NURSING AND NAMING

                                    

                                          
Ahmad sat cross-legged on the hospital sofa, his arms folded across his chest as he watched his younger brother Aalim stare at the baby in their mother’s arms with unblinking fascination. Fatima, weak but glowing, couldn’t help but notice the affection in her son’s eyes as he gazed at the newborn.
Fatima's curiosity peaked as she glanced at Sumayya, who was still cradling the baby girl in her arms. With a small, knowing smile, she turned to her friend.
"Sumayya, law samahti, hawli al-tifl ilayh. Lakinn ed'ameeh tahta dhira'aihi, laqad yaf'al laha suqootan." (Sumayya, please hand the baby to him. But support her under his arms; he might drop her.) She said this softly, her voice warm with maternal tenderness.
Sumayya raised her brows slightly but nodded. She looked at Aalim, who had already begun bouncing in his seat, eager to hold the baby. The excitement radiated off him, as if he understood what was coming. 
Slowly, Sumayya lowered herself in front of the boy, her flare jeans brushing the cold tile floor as she carefully placed the sleeping baby girl into his waiting arms. She kept her palms under his small, trembling arms to help support the baby’s weight.
Aalim’s face softened as he gazed down at her. He held her awkwardly, but there was a gentleness to the way he observed every detail of her face.
"Ya ummi, hal tara kayfa jamila hiyya?" (Mother, do you see how beautiful she is?) he said, his wide eyes never leaving the baby’s tiny face.
Fatima smiled from her bed. "Ajal, hiyya jameela jiddan." (Yes, she is very beautiful.)
Aalim beamed even more. Gently, he bent forward and kissed the baby’s forehead, his long curls falling over his face as he did so. The baby stirred slightly in his arms, her tiny hand reaching up to grab one of his curls. Aalim’s smile widened as her little fingers clutched the strand tightly.
Watching the scene unfold, Ahmad couldn’t help but stare. A part of him felt left out as his younger brother and the baby interacted so naturally. But even he couldn’t deny that the baby girl was beautiful. Her skin was a soft, pinkish hue, and her eyes blinked open for the briefest of moments. It almost seemed as if she smiled at him before letting out an ear-piercing cry.
Sumayya acted quickly, taking the baby back into her arms and handing her to Fatima, who immediately began nursing her. Aalim shot a sharp glare at Ahmad, as if blaming him for making the baby cry. Ahmad threw his hands up defensively.
Aalim turned back to the baby in his mother’s arms, his protectiveness already clear. He refused to let Ahmad hold her again.
---
Later, Aalim played by the cot, talking to the baby in Arabic while Ahmad sat nearby, watching silently. 
Sumayya and Fatima sipped tea as they observed the interaction between the two boys and the baby.