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Nadir rapped gently on the front door of his friend’s large home, then took a step back to admire the architecture of the building as he waited. His friend had designed the building himself, and though Nadir had visited countless times since the home’s construction, he found himself constantly in awe of the skill his friend had.
The door was quickly opened by the butler, who quickly recognized him and greeted him with a polite nod. “Monsieur Khan, good evening. Monsieur Destler has instructed me to tell you that you may join him and his wife in the master bedroom.”
“Thank you, Carson,” Nadir said with a nod as he stepped inside, removing his gloves and hat. He shuffled further into the home and up the grand staircase, moving at a leisurely pace down the hallway. A few moments more and he found himself at the entry to the master bedroom, knocking quietly so as not to disturb anyone. “It’s me. Can I come in?”
A moment later, the door swung open to reveal a very happy, yet rather tired-seeming Erik, who gave his friend a weary smile. “Ah, you finally made it,” he said with a bit of a laugh, opening the door a bit wider and stepping aside to let his friend inside. “We’ve been looking forward to your call.”
“Nadir!” Christine exclaimed in a hushed tone from where she lay in the bed, a small bundle cradled in her arms. “I’m so glad you came.”
Nadir laughed quietly, walking past his best friend in favor of approaching the new mother. He quickly pulled the chair from Christine’s vanity over so that he could sit beside her. “I’m very glad to be here,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “How are you feeling, my dear?”
Christine beamed back at him, and though exhaustion was written plainly across her features, no one could deny that she was as thrilled as could be. “I’ve been better, but I could also be far worse,” she answered truthfully. “Though I will admit that Erik having made me rest these past few days has helped.”
Sitting down upon the bed, Erik smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He turned his head to press a kiss to her temple, and while his lips were still pressed to her skin, he muttered a soft, “I told you so,” before resting his chin on top of her hair.
“Well, as long as you’re mostly alright. And the little one, how is she?” Nadir asked as he leaned over to get a proper look at the baby girl, who was fast asleep in her mother’s arms.
“Very content at the moment,” Christine replied softly, smiling when she noted that her husband’s best friend already appeared quite fond of the child. Not that she was surprised at that fact—it was his best friend’s daughter, after all, and Nadir was always so good with kids. Christine couldn’t help thinking it a shame that he hadn’t remarried and had more children of his own. “Would you like to hold her, Nadir?”
When he replied in the affirmative