It was approaching midnight when Misaki's family left Ahmed's apartment, after a warm evening concluded with sincere smiles and words of thanks. Ahmed stood at the door waving to them until they disappeared down the hallway, then slowly closed the door, as if closing on a day that would linger in his memory for a long time.
The place settled down after everyone had left, and nothing remained but the lingering scent of Yemeni coffee in the air, and the faint sound of Misaki's steps as she helped him arrange the dishes. They exchanged a silent look, where words were unnecessary; her eyes spoke what her lips could not utter. Then he bid her farewell with a quiet smile, promising to meet her tomorrow as usual.
When he returned to his room, he threw himself onto the bed, feeling a strange relaxation spread through his limbs. Fatigue weighed down his eyelids, but his inner self was light as a breeze passing over a reassured heart. He closed his eyes, and Misaki's image passed before him—her laughter, her confusion, and her faint confession that still echoed in his ears as if she had said it just now.
For the first time in a long time, Ahmed felt that his life was heading in the right direction, and that everything that had happened—from moments of fear, distance, and confusion—was leading him to this very moment. He breathed deeply and slowly surrendered to sleep, while the moonlight crept through the window and gently touched his face as if the night itself was smiling at him.
His heart was reassured... warm... and full of love.