As soon as the doorbell rang, Manal ran towards the door and as anticipated, Aisha was standing outside the door with her daughter, Khadijah. Manal threw her arms around her, trapping her in a hug.

"As salamu Alaykum, dear." Aisha smiled, caressing her cheek lightly.

"Wa alaykum salam," Manal smiled back and turned to Khadijah. "You promised to visit sooner the last time we went to your house, why didn't you. I missed you."

"It's mummy's fault, she didn't allow me," Khadijah said, looking elsewhere, but her mum's direction.

Aisha chuckled at her kid's naughtiness. "Come on, kids, let's go in. Your ummi is around, right?"

"Yes. She's in the kitchen." Manal replied.

Maryam heard voices from the living room. Perhaps Aisha and her daughter were already in the house - she thought and quickly walk out to see for herself. Seeing Aisha and Khadijah already seated on the couch, made her smile. She went closer to them and hugged Khadijah. "As salamu Alyakum, Aisha." She greeted,  extending her hand for a handshake.

"Wa alaikum salam," Aisha replied smiling.

"How are you, Khadijah? How's school?" Maryam asked.

"I'm fine, school is fine also. Yesterday I got five stars in my-"

"Yeah, yeah we know." Aisha said, cutting her off. She knew just how her daughter was. She would go on and on about everything that happened in school yesterday - she was a talkative, unlike Manal.

"Allow the kid talk." Maryam chuckled.

"Believe me, you'd be literally begging me to shut her up once she starts." Aisha chuckled also.

Khadijah's face scrunched up in sadness. She really wanted to tell Maryam all about her drawings and more. 

"That's not true," Maryam denied, making Khadijah as well as Aisha smile. "Nafisa! Nafisa!!" She shouted.

Within a minute or so, Nafisa hurried down. "Ma?"

Maryam looked at her in disbelief. She wondered if she didn't see the guests in the living room and why she wasn't greeting them? "Can't you see we have guests?"

"I... I didn't. I was-"

"It's okay, go into the kitchen and bring the food I prepared." She instructed.

Nafisa nodded and rushed to the kitchen to do as instructed. On getting to the kitchen, she let out an audible breath. "Can't you see we have guests?" She mimicked. "So because you have guests, I should be jumping like a frog?" She rolled her eyes and carried the food to them.

"Thank you." Maryam muttered.

Nafisa smiled, hypocritically before leaving for her room.

"Who is she?" Khadijah asked, Manal, referring to Nafisa.

Manal remained silent.

"She's the house help." Maryam answered for Manal.

"I don't like her!" Khadijah said with scrunched up face.

"Haven't I warned you to stop this behavior of yours?" Her mother asked.

"But she looks like-"

"Enough, Khadijah," Aisha sighed. "Manal?" She called. "Please go to your room with Khadijah and play."

"Okay..." Manal replied and headed to her room hand in hand with her friend.

• • •

Maryam and Aisha stayed behind in the living room, discussing about work and their children. One thing led to another and they ended up talking about Nafisa.

"That house help of yours seems rude." Aisha commented. Since the moment she laid her eyes on her, she didn't get any good vibes about her, but bad ones. She really thought it'd be better if Maryam had gotten a much other person to take care of her daughter instead.

"You've misjudged her. She really isn't that kind of a person. I think she really didn't see you... Otherwise, she would greeted you." Maryam defended, waving the topic away.

Aisha breathed. "You're just trying to excuse her behavior." Aisha stated. "That aside, when do you plan to tell your husband about your pregnancy?"

Sighing, Maryam spoke; "I don't really know yet."

"I'm sorry if you think I'm poke nosing in your affairs with your husband, but I think he really needs to know. If you don't tell him now and he finds out, I'm sire he'd be furious or eben think the baby isn't-" Aisha quickly cut herself off. "Please tell him soon."

"Alright, I will try to do that when he comes back today."

"That's better. How far along are you?"

"I don't know. I haven't checked yet, but I will do that as soon as possible."

"Alright. Please eat, the food is getting cold." Maryam smiled, serving some into her plate. She served some in another plate and was about to take it to Manal and Khadijah when she saw Nafisa. "Nafisa, please take this food to Manal and Khadijah."

Nafisa walked, sluggishly to her and collected the food without uttering a word. She pushed open the door and left the food on a stool. Manal and Khadijah were busy playing with Manal's Teddy bears. Nafisa was about to leave the room when Khadijah spoke. "Don't you know it's bad to enter a room without knocking or saying, salamualaikum?"

Nafisa stopped in her tracks and spun around, glaring at the little girl. She wanted to know who she was to speak to her in that manner. She resisted the urge to rush over to her and smack her head together with Manal's. For some reason, she believed Manal was behind the rude way Khadijah spoke to her. Foolish girl. Without a single word to them, she turned around again and left.

"I really don't like her," Khadijah voiced out.

"Me too. She's a bad person." Manal said, recalling how she always hit her.

"Why don't you tell your mummy to chase her away?" Khadijah suggested. If it had been her, she'd have made sure her mother fired Nafisa.

"She won't." Manal replied, sadly.

"Why? Is she related to your mum?"

"No, she isn't."

"Then why won't she chase her away?"

Manal shrugged.

"Then talk to your daddy Instead. Tell him you don't like her."

"Okay. Where is pretty? You promised to bring her here when next you come to visit." Manal reminded, referring to her barbie doll.

She chuckled. "I didn't forget to bring her. She's inside mummy's bag. Wait here, I will go and bring her." Khadijah said and ran downstairs.

"Why don't you eat a little?"

"No, I'm sure I will throw up afterwards."

"But you know you have to have something right? You're starving the poor baby inside your stomach and that's why I advise you to tell your husband soon. He will help you in so many ways.

Khadijah overhead her mother's conversation with Manal's. She gasped in astonishment. A broad smile appeared on her face. She couldn't wait to tell Manal the good news. She was certain her friend would be ecstatic. She made her presence known to the two women, by running towards her mother. " mummy my barbie doll."

Oblivious to the fact Khadijah heard their conversation, Aisha searched her bag for the doll and when she found it, she handed it to her daughter who collected it happily and ran back to Manal's room before Aisha could comprehend.

"Be careful." Aisha yelled and averted her attention to Maryam. "-Khadijah is really happy being here." Aisha smiled.

"Yeah, she is." Maryam agreed with a smile on her lips.

• • •

Khadijah ran into the room, with her heart palpitating violently due to the run.

"Where is pretty?" Manal asked, ignoring Khadijah who was still panting heavily.

"Here." She said, her breaths coming in short pants.

"Are you okay?" Manal asked, looking at her wearily.

"Yes, I'm just so happy. I'm sure you will be happier once you hear what I heard my mummy saying when I went to bring pretty." She giggled.

"What is it?" Manal asked, impatiently.

"Your mummy has a baby in her stomach. You're going to have a baby brother or sister soon." Khadijah announced, smiling brightly.

"Really?" Manal asked, happily.

"Yes, I even heard my mummy telling your mummy to tell your dad soon. That means, your dad doesn't know about it yet. You should be the one to tell him when he comes back." She suggested.

"Okay." Manal replied and the next minute, they resumed playing.