“What? This isn’t arm’s length! I brought him here to meet you, didn’t I?”
Amira just shrugged. “You admit you’re both keeping secrets. My question is, why is that okay for you?”
She bit her lip. Objectively, Reena hated secrets, and in theory, yeah, it would be better if they were honest. But what could she do? They’d agreed to no strings and no past. Eventually, if this continued, Reena had every intention of letting him know about her insecurities and about her past depression. But for now, she just honestly didn’t want to talk about it. And if he also had parts of his life he wanted to keep private, that was okay, too. She absently turned away from her friend, focusing on a shelf near the fireplace. A framed picture of a multihued sunset caught her eye. Amira, walking on the riverbank, with shades of orange, purple, and red framing her long, wavy hair.
“Duncan has a thing for sunsets.” Amira smiled, noticing Reena’s focus. “I didn’t know that until we moved here.”
“You two looked so cute sitting out there watching it.”
The contented smile stayed on Amira’s face as she glanced toward the porch. “I’ve never felt like this. Duncan and I have a lot of complications, too. I mean, now we have a mortgage, and he has two jobs, and I’m still dealing with sexist crap at work. Plus, his racist relatives hate that he’s with a loudmouthed Muslim activist, and my Muslim extended family judges me for shacking up with a heathen without being married. But at the end of the day, we just sit out there and watch the sun for hours.” She stood, silent for a moment, before walking over and picking up the picture. “I didn’t know it could be like this. When all that noise quiets, it’s breathtaking. So painfully honest. I’m going to be with him for the rest of my life. I know it.”
A small tickle started behind Reena’s eyes. A beautiful sentiment, especially from her once cynical friend. She didn’t know if she had ever felt that strong a connection with anyone, let alone Nadim. And although she was happy Amira found it, a small part of her couldn’t help but be sad that Amira’s happiness took her away from Reena. She wouldn’t be Amira’s best friend anymore, not when Amira had a soul mate now.
She inhaled, straining to stop the torrent of emotions that threatened to pull her out of the warm comfort she’d been wrapped in all day. “Sunsets are fine and all, but how about we go out there and look at the stars? Without the city lights there must be millions visible.”
Amira smiled. “Yes, night skies here are spectacular.”
Amira and Reena were still sitting on the porch sofa with Reena’s head on Amira’s shoulder and a large blanket over them when Duncan and Nadim returned.
“Wow, look at that,” Duncan said with a grin. “They look like the Golden Girls after they ate the whole cheesecake.”
Amira laughed as she scooted over to let Duncan sit next to her. Reena did the same for Nadim, who immediately took her hand. “Well, you know,” Amira said, “Reena and I were supposed to grow old together, so in about forty years I’ll be kicking your sorry ass out so she can move in.”
Duncan chuckled. “Fair enough. Nadim here now understands the basics of Canadian football, so at least I won’t be lonely.”
Nadim squeezed Reena’s hand before lifting it to kiss her fingertips. Why couldn’t she just enjoy this? She leaned into him, kissing his cheek before resting her head on his arm, watching thousands of stars light up the dark night.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Doug and Shirley Galahad lived in a redbrick farmhouse on the outskirts of the tiny town of Omemee, Ontario, about fifteen minutes away from Amira and Duncan’s place. Reena smiled at the scenery unfolding before her.
The brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds of the wooded area behind the old Victorian house, and the pale straw color of the neighboring farmer’s fields combined with the azure sky would look frickin’ awesome in their video. Shooting it here was the best idea she’d had in months.
Nadim whistled as he got out of the truck. “Bloody hell, this place is really picturesque. You grew up here?” he asked Duncan.
“Nah. We had a house in Omemee proper back then. They bought this place when my brother and I moved out.”
The house was small, but cozy. With worn-wood floors and tall baseboards, it was steeped in the quaint country charm that felt so foreign to Reena but still as comforting as warm bread pudding.
“There you are, kids!” A short, plump woman with frizzy red hair and a wide smile greeted them in the kitchen. “I thought you were coming early?”
Duncan kissed his mother on the cheek. “Itisearly, Ma. It’s nine o’clock.”
“That’s not early. I was up at seven to walk the dog. And the princesses were bleating and hopping all morning. Exhausting.” Shirley reached up and patted Duncan’s shoulder before hugging Amira, then Reena. She looked to Nadim. “Welcome to our home. I’m Shirley Galahad.”
“I’m Nadim. Thank you for letting us film here. I’m sure the scenery will be amazing.”
“Oh!” Shirley said. “You have an accent! Are you from England?”
“Tanzania originally, but I went to school in the UK.”
“You and Reena have such a fascinating background. You know, we were in Turkey recently, and there was a mosque—”
“Ma, give ’em a minute to get in the door before bringing out the vacation pictures. Where’s Dad?”
“In the barn, feeding the princesses,” she told Duncan. “I’ll put another pot of coffee on. Make yourselves at home.” She smiled as she headed back into the kitchen.
“Princesses?” Nadim questioned as they made their way back outside.
