“Oh my God I am so sorry I am late but I have amazing news!” Hana exclaimed as she dashed into the library, Dawud and Layla behind her, and Houssam looked up from the Autobiography of Malcolm X and gave her a smile.

“No worries. I was just doing some reading.” He placed the bookmark in the book and leaned forward. “What’s the great news?”

She paused, to settle her niece and nephew at a nearby table, plugging in Dawud’s Gameboy controller, and setting out Layla’s coloring things.

“Okay,” she said sitting in the seat across from him and putting her purse next to her. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were sparkling and it made for a very pretty picture. “I got an interview!”

Houssam’s face broke into a huge smile.

“You did!? Ya Allah! Hana that’s amazing MashaAllah! Where?!”

“With The Santa Barbara Times! And get this, they called me! I didn’t even apply!”

“Hana! That’s incredible!”

“I know!” she exclaimed with an excited laugh. “Apparently they saw some of my works from UCSB, and were impressed!”

“Of course they were! You’re brilliant!” He exclaimed.

“I am so excited!”

“And you should be! When do you have it?”

“Next Thursday!”

Houssam sat back in his seat, and crossed his arms over his chest, a large smile on his face.

“This is amazing. I’m so proud of you!”

She flushed deeper, and looked down at her purse, pulling on a loose thread.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Aw come on Hana. You’re going after your dream! That’s something I can understand.”

She smiled, and pulled out a notebook from her bag.

“Well I think that’s the perfect way to lead into our interview. Okay, so my first question, how do you handle the paparazzi always after you?”

He groaned, and buried his face in his arms before looking back up at her.

“You don’t know how bad I feel still. Honestly tell me what I can do to make it up to you.”

“Houssam please stop, I told you that I was fine!”

“Doesn’t make me feel any better.” He said with a shrug, and she watched him for a few seconds before smiling slightly.

“You don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want to.”

“No, no it’s fine. Um, well in the beginning it was completely overwhelming. I didn’t leave my apartment for an entire month when I first got drafted. I even had groceries delivered, because I was too scared to leave. I can’t exactly blend in with crowds with my height.”

She was quiet for a few seconds as she scribbled on her notebook, before she turned her face to look at him.

“What’s the weirdest thing the press has ever printed about you?”

He hesitated for a second before motioning with his hand.

“Can this be just between us?”

“Of course. Anything you don’t want printed, let me know.”

He glanced uneasily at the children who didn’t seem to be paying any attention to them, before leaning forward.

“Okay, one time Freddy, that’s one of my teammates, was going out of town, and needed a sitter for his cat, Magic. He lived just down the street from me, and my car was in the shop so I decided just to walk over to feed it. He had given me a key to his place, but I had forgotten the code for his security gate. So there I was, trying different combinations of what I thought it was until eventually I hit upon the right one, and went inside. When I tried to leave after feeding him, he wouldn’t let me, it kept weaving himself in and out of my legs and meowing like crazy and trying to run out the door, so I called Freddy and told him I was just going to take Magic with me. So I gathered up his things and we went home. The next day it was all over the headlines that I had broken into Freddy’s house to steal his cat! They then went on to say how I was jealous because Freddy’s cat was a direct descendant of a cat Elvis once had, and to get revenge I tried to steal it. I don’t even like cats!”

Hana laughed loudly, before leaning forward and putting her face in her hands.

“Oh my goodness that’s so funny!”

“Yeah it wasn’t funny when everyone thought I was a cat thief!” he grumbled, but when she continued to giggle, a smile lit up his face at the sweet sound. “Alright, alright enough laughing at me. My self-esteem is taking a hit here! Next question!”

“So now I have to know! Do you hate all animal or just cats!?”

“I don’t hate cats. I just don’t like them!”

“Okay,” she said with a laugh, “do you dislike all animals or just cats? Do you have any pets?”

“Amu Houssam I have a birdie!” Layla exclaimed from where she was sitting, and Houssam turned to look at her with a smile.

“Do you really habibti? What’s it’s name?”

“His name is Big Bird!” she said, giving him a toothy smile, and he laughed.

“Amu Houssam has five horses!” Dawud exclaimed, and Hana’s eyes widened in delight as she turned to look at him.

“Do you really?!”

“Yeah. Do you like to ride?”

Hana smiled.

“I love it. I don’t get to do it often but I think it’s one of my favorite things to do. Are your horses in LA?”

“No, they are in a stable here in Santa Barbara.”

“Aw you leave them alone?”

“Oh no believe me everyone rides them all the time. Yusra actually has a horse as well that is stabled with mine, so when she goes to ride she will take Ilham and Layla or Amir, or my sisters’ children.”  

