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OA didn’t picture himself sitting in a bar stool, past midnight, in the middle of the week, but here he was waiting for Maggie and Amira return from the lady’s room.
It has been a crazy day, crazier than he wished. To be honest the events from hours earlier where one of the scariest of his life. No one should experience a little sister being tied to a terrorist willing to explode 300 people over a cause, regardless if is a noble act or not. Sure he and Amira had their problems, and he wouldn’t mask the fact that he had been fulfilling his father’s shoes for the past ten years, but he couldn’t help, more than an obligation with his family it was a promise for his beloved father at his dying moment.
He knew he was tough on Amira, always pushing her to be better, to be stronger, mostly because he knows she can be more, knows she can be brilliant. Not that he didn’t think the same about his other two little sisters, but Amira was the oldest of them, the one in college, the one experiencing the adult life and the most susceptible to suffer under the evil hands of this world. Amira has the kind of heart that wants to protect and fight for everyone she knows. She’s capable of loving someone within minutes and is ready to defend anyone she thinks is worth fighting for. That’s the reason why OA finds himself, so often, trying to protect her, to make sure she is tough enough to defend herself.
Passing his finger through the rim of his glass of Scotch he was reliving the peace of knowing Amira was okay and that she, for the first time in 10 years, had made peace with him and his protectiveness. Having her in his arms after such a traumatic event was the stillness to the troubled and tormented sea of his heart.
A smile crossed his face as he remembered Maggie’s look at that moment of affection between him and his sister, how her face brightened up. It was her who proposed their mid-week happy hour and was the one who shared with him the despair of seeing a loved one in trouble. In less than two days she had grown closer to Amira in a way OA wasn’t capable of understanding. Suddenly Maggie wasn’t his partner anymore. To Amira, she had become a big sister, someone who she could talk and open herself. The proof of this was their ride from the office to the bar where the two girls were changing the subjects of their conversation so fast that OA couldn’t keep up with.
He was glad that friendship had begun, Amira needed some adult reference, someone to teach her to be strong but with enough sensibility to understand her struggles in being a young adult, something he would never be capable of teaching. He was glad his sister met Maggie, a woman he admired for so many qualities and someone who had the same kind of heart as Amira. Sure he knew that the multiple attacks coming from Maggie at his personality, physics, and mind would increase exponentially with Amira as a source of embarrassing histories of their childhood but he wouldn’t desire a better friend for Amira than Maggie.
It was the sound of his partner’s laugh that made him get out of his thoughts and look up. The pair was coming to his way with smiles spread across their faces and a mood so light that no one would imagine what they have been through that day. Maggie looked at him, and he inevitably smiled. He finished his drink and left the cash on the bar before getting up to meet them.
“Hey, I was going to pay this time.”
“It’s nothing.”
“OA!”
“You can pay next time, okay?”
Maggie rolled her eyes and knew it wasn’t going to happen. OA was the type of guy who wouldn’t let anyone pay the bill at his company.
“So, let’s go ladies. Busy day tomorrow.”
“Yeah, lots of paperwork to do.”
OA exchanged looks with Maggie, and they knew what was coming for them. Countless hours of filling papers and endless reports to read.
“So, I better be going if I…”
“Come on Maggie; I’ll give you a ride. No subways for today.”
Again Maggie rolled her eyes at the predictability of her friend. If you are with OA, he will make sure to drop you home after. She doesn’t even know why she conceders the subway ride to her home, OA always gives her a lift anyways. He only leaves once assured you’re secure and inside. That’s the type of guy he is, always taking care. For many people he seems like a don’t care, closed kind of guy but if you get to know him a little better all that crumbles apart, and you discover one of the kindest and carrying people Maggie has ever know.
The three hops up in the car, Maggie at the front seat and Amira at the back, sitting in the middle, and OA picked the first left on the way to Maggie’s apartment. In the 20 minutes drive until there his partner and Amira were able to talk more, this time in a pace OA could follow, and by the end of the conversation, he was sure Maggie had convinced Amira to turn down the journalism career to join the Quantico.
OA made the last turn and parked in front of Maggie’s house in time for her be inside before the storm that, bright lightings glowing in the sky, were announcing.
“So, that’s me. Thank you for the night OA. See you tomorrow.” - she then turned to face Amira on the back seat. - “And it was so good to meet you. Text me anytime, and we can hang out.”
Amira smiled, and her eyes glowed with the idea of hanging out with Maggie again. She was such a fun and kind person and without intention had become a new role model for the young woman. OA raised his eyebrows, and a grin crossed his face at the idea of Amira having Maggie’s number and how that would be the source of his daily humiliation.
