Contrasting Realities 28

I opened the door to be faced by an empty room, save for Layla’s suitcase sitting on top of her bed and a couple of shopping bags laying around it. I stepped into the room to look for Layla, only to realize that she was in the bathroom. Moments later, she stepped out.

To say that her face was achromatic would be an understatement.

When she saw me, her eyes instantly filled up with tears, just like mine.

“Haya” her voice broke as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

“My Lilly” I felt my own tears rolling down my face as I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. She placed her head on my shoulders and I felt the warmth of her tears on it as I heard her gasp for air. I held her tighter and patted her hair and back.

“Shhhhh…bas galby bas bachy”

“Haya she’s in the hospital oo ana mo weyaha…what kind of daughter does that make me?”

“Lilly galby 3umry…there was no way you could’ve known this would happen”

“Ee bs that doesn’t matter! She’s there now oo ana hnee oo ehya broo7ha” she said in between sobs.

“Baby Lilly don’t blame yourself for this…hathy mashee2at rabbich”

“I should be there Haya I should be there” she gasped loudly, “eli eli….eli 7ata lma they called and told me and I figured I had to go back, I couldn’t go back empty handed and I went and bought her the things eli wa9atny 3laihom” and she broke down into my arms as she lost her balance. I supported her till I got her to lie down on the bed.

Placing her head on my thigh, I sat stroking her hair and calming her down for what seemed like an eternity. I only realized that she had fallen asleep when she had stopped sobbing, yet her gasps for air continued even as she lay asleep on my thigh. I looked at her, and it just...it just broke my heart to see her like this.

The worst feeling in the world is to watch someone you love in pain, and realizing that there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.

My thoughts were interrupted by Layla's ringing phone. She immediately sprang up from the bed and, in a split second, was halfway across the room, picking it up from the nightstand. After taking a look at the name flashing across the screen, she took a deep breath, let it out and then answered.