“I’m so glad you came!”
“Thank you for waiting until the pediatrician cleared us to travel with our boys.”
“Our happiness wouldn’t be complete without you here. After all, it’s because of you that all of this happened. If you hadn’t told me about the assistant job, I would never have met the love of my life.”
She looks at me thoughtfully. “Aren’t you sad that your mother didn’t want to come?”
“To be honest, no. You know what I’ve learned, Zoe? Some people evolve throughout life, while others choose to remain stagnant. We can’t change her decisions. If she were here, she’d probably say something unpleasant and ruin my big day. I think it’s better this way.”
“And there’s also the fact that your father can’t leave U.S. territory, right?”
“Yeah. The deal for him to await trial under house arrest required him to surrender his passport to the authorities. He’s even wearing an ankle monitor.”
“Sorry for bringing up that topic. It was thoughtless. I don’t want to spoil your day.”
I let it go. Thinking about my parents and how distant we’ve become still upsets me.
I hear voices coming from the hallway and smile.
God, his entire family is here!
Although I haven’t decided yet if and when I’ll convert, Kamal managed to obtain a special license to follow all the rituals, and from the beginning of the week, I’ve felt like a true princess from ‘One Thousand and One Nights.’
For days, a group of women accompanied me wherever I went, talking incessantly, discussing lingerie and wedding nights.
To spice up our debut as a married couple, a week ago, I forbade Kamal from touching me, driving my Sheikh crazy with desire.
I look at my hands adorned with henna designs. This ritual of painting, which I learned is called ‘senna,’ should only be performed by single women. So Kamal’s sisters, my mother-in-law, and Zoe kept me company while they turned my body into a work of art.
Finally, they all left, leaving me alone with my cousin.
“Your dress is beautiful. So exotic!”
Instead of the traditional one-piece garment, for the first dress—yes, I’ll have to change clothes at least one more time—I opted for a set consisting of a long skirt and a kind of dark red top, almost wine-colored, made of taffeta and sewn and embroidered with golden threads. The veil covering my hair follows the same pattern, but it’s transparent.
“I’m in love with it too. And between us, I could get used to all this pampering. I received massages and beauty treatments all week long.”
“You’re a princess. You can have whatever you want.”
“In theory, yes. But I don’t want to be a parasite. I’ve already talked to Kamal, and together with Amapola, I plan to start several social projects, especially for the women of our people.”
“Our people. Oh, how beautiful. Visiting Sintarah is almost like being in the Aladdin movie. I’m in love.”
I laugh at her incurable romanticism.
“The only thing I didn’t quite understand was why the wedding couldn’t be held at the Mosque.”
“I haven’t converted, and besides, here at the palace, it’s easier for the Sheikh’s security team to contain any threats.”
“We should go, my daughter,” Amapola says, smiling, standing at the door of my room. “It’s time to confirm your love before the world.”
Half an hour later, I hear the celebrant, one of the elders of the country, bestowing blessings upon us.
Kamal insisted on having a translator so I could understand what was being said, but the words don’t matter compared to what I see in my husband’s eyes when we are finally declared husband and wife.
Like me, Kamal seems to remember the path we’ve walked to get here.
The day I spilled coffee on him and ended up almost naked in front of the entire office in London. The fights, our separation. The reconciliations that always resulted in a love so intense that it borders on insanity.
