Rayyan spoke as if he was being forced. He stood up, and before he could make any move, Haris lifted the curtain of the room and greeted. His eyes fixed on Bilal because he knew that even if Rayyan spoke directly to someone, it did not mean the person would answer him.

“Are you done? It’s late already,” Haris said.

Bilal nodded at him.

“I was just about to call you.”

Rayyan, however, was looking at Haris. In a voice that came from deep in his throat, he said,

“Hamma…”

Both Haris and Bilal looked at him in surprise.

“What about Layla?”

He asked, his voice still heavy, as if the words were difficult to say.

“She’s not well. She didn’t even go to school. She’s been vomiting since last night, and they had to take her to the hospital with—”

From the moment Haris said “she’s not well,” Rayyan’s mind stopped processing the rest. The words no longer entered his brain. Whatever Haris was saying only reached his ears faintly. As soon as he began to walk, he passed Haris at the doorway, cutting off his speech. He slipped on his shoes and left.

In all his life, Rayyan could not remember the last day he stepped into Mami’s section of the house. Even when he wanted to call Layla, he remained at the door and shouted her name. If she was not around, Mami would come out or send someone to say she was not around. If Layla herself came out to speak, he would simply turn and leave. It was as though she understood and helped him by sparing him the burden of talking to her. Even if they crossed paths fifty times, he would shift aside and pass. He never even looked at her face, let alone greet her.

Among Ayya’s children, only Khalifa and Bilal regularly greeted Layla. The rest greeted only when they felt like it. If she greeted them first, they responded, and none of them ever disrespected her. But she noticed that it wasn’t only her—Rayyan ignored everyone, which is why she never took it personally.

But today, without thinking, he entered the room calling,

“Layla…”

Mami, who was in the kitchen washing dishes, felt her heart drop. Today, it felt as if Rayyan spoke inside her room. She quickly withdrew her hands from the water and came out. She found him standing there—today, his eyes were actually upon her face.

“Mami, where is Layla?”

He asked, increasing her surprise. Before she could even respond:

“She’s in her room.”

Today she felt like she was witnessing a miracle. She had never heard Layla’s name on his lips before. She could not even remember the last time he looked at her and spoke. Yet today, Rayyan himself had entered her room. Truly, this was something extraordinary.

He had already started walking, thinking that he did not even know where Layla’s room was. He turned back. Mami, understanding his unspoken question, raised her hand and pointed. He said nothing and headed for the room.

“Allah, You know best…”

Mami murmured softly as she returned to the kitchen to finish her chores.

Rayyan reached the door and knocked.

“Layla!”

He called out.