"Hey, Nora!" Sara smiled brightly into the video call, her voice soft and cheerful.
Nora's glare appeared immediately on the screen.
Sara blinked innocently. "What happened to my bestie?"
"Don't you dare call me that," Nora snapped, crossing her arms.
Sara pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry, babe… please forgive me," she said, mimicking Nora's tone perfectly.
Nora's lips twitched despite herself, fighting back a smile.
Sara grinned. "Zayn missed you, Nora," she said softly.
Nora's glare melted into a sigh before the frustration came rushing back. "Where the hell did you disappear to, huh? No proper response to my messages and not even a single call. Where are you? And that crazy boyfriend of yours, who the fuck was that, Sara? Why the fuck did you fucked with him? That nasty, psycho—"
Sara chuckled, unable to hide her amusement. "What happened, Nora?"
"What happened?" Nora repeated, exasperated. "That fucking boyfriend of yours showed up at my door with a bunch of big ass, scary men and threatened me to tell him where you disappeared! Who the fuck does he think he is, a Mafia boss? Such an asshole!"
Sara bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "He did that? Oh my god… Did you tell him where I was?"
Nora gave her a deadpan look. "What the hell was I supposed to do? He was literally breathing down my neck! And those scary men, ugh! They kept me locked in my own house for a whole fucking day! I swear, Sara, if I ever see that asshole again, I'll kill him with my bare hands. Mark my words!"
Sara's laugh escaped before she could hold it in.
"Are you talking about me, ma'am?"
The deep voice came from beside Sara.
Kairo leaned into the frame, holding Zayn in his arms, looking unbothered and handsome as ever.
Nora froze. Her heart skipped a beat. Then, thud!, her phone slipped right out of her hand and hit the floor.
Sara burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Nora fumbled to pick up the phone, her eyes wide. "What the hell are you doing with him, Sara?!"
Sara was laughing so hard she could barely speak.
"I'm her husband, Miss Nora," Kairo said calmly, his tone polite, almost too polite.
Nora's jaw dropped. "What the fuck… What on earth, Sara..., did he force you? Tell me right now, babe, I'll call the police!" she said in one breath, panicking.
Sara was now clutching her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.
"Stop laughing, you witch! What's going on?!" Nora yelled, half-worried, half-annoyed.
Finally calming down, Sara wiped her tears and said between chuckles, "I'm sorry, Nora. Actually… a lot happened since that day. And I couldn't contact you. We got married, and everything just happened so fast… but yeah, now we're fine."
Kairo nodded beside her, his expression innocent, like he hadn't once terrified Nora into confession.
Nora glared at him through the screen. "You sure he isn't an asshole anymore?"
Sara laughed. "He still is. Even bigger one."
Kairo turned to her with a mock glare. "Excuse me? I'm the father of your child. And you, madam," he pointed at the screen, "I was respectful to you. I just wanted to find my wife and needed your cooperation!" he said, sounding like an offended child.
"Whatever, mister. You still threatened me, and that's a crime," Nora shot back.
"Zayn," Kairo said dramatically, "tell your aunt to shut her mouth and not speak nonsense."
Zayn, sitting in his father's lap, instantly put his tiny finger on his lips. "Shhh, Aunty," he said seriously.
Sara exploded in laughter again while Nora gasped. "Zayn! My baby! How could you betray me? I was the only one who loved you the most in this world! Did you forget all the toys I got you?"
Zayn blinked, then pointed proudly at Kairo. "He got me new toys."
Sara nearly fell over laughing.
Nora's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Unbelievable. You're all corrupted," she said dramatically, crossing her arms.
Kairo chuckled and kissed Zayn's little head. "See? He's my boy. My baby."
Sara sat up, still laughing. "Baby, you shouldn't say that to your aunt. Remember, she brought you toys when this man wasn't around," she reminded him teasingly.
Zayn looked at the screen with a sweet face. "Sorry, Aunty."
Nora melted instantly. "Aww, that's okay, my baby. I missed you so much. I love you."
"Miss you too. Zayn loves you too," he said, blowing a flying kiss toward the screen.
Kairo and Sara both smiled at the sight, that pure, innocent moment filling the room with warmth.
Nora chuckled, shaking her head, unable to stay angry anymore.
The three of them chatted for a while, laughter echoing through the call, Nora teasing, Kairo defending himself with fake pride, and Sara laughing through it all. Zayn kept popping into the camera with his tiny voice and excited words, showing his new toys and gifts, which Kairo brought him.
For the first time in a long while, the house felt alive again. And watching Sara laugh like that, Kairo's heart quietly eased, knowing he'd finally brought that smile back home.
The video call ended with laughter still echoing in the room. Sara was still giggling as she placed her phone down.
Kairo watched her, his heart full. That laugh, that light in her eyes, had been missing for so long.
Zayn ran around the living room holding his toy airplane. "Look, Mumma! Plane go zoooom!" he shouted, making circles in the air.
Sara was sitting on the couch, hair loose, still glowing faintly from laughter, and their little boy spinning around the room. Kairo chuckled, resting his chin on his palm, admiring the sight.
It was domestic peace, rare, fragile, but real.
Sara looked at Zayn and smiled softly. "Okay, Captain, time to land your plane before it crashes into the sofa."
Zayn giggled and dove onto the cushions dramatically, making a loud "boom!" sound before rolling into her lap.
Sara laughed, tickling his sides as he squealed. Kairo's heart ached from the sheer gentleness of the moment.
He got up, walked over, and knelt beside them. Sara turned, their eyes meeting, a fleeting pause, something unspoken flickering there.
Kairo reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek. "It's nice to see you smiling again," he said quietly.
Sara blinked, her smile faltering into something softer, clearing her throat. "It's because of Zayn," she said, not meeting his gaze.
He sat beside her quietly, not too close, but close enough that their shoulders brushed. Silence stretched, but not uncomfortably this time.
Sara leaned her head back on the couch, closing her eyes, exhaling softly. Kairo turned slightly, his gaze tracing the curve of her jaw, the way her lashes rested when she blinked slowly.
"Don't look at me like that," she murmured, eyes still closed.
"How am I looking at you?" he asked, his voice low, teasing yet soft.
"Like you're thinking something dirty," she said, opening her eyes slightly, meeting his gaze.
He smiled faintly. "Maybe I am."
She raised an eyebrow. "You really shouldn't right now."
"I said maybe, not definitely."
She turned her head slightly, their faces inches apart. For a moment, her breath hitched, that pull between them still strong, still dangerous in its tenderness.
But instead of kissing her, he leaned back with a small sigh and said softly, "You should rest."
Her chest tightened. He wasn't pushing anymore, wasn't crossing lines. That restraint, that patience, spoke louder than any apology.
"Goodnight, Sara." He smiled, brushing her hand briefly with his thumb.
She nodded faintly. "Goodnight."
She picked Zayn up in her arms, walked to the bedroom, and he stayed there for a moment, staring at the faint reflection of her figure disappearing into the room.
His heart whispered the same words he'd been repeating for days now, I'll earn her back. Slowly. Gently. This time, right.