done nothing except being polite, and all judged and attacked her. The Patels slept with heavy hearts that weighed with their guilt as they recognized they did not show Sierra the best of their personality.

The next day didn't arrange things for the Patels who visited Aisha at the maternity.

Ishaan was another man. He beamed with an unearthly smile as he carried his son Aarush Devon Patel.

Aisha watched as her room filled up and her son passed from hand to hand like a bundle of bread. All smiled and congratulated her. Aisha played along, and all would have been well if it was not for the following comment.

"Aisha, my child, may you be blessed," Ms. Patel said as she made smiling faces at her grandson.

Aisha laughed, "blessed, thank you, mother. After all this time, I finally have a kind word."

All stopped to look at Aisha, including her husband, who drowned in bewilderment in front of his wife's sudden change of humor, "Aisha, what is wrong?"

"Did you know I almost filed for a divorce? If it weren't for Elise and Vincent, this day would not exist."

"Aisha."

"What? what was it you said yesterday? Stop hoping love prevails. It does, Ishaan; otherwise, I wouldn't have endured your mother's harshness or your neglect. You were awful with Vincent's fiancée yesterday. Going on about her work and her duty as a wife when your sister works, and so do I. Still, cook and clean, and I'm all smitten when you get home. How can you, Ishaan, you say such things?"

Ishaan's face hardened. How dare his wife scold him in front of relatives. Son or not, Aisha's behavior was not tolerable.

The woman caught on and retorted, "what? Can't I say this? We're supposed to support and correct each other when one goes astray. If I, your wife, can not tell you these things, then who will? This is a testimony of my love Ishaan. I can't let you carry on like this; especially now you are a father. Your behavior is not the example I wish Aarush to see."

The room grew quiet. Many of the visitors stared at their feet as memories of how they treated Aisha came to taunt them.

"Mr. Patel, Elise, thank you for everything. Where's Vincent? I wish to thank him too?"

"He went out early to find sierra," Elise said.

"Wow," Aisha's stare stopped on each one of them as she said, "I guess you've found someone else to pick on. Poor woman, and she believed you were nice people."

"Enough, Aisha," Ishaan yelled.

In other circumstances, Elise would have laughed and mocked her brother while chanting, "who was the one that said hold thy woman as though he was the right hand of God."

Finally, it was their grandmother who chuckled hyena style, "isn't this perfect, and you thought I was a bad mother-in-law. You assumed you'd do better look at you. You have your daughter-in-law scolding you and your beloved son running around like a headless chicken to save the engagement you spoiled. Ah, la, la, you can keep the crown Prisha," the older woman said.

"Mother," Ms. Patel whined.