Epilogue
Laurel had to admit that her entire family was taking well to the Bahamas. The lush tropical air was soothing, and though there was a part of her that longed for home in Shajae, she had to admit that it was an interesting change from the dry desert wind.
Ben, now at the age of fourteen, was brown from spending his days exploring the beaches, but had finally declared that he was ready to spend the evening eating with his family. He even came in to help Laurel and Bassam set dinner on the patio table without being asked, and as he went by, he winked at his mother.
“Lots of fun, huh, Mom?”
She had to agree. The last four years or so had raced by, and at the moment, she was certain the next four would as well. Having three toddlers just on the verge of turning three had a way of making you forget all about the passage of time. Some days, it felt as if she was hopping from dawn until dusk, and when you threw in the writing she did and the governance that Bassam took part in, it could be very busy indeed.
Last year, they had moved from the penthouse to a gorgeous old townhouse in the middle of one of the older districts in Shajae. It had plenty of room, and the addition of an office for her and another for Bassam had made it a simple choice. It wasn't long after they moved that she had found herself writing another article on the refugees, and after some thought, a book was born.
Now that book, which she was beginning to think of as a fifth baby, was coming out, and Bassam had decided that he was sick of waiting. He had come in one day, telling her and Ben to get packed as he took care of the toddlers; they were going on a vacation.
Less than twenty-four hours later, they were on the beach, and Laurel had to marvel at the efficiency of the man she had married.
Of course, the children were delighted. Ben was eager to see more of the world, even if he was having a good time at the school that they had found for him, one that was taught in Arabic, English and French. He was challenged and engaged, but privately, Laurel thought that there would always be a part of her oldest son that was shaped by their early years together. He would always have an urge to roam, but she sincerely hoped that he would have a better time figuring out where home was than she had.
Of course, then there were her babies.
Well, not really babies any longer. In Hungary, she had been surprised at how far along she was, how heavy she had felt. As it turned out, it was not one baby that was older than she had expected, it was three little ones, and after she had gotten over the shock, Bassam had nearly shouted with joy.
“Three is good,” he murmured to her that night. “Three is lucky.”
When she thought about it, Laurel supposed that they had been. They were three perfect children, ushering in the most wonderful, loving times in her life. Now they scampered all over the patio, chasing each other and shrieking with delight.
There was Azhaire, bright as lightning and just as quick. He dashed from pillar to post, never looking where he was going. He already had a good scar on his knee from smashing into the stairs at home, and privately, neither Bassam nor Laurel thought it would be his last. His black hair curled slightly like Laurel's did, and his eyes were her own crystal blue.
Chasing right behind him was Jaide, the only girl. Her dark hair was shot through with chestnut like her mother and oldest brother's, and right now she wore a frown of such dedicated concentration that Laurel longed to scoop her up and kiss it away. She was perhaps the most determined of the three, a trait that Laurel thought privately would be very useful in her world.
Watching over his siblings and only occasionally joining in the game was Kamil. Kamil spoke sooner than either of his siblings, and there was a seriousness to him that sometimes made both Laurel and Bassam wonder. There was a kind of peace that he had that had been evident even as an infant, and sometimes, looking into his eyes, Laurel wondered where his soul had come from, and where it was going.
They only needed to be called a few times until they were ready to put their game away and come to dinner, but when they did, the entire brood, Ben included, was starving. They waited a moment for politeness's sake, and then when they dove into the food, Laurel had to laugh. She was just going to try to restrain them and get them to eat with more polite manners when Bassam took her hand under the table.
Bassam...
They had learned to say so much over the last few years, all without ever saying a word. Now she could read the message in his eyes loud and clear.
I need you. I love you. I am so happy that this is our forever.
Laurel squeezed his hand, and she knew that this was forever. This was home, and it belonged to all of them.
THE END
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