Chapter 73

*

Afrah would make a good mother. Everyone said so. None more than Adnan, who keep looking at her with a moist expression of warmth in his eyes each time he saw her. He'd changed since she told him about the pregnancy. He was more attentive than ever before, which came as a surprise seeing as how she couldn't imagine him paying any more attention to her than he usually did. He became more quiet, walking almost in tiptoes so he wouldn't disturb her.

"What do we name her?" he asked one day while massaging her feet. Afrah's hand was resting on her slightly protruding belly, a distant look in her eyes until Adnan had spoken.

"How are you so sure it'll be a girl?" Her smile came easily, as it always did whenever she discussed the baby.

"I know it's a girl, Afrah," he said. "I just do."

"Well then, if it's a girl, I want to name her Hafsah," she said. "And if it's a boy, we name him Aliyu."

"You've given this much thought, haven't you?" he asked with a chuckle.

"It's all I've done these