Fractured Vows

NOORA

I wasn't sure why I was nervous, but I could feel my fingers trembling as I knocked on Manal's door. It wasn't like we were best friends or anything. In fact, we had only hung out a few times, and mostly we just talked over the phone when we had a chance. But I liked her. She was kind and a little soft-spoken, and it helped that her husband was Fawaz's best friend. That was why I was here. I had asked Manal to talk to Rayan for me about Fawaz, but instead, she had invited me over. Now, standing outside her house, I wasn't sure if that had been a good idea.

The door opened, and I was met with a wave of giggles and chatter. Manal was standing there, a wide smile on her face. She invited me in and led me to the living room filled with several women, all of them seated around the living room like they were having some kind of tea party.

"Noora! Come in, please," Manal said, ushering me inside.

I stepped in, my eyes sweeping over the room. The women all turned to look at me, their gazes curious. I recognized a couple of them, but the others were strangers.

"Hello," I said, my voice a little tight.

Manal gestured to the group. "These are my sisters-in-law, Kausar, Laila, Nadira, and Asma," she said, pointing to each woman as she named them. "This is Noora."

I forced a smile and greeted them politely, exchanging a few pleasantries. I could feel their eyes on me, and I wondered if they knew why I was here. Probably. News about Fawaz and me wasn't exactly a secret anymore.

After a few minutes of small talk, the women excused themselves, heading to the kitchen. Manal gestured for me to sit down on the couch, and I did, grateful for the momentary break in attention.

"Would you like something to drink? Or maybe some snacks?" Manal offered, her voice warm and welcoming.

"Water would be nice, thank you," I replied, trying to relax into the cushions.

As she disappeared into the kitchen, I let out a quiet breath, scanning the room. It was cozy, filled with warm colors and soft lighting. Very much like how I imagined Manal's personality would be reflected in her home. I could hear her talking with the women in the kitchen, the sound of their laughter trickling into the room.

After a few minutes, Manal returned with a tray of Water and snacks, setting it down in front of me. "I'll go get Rayan," she said softly. "Make yourself comfortable."

She left me alone again, and I took a small sip of the water, the coldness of it soothing my nerves. This was going to be strange. I had never really had a proper conversation with Rayan before, not beyond the casual greetings exchanged when Fawaz and I attended events together. But I needed this. I needed to understand Fawaz better, and Rayan was probably the closest person to him.

When Manal returned with Rayan, he looked... surprised to see me, which wasn't unexpected. He had probably heard enough from Fawaz to know that our marriage was far from smooth. I could feel a small flicker of fear at the thought of how he might judge me. What if he was harsh? What if he refused to help?

But when he gave me a polite smile and sat down next to Manal, some of that fear eased.

Manal glanced between us before she stood. "I'll leave you two to talk. I'll be upstairs if you need anything."

With that, she disappeared, leaving Rayan and me sitting across from each other in the suddenly too-quiet room. He cleared his throat, looking slightly awkward before finally speaking.

"So," he began, his voice neutral, "how are you?"

"I'm okay," I replied, though it felt like a half-truth. "How are you?"