64 ??She looked . . . healthy??

ZAYN

I could hear tiny footsteps speedily walking and I had to hold in a highly-amused chuckle. Her mother had asked me to stay by the main door while she informed her Dad. Basically she wanted to buy her daughter time to run to her room.

"You'd better stop running from me," I whispered to nobody in particular.

I was finally let into the lounge. There was dust all over the sofas and tables and . . . everything. I was getting OCD but I tried not to let it show on my face as I sat down, a smile in place.

At least I thought I was smiling. God, please I hoped I wasn't grimacing.

I didn't want to make them feel bad but they really should have gotten their house cleaned. It really wasn't nice.

Was the baby living in such conditions? I was fiercely angry.

Heck, I could feel myself getting sick and he was a child! As if on instinct, I sneezed three times in a row. Eek.

There was a murmur and I recognized that voice to be Leia's immediately. I looked up and embarrassing myself, all I did was wheeze. She looked . . . healthy.

Not her face; that was just too-dark dark circles and her full mouth seemed a little less pink, her face ghostly pale.

But her body.

Holy . . .

I couldn't even see anything with her robe but I saw enough. It was enough.

I blinked, seeing her face resemble a tomato as she stood there wringing her hands, gazing at her Dad. She didn't, not once, look my way. No, she just walked and sat beside her Dad, looking at her lap.

Funnily, it put her directly in my view and my crazy heart just wanted to gaze at her for some hours. Perhaps days. Years.

But damn if I wasn't amused. "Assalaamualaikum," I made it clear I was talking to her, since she hadn't bothered.

She murmured what I assumed was a reply. Oh, so that's how it was going to be?

Uncle continued where our conversation had left off while Leia whispered something to her mother, who nodded and went away. Honestly, I was distracted and was wondering what she was saying more than I was listening to Uncle. Until he asked the ultimate question.

"Your father didn't come?"