“You gave your number to Amira?”
“Sure! Now we can talk about how you piss us off and how we’re always right!”
Maggie and Amira exchanged looks, and OA knew his life was about to become misery.
“Well, I better get prepared then.”
The girls smiled at each other, let the war begin. Maggie got out of the car and so Amira, to take her seat at the front.
“Maggie … I just wanna thank you, for everything. What you did for me today I…”
“Hey, it’s my job, and even if it wasn’t… I’ve got your back Amira, and you can count on that.”
“Thanks.”
Amira hugged her and turned to enter the car.
“Amira…wait!”
“What?”
“It wasn’t just me you know? Your brother… Hum… He loves you Amira, and I know how hard he can be, but it’s only because he loves you so… be easy on him…he’s trying.”
“I know… and I’ll.”
“Good. Have a great night!”
“You too.”
Maggie made her way to her doorstep, searching for her key inside her purse while Amira was making herself comfortable in the front seat. OA didn’t look away until he saw Maggie waving from the inside of her building through the glass door. Now he could rest, knowing that she was okay, knowing that she was safe.
He and Amira made their way home in a comfortable silence, the radio in a low volume filling the atmosphere of that rainy night. Due to the hour, the streets were less crowded, and he was able to make his way home a lot faster than usual. Usually, he wouldn’t crash at his mother’s but all the stress and action of the day weighed over him, and all he wanted was a nice bath and a warm bed for the next 5 hours of sleep he had.
It was almost 1:30 P.M. when he parked in front of his mother’s building, already imagining what he would listen for arriving that late at night. He might be a grown man but his sister still had a curfew, and he could be 80 years old, his mother would remain speaking to him like he was 5. OA turned off the engineer, pondering if he would wait for the rain to stop or if he would run to the doorstep when he felt his sister’s hand on his arm.
“Omar…I… I just wanted to thank you for today. I…
“It was nothing Amira. You know I would do anything to protect you, anything.”
“I know… I just wanted you to know that … although I complain a lot and we fight like cat and dog I…, I appreciate what you do for me, and I know that you feel responsible for us so…I love you.”
OA could feel the warmth of his sister’s words fill his heart. He could be a big man but his heart was as soft as butter, and he couldn’t put in words how much he loves and cares about his family. But like the man he is he could only respond that with:
“So I’m not that much of a pain in the ass after all.”
“Aww, you’re such an idiot, you know?”
“Hey! I love you too.”
Amira smiled and hugged him quickly. The rain and they went out of the car, walking fast to avoid the cold air.
“Oh, one more thing…I like Maggie.”
“Yeah, she’s great.”
“I’m sure mom would love to meet her.”
OA’s eyes grew bigger, indicating to Amira that a big question mark was forming in his head. For a minute she got him lost. She grinned at him and was enjoying his face getting pinkish at the realization of what she just had said. Her mother meeting a “friend” of Omar’s only meant one thing.
“And before you deny I know she feels the same. It looks like your crush is reciprocal after all.”
“I…I….”
“Lost your words Mr. Know it All?”
“I’m a grow man Amira; I don’t have time for crushes.”
“Fine than… So you love her!”
“What?” - His cheeks were now fully red, and Amira was savoring seeing her brother so embarrassed like that. It has been years since his last meltdown over a girl, and it was just too funny to see how his tough guy look would break down over his shame. “I… I don’t… I mean…”
“Don’t worry. She loves you too. I can tell by the way she looks at you…”
“What are you talking about? She’s…she’s…”
“Yeah, her eyes can’t lie, neither her reaction when I told her she has a crush on you and she reacted the same way you did.”
“Amira, what did you do!”
“Hey, chill! She’s fine, and she denied anyways but, between you and me, she’s a terrible lier. It’s okay though, along the way you will find out and work this out. In the meantime, I can have a little fun teasing you two.”
Amira turned to get inside leaving the agent speechless and with his mouth on the floor. She felt the taste of victory and was shocked to see how easy she could beat him. Omar was hard to conquer, but the girl who does gets him entirely, body and soul. He gives his heart completely and is capable of dying for her, especially if the girl conquers his family too and Amira knew that.
“By the way, if it counts, she has my total approval. I loved Maggie and I know we’re gonna be good friends, so go for it. And please, don’t pick yellow for your wedding color ‘cause doesn’t matches my skin tone.”
Now her brother had his cheeks red, a face of complete despair and one of the funniest moments registered in Amira’s memory. She knew he was thinking she was messing with him but deep down Amira was more intelligent than two FBI agents and capable of predicting a future both Maggie and OA would soon find out.