Batoulah didn't know what was more embarrassing.

The fact that they meet again in the same fashion they first did? Or the fact that he probably suspects she has a thing for breaking his car. Whichever it is, she would rule it out under one word.

Embarrassing.

She offered him a sheepish smile, standing up straight. "Hey..." She dragged the word, obviously not knowing how to explain her situation to him. She thought of what her best defense would be, but the only thing that came up was being honest, if not she will be termed as a weirdo.

"What?" He rose a brow, amusement lacing his tone. "Aren't you going to ask me out for coffee this time?" He teased.

Batoulah groaned lightly, shaking her head as she stood in front of him, "No" She mumbled, hoping he won't tease her further. "What are you doing here anyways?"

Zayn knew she was trying to shift the conversation from her actions, and he gave in without much of an effort. He shrugged slightly, a deep sigh leaving his partially parted lips. "My father had been admitted here" He stated, what seemed to be a sullen expression taking over his features despite how little he felt it.

It was much compared to the lack of emotions he felt before.

Her brows furrowed, lips tugged into a frown. "Subhan Allah, what happened to him?"

"Heart attack" Zayn blew out a shaky breath, "He's in the ICU, doctor said he might not make it"

It was her turn to blow out a shaky breath. Being a doctor, she knew that there are cases of heart attack where a person barely makes it, the rest, don't. And she wouldn't want that to be the case of Zayn's father. "I'm sorry" She doubted if Zayn would be able to handle the loss of another loved one.

She knew pretty well everything he went through, even though he wasn't the one that told her.

Zayn shook his head, "Don't be" He muttered, waving it off. His gaze then flickered to the ball that's still in her hands. "Now are you going to tell me why you like hitting my car? I highly doubt doctors are allowed to play football in the parking lot"

She chuckled nervously, hiding the ball behind her. "About that..."

"Batoulah!"

Both she and Zayn whipped their heads in the direction of the familiar voice.

"I swear I don't know if these boys take after you or me but..." She stopped once she rounded the corner, her gaze falling on the duo. She looked between the duo, before her gaze landed on her younger sister. "...what's going on here?" Hayra asked, her gaze flickering to Zayn again.

He tilted his head to the side slightly as he put the pieces together. "You two know each other?" He pointed between them.

The women nodded.

"She's your sister?" This time around, his question was directed to Batoulah for clarification.

"Yes" She threw a glance at Hayra.

"I'm her older sister" Hayra jumped in, to correct him to which she earned herself a glare from Batoulah.

"By only four years" Stated Batoulah, rolling her eyes slightly. "You keep saying it as if you're a century older" She mumbled, shaking her head.

"I'm still older" Hayra ignored the glare Batoulah threw her.

Zayn quietly watched their interaction. Now thinking back, he finally understood why Batoulah seemed so familiar when he first met her. It's because she resembled Hayra. They didn't look that much alike, but the resemblance was clear as day. Even in their attitude.

And that was when the other thought dawned on him, "That makes you Salma's sister" His question was directed to Hayra who sighed.

She glanced at her sister, "Batoulah can you take care of the boys? Zayn and I need to talk things through at long last. It's time we clear everything up" Although her words were directed towards Batoulah, her gaze remained solely on Zayn who didn't argue with her on it.

He knew she is right. They do need clear things up.

Batoulah nodded in understanding and quietly slipped away from the two. She spotted the two trouble makers watching the three quietly from afar. One glare at them, had the two boys looking down in guilt, except one who had a mischievous look in his eyes.

She glared at him, handing theball over to him. "What did I say about playing football in the parking lot?" She glared at them both.

The two squirmed from the intensity of her gaze. Between she and Hayra, she had always been the calm and chill one but when she's scolding them, it's a whole different matter.

"Well?" She rose her voice slightly, making one of them raise his head up.

"But Aunty B it was him!" Hayra's son exclaimed, pointing a finger at the other boy who threw him a glare.

He then moved his gaze to Batoulah, and when he noticed that her icy glare is solely on him, he offered her a cheeky grin and uttered the words that somehow gets him out of trouble all the time. "I love you mommy" He grinned, and judging from the way her scowl dropped, he knew he had won.

~*~

Hayra led Zayn to a nearby café, where the two would talk since they couldn't do that in the parking lot obviously with people trooping about. Besides, the conversation was too important for them to talk about like that.

Zayn ordered a cup of steaming hot macchiato while Hayra didn't order anything. Unlike him, she didn't need coffee to prepare her for what she's about to tell him.

After taking a couple of sips, Zayn finally dropped the mug and stared at her. "I still can't believe you, Batoulah and Salma are sisters" He shook his head, "I'm sorry about her loss by the way"

She offered him a small smile, "Thank you" Her voice was barely above a whisper. She then cleared her throat. "Well, just like Batoulah told you, we weren't exactly close to Salma and her mother; especially not after our parent's demise"

"Was that before, or after you met Kulsum in rehab?"

"Before" She swallowed thickly. She had always hate talking about her past but if there was someone she wanted to talk about it with, for hopefully the last time, then it's Zayn. She owes him that much after everything his sister did to her. "Their death had a pretty bad influence on me. I won't go down the path of my glorious life that shaped me up to end up in rehab, but when I met your sister I have always known she and Salma were friends. I've seen her at our home a couple of times though she never saw me"

"Did she know?"

She shook her head, "that is something she never figured out"

Zayn lightly drummed his fingers on the table between them. "Why didn't ever tell her?"

Hayra scoffed lightly, a bitter smile taking over her features. "After everything Salma did to her? I didn't have it in me to do. It wasn't me but I still felt ashamed because whether I like it or not, Salma is my flesh and blood and honestly, family is forever; no matter how bad"

Zayn wouldn't deny her response to family, because he feels the same way. If he didn't, then he wouldn't bother letting his mother and sister try to get close to him. If he didn't feel that way, then he wouldn't spend the whole night praying for his father to regain his health. Sure enough, he went against the old man by digging up his past but he made a promise that he will keep no matter what.

That is the only way he can move on. That is, if he truly can.

"Zayn, what our family members do, does not define who we are" Hayra's voice had him snapping out of his trance. "That was something that Aasim made me understand"

It was Zayn's turn to scoff despite how much he tried to stop himself he couldn't. Frankly speaking, if there's anyone he might never forgive then it's Aasim; despite the fact that he helped him locate Salma which now thinking about it, he got it from Hayra. "Spare me the whole accolade about his glory" Zayn muttered, and she barely got a hang of what he said.

"I won't ask you to forgive him" She honestly wouldn't, because if she was in his shoes then she might not honestly. So, it will be hypocritical of her to assume the worst of Zayn if he does not forgive her husband. "But I do want to ask you to please keep an open mind about him. He does regret the things he did. And I know words won't suffice but we can't change the past. We learn from it"

Zayn looked away, he didn't want to hear anything about that man. The mere mention of his name has Zayn feeling like he wants to punch something to get rid of that anger.

She looked down, taking in a deep breath. She knew she should just end the conversation about her husband there, and so she did. When she looked up again, she had another motive for the conversation. "I don't know what's going on between you and my sister"

"There's nothing going on" He stated, not once did his tone waver.

Hayra smiled slightly. "That's what she said too" She sighed, "But in case something does, you need to know something that isn't mine to tell, but I highly doubt she'll tell you"

"What is it?"

"She's a single mother"