Chapter II

                                    

                                          
I have been working nonstop and I needed a break. Working as a maintenance manager in a shopping mall was something else. The tenants kept complaining and there was no such thing as amazing service to them. It was a great job and I loved it but gosh it drove me crazy sometimes. I was done for the day and decided to buy some clothes for my nuggets when someone called me. I turned to see Zahra. "Zahra?", "Nikki!", she was taller and more beautiful than I remember and it made me smile, she pulled me in a hug that almost crushed my bones. "Zahra I can't breathe", "Oh I'm sorry. I can't believe it's you, oh my god you have grown", she said inspecting me, making me laugh. I noticed people were looking at us. Yes, I was a quiet person. People tried to warm up to me but I was not in the mood for it, so seeing me all chatty with Zahra was definitely something. Let me make things easier for you;
I am a 5.1ft, 200lbs black woman in the middle of the clothing store being hugged by a 5.6ft, size 10, Arabic woman, do you get the logic? It's crazy, I know. 
"So how have you been and why are you on the kid's isle?", "Well, that is because I have kids", I said shrugging my shoulders. Her eyes went huge like saucers. "You have kids? I want to know all about it, let's go for dinner", she said pulling to the counter. We both paid for our stuff despite her attempt of trying to pay for my stuff too. "Zahra I can't have dinner with you, my nanny leaves in an hour, and I have to go", "Well that is not a problem, let's get take away then, we go to your place because I'm not letting you go without giving me an explanation", she said as we walked in one of the fast food places. I didn't have a car so we took hers, a white Range Rover with white seat covers, so her. I gave her the directions to my apartment building and I knew, I was going to be the talk of the whole block. I saw her eyeing me like, was I sure I was living there but she didn't ask. She helped me with my stuff and we went to my apartment. 
"Hi minions, I'm home!", I shouted as we entered and got screams in return, they ran to me and I saw how Zahra was still in shock, no doubt processing what she was seeing. After putting the stuff away, I called my kids to introduce them to Zahra. "So these are my nuggets, Natalia and Nathan. Kids this is Aunt Zahra. Say hello". I said making them grin with teeth missing and all, they said hello to Zahra who pulled them in a hug and I was suddenly forgotten so I went to the kitchen to put the food on the plates. 
"Nikki, I'm off, see you tomorrow", Clare said as she put on her shoes. She was the best nanny in the world. "Ok Clare, have a good night", I replied. When I returned to the living room the kids were showing Zahra their homework walking her through it like they knew her for ages. "This is amazing", she said encouraging them. It made me smile. I placed the kid's plates on the table, telling them to wash their hands. "Your kids are amazing Nikki. So who is the lucky guy?", she asked and I felt like my chest was torn in half. "He uh... he is not in the picture", I said sitting on the chair that was in my kitchen. "What do you mean?", she asked sitting right next to me. I couldn't stop the tears, I hadn't spoken about him in a long time. 
The memories of the day my parents chased me out of the house because I got pregnant before getting married and his disappearing came back in a flash. "He just vanished and I have been doing this on my own for the past four years", I said feeling something choking me, she just hugged me. "I'm so sorry Nikki. I wish I was there for you, you know I would have helped you if I knew", "So that your mother can say I am friends with you because of your money? I can't go down that road Zahra... not again", I said trying my hardest not to remember how her mother treated me. She said mean things to me when I walked away from her son but remained friends with Zahra and Amira. She said she was able to block me from the Qadir fortune but I was too greedy that I had to hang onto her daughters so that I could get money from them. She said I was worthless, even though she knew that my family was rich, but apparently not as rich as they were and it was true. 
"Oh Nikki, we're not kids anymore. She does not control us. Things have changed Nikki. Look, I want you to know that I'm here for you. If you need anything, I am here for you and I will give it to you ok? You are my friend and I will never let you suffer while I can do something about it ok?", she said with so much honesty. The same as she did when we were young. It was one of the reasons we became friends. She was different from her mother in so many ways. "Mama, I want more", Natalia shouted from the living room. I stood up and went to add more food to her plate. I saw Zahra looking at Nathan, he was struggling to hold a fork. "He has mild autism, we are doing therapy for him", I said biting the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from crying. I just met her and I couldn't help but reveal everything to her. Yes, I was a single mother of twins and one of my kids has autism. It was costing me everything just to keep things afloat and I was not going to give up. "Well I am married to an annoying human being called Aziz", she said showing me pictures of her husband. He looked as cheerful as she was and it made me happy to see that she found love. She gave me a plate and we ate standing. We fell into a comfortable silence. 
After helping me with the kid's bath, we exchanged numbers and she promised, she would be in touch.