“I went on Khaltu Yusra’s horsy one time but I was too scared because it was so big. So Amu Houssam bought me a pony!” Layla exclaimed.

Hana’s eyes widened.

“You got her a pony?”

Houssam flushed slightly.

“Well I wanted her to be able to have something she was comfortable riding on.”

Before Hana could respond, Dawud piped up as well.

“I have a horse too but mine isn’t a pony. Ponies are for girls!” he exclaimed.

“No! Ponies are for small people like me!” Layla exclaimed in protest, and as the children started arguing, Hana turned back towards Houssam, tilting her head to the side.

“I knew the children took riding lessons but I didn’t know it was on horses that you bought for them.”

He shifted a bit uncomfortably in his seat.

“It’s no big deal really.”

“Amani and Lotfi have horses too!” Layla piped up, referring to Houssam’s nephew and niece. Hana raised an eyebrow.

“Do all of the children have horses?”

He shook his head, his face still red.

“No, the older children didn’t want horses.”

“So Amu Houssam got them go carts!” Dawud exclaimed, and Hana laughed in disbelief.

“Go carts!?” she exclaimed and he grinned.

“You can’t buy one child something and not the others.”

“What about the little ones like Hasana and Omar? And Kareem?”

He was silent for a second before smiling sheepishly.

“They were taken care of.”

“They have miniature cars that really work!” Dawud exclaimed, and Houssam scowled in their direction.

“What are they CNN!?”

Hana smiled.

“That was very generous of you.”

He shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with her compliment.

“They are my family and I love them.” He said, and while she would have loved to heap more praise on him, she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable.

“I didn’t know Yusra has a horse.” She said, and his face visibly relaxed at the change in discussion.

Houssam nodded.

“She has always been obsessed with them, and for their fifth wedding anniversary, Amir bought her one.”

“That’s so romantic!” she squealed, and Houssam rolled his eyes.

“You women, always getting mushy about random things! Yallah next questions before you start fawning over something else!”

Hana laughed.

“Okay, okay. Umm, what are your career aspirations for the future?”

He was quiet for a second, before smiling.

“Okay I will tell you but this has to remain between us as technically I am under contract and legally not allowed to discuss this with anyone outside of my managing team yet.”

“Oh wow. I don’t want you to get into trouble!”

“No, if anyone finds out, which they won’t since I don’t plan on telling anyone, and you won’t either right?” he asked sternly, though she could see the sparkle of laughter in his eyes.

“Right!”

“I will just say that you are part of my team. You’re my photographer!”

She laughed.

“Okay. I’ll be your photographer.”

He grinned, before glancing over at the kids, and leaning forward.

“So plans for the future. Currently, there are five different teams fighting over me.” He said in a lowered voice.

She frowned slightly.

“You want to leave LA?”

He shook his head.

“Not necessarily. In fact I’m totally comfortable with the Lakers. I love Coach Hoffman and my teammates are like my brothers. But sometimes what is best for you isn’t what you want or what is easiest. I’ve been with the Lakers for eight years now, and honestly, I think I’ve done all I can with them. I need to move on even though it’s going to be hard.”

“So you’re going to leave California?”

“Well not for sure. One of the teams in the running are the Clippers, which are also an LA based team. However the most appealing offer has come from the New York Knicks. They have offered the biggest salary increase and accommodations. They’ve offered to let me fly out to see my family whenever I wanted and the team will pay for it. They included an apartment in the Upper East Side, a car and many other perks.”

“New York is far away.” She whispered, and to her mortification, she felt tears building up in her eyes.

“I know. That’s my only reason for the hesitation. If I already feel lonely in the same state as my family, how will I feel across the country!?” He ran a hand through his hair and gave a sigh.

“May Allah swt make whatever is best for you happen.” She said quietly, and he smiled.

“Ameen. Barak Allahu Feeki. And may he do the same for you too! For both of us!”

A pretty blush spread over her cheeks.

“Ameen InshaAllah.”

There was a silence between them for a few seconds, before Hana glanced at her phone, and gave a disappointed sigh.

“I’m sorry to say this, but class starts in twenty minutes, and I have to write the review questions on the board.”

He nodded.

“Okay, no problem. I’ll see you tomorrow for Kareem duty InshaAllah?” he asked and she smiled.

“Yes InshaAllah. Come on Layla, Dawud.”

As the children began to pack up their things, Hana put her notebook away, and stood up, Houssam following suit. Soon Layla had finished and had rushed into Houssam’s arms.

“Amu Houssam?” she asked, and he smiled, pushing back a lock of her hair from her face.

“What?”

“I love you!”

“Aw I love you too habibti!” he exclaimed and as he gave Layla a hug, Hana watched them, a small smile on her face.

She loved him too.