Hakim said he would meet her, when she realized the last thing she had thrown into her bag, out of habit rather than as a considered choice.
And suddenly it hit her. What she was giving up.
Anita sat down hard on top of the chest at the foot of her bed. What was she doing? She’d been so angry at Fadi for the whole day. She’d thought him a liar. She’d thought he’d taken so much from her.
But he’d also given her so much. When, she asked herself, had he ever shown any indication that he didn’t want what was best for her? When had he ever done anything to stop her from living the best life he could give her?
She didn’t think of him as the man who had adopted her. He was her father. He had always been her father, and he always would be. Even if she left tonight, with Hakim, Fadi wouldn’t stop being the man who had danced with her before sending her off to prom, and who had given her princess dresses to dress up in when she was—
Anita froze. The memory was there of her when she was young, swimming in seas of jeweled fabrics. At the time she hadn’t thought anything of the fact that Fadi could somehow afford to buy her fancy dresses to play with, even though they were struggling just to survive, but now she was beginning to piece it together.
She got off of the chest she was sitting on and turned to face it. She got down on her knees and opened it slowly, almost as if she was afraid of what she might find in there.
When she’d grown up a little, and had been trying to make more space in her room, Anita had wanted to throw away her old dress-up clothes. Fadi had refused, telling her that one day she would understand why. Today, it seemed, was that day.
There, in the chest, Anita saw dresses she now realized had once belonged to her mother. Picking up the dress on top of the stack, she ran her fingers over the jeweled embroidery—Anita had always assumed it was just costume jewelry, but looking at it now, she realized the truth.
There had been times growing up when money had been tight. Selling these jewels would have made their lives easier. But Fadi had never done it. He had held onto them, and kept them for her.
She still didn’t understand why he hadn’t told her about her family beforehand, but she knew now that it had meant a great deal to him to keep her parents close to her, whether through her father’s ring, or her mother’s dresses. She knew then, as she had always known, that Fadi had put her first.
She held the dress close to her chest. In the end, wasn’t that what family was? And could she really give that up?
That simple question opened the gateway to a thousand others. She’d been in a haze, so swept up in the excitement of the moment and the sheer romance of running away with Hakim that she hadn’t let herself consider it all properly.
But she thought now of Hakim’s world. Everything had been easy for him. She’d caught a glimpse of it. The way he never had to struggle with the most basic of things allowed him to focus on bigger projects. The passion he showed for his work… the way he cared about it…
It wasn’t just that he would be giving away a greater fortune to be with her. It wasn’t just that he would be giving away a royal reputation, or palaces. If he ran away with her, he would be giving away his purpose. And whether he realized it now or not, she knew that would destroy him. Anita had only known him for a short time, but already she knew him well enough to know that.
She tried to slow her mind down. She didn’t want to think what she was about to think. She didn’t want to go down that road. She wanted, with everything in her, to be who she had been only a few minutes before. She wanted to be wild, excited and free.
But time doesn’t go backwards. And she couldn’t un-think what she had just thought.
She took her phone out from her pocket. It felt so heavy in her hand. She turned
And suddenly it hit her. What she was giving up.
Anita sat down hard on top of the chest at the foot of her bed. What was she doing? She’d been so angry at Fadi for the whole day. She’d thought him a liar. She’d thought he’d taken so much from her.
But he’d also given her so much. When, she asked herself, had he ever shown any indication that he didn’t want what was best for her? When had he ever done anything to stop her from living the best life he could give her?
She didn’t think of him as the man who had adopted her. He was her father. He had always been her father, and he always would be. Even if she left tonight, with Hakim, Fadi wouldn’t stop being the man who had danced with her before sending her off to prom, and who had given her princess dresses to dress up in when she was—
Anita froze. The memory was there of her when she was young, swimming in seas of jeweled fabrics. At the time she hadn’t thought anything of the fact that Fadi could somehow afford to buy her fancy dresses to play with, even though they were struggling just to survive, but now she was beginning to piece it together.
She got off of the chest she was sitting on and turned to face it. She got down on her knees and opened it slowly, almost as if she was afraid of what she might find in there.
When she’d grown up a little, and had been trying to make more space in her room, Anita had wanted to throw away her old dress-up clothes. Fadi had refused, telling her that one day she would understand why. Today, it seemed, was that day.
There, in the chest, Anita saw dresses she now realized had once belonged to her mother. Picking up the dress on top of the stack, she ran her fingers over the jeweled embroidery—Anita had always assumed it was just costume jewelry, but looking at it now, she realized the truth.
There had been times growing up when money had been tight. Selling these jewels would have made their lives easier. But Fadi had never done it. He had held onto them, and kept them for her.
She still didn’t understand why he hadn’t told her about her family beforehand, but she knew now that it had meant a great deal to him to keep her parents close to her, whether through her father’s ring, or her mother’s dresses. She knew then, as she had always known, that Fadi had put her first.
She held the dress close to her chest. In the end, wasn’t that what family was? And could she really give that up?
That simple question opened the gateway to a thousand others. She’d been in a haze, so swept up in the excitement of the moment and the sheer romance of running away with Hakim that she hadn’t let herself consider it all properly.
But she thought now of Hakim’s world. Everything had been easy for him. She’d caught a glimpse of it. The way he never had to struggle with the most basic of things allowed him to focus on bigger projects. The passion he showed for his work… the way he cared about it…
It wasn’t just that he would be giving away a greater fortune to be with her. It wasn’t just that he would be giving away a royal reputation, or palaces. If he ran away with her, he would be giving away his purpose. And whether he realized it now or not, she knew that would destroy him. Anita had only known him for a short time, but already she knew him well enough to know that.
She tried to slow her mind down. She didn’t want to think what she was about to think. She didn’t want to go down that road. She wanted, with everything in her, to be who she had been only a few minutes before. She wanted to be wild, excited and free.
But time doesn’t go backwards. And she couldn’t un-think what she had just thought.
She took her phone out from her pocket. It felt so heavy in her hand. She turned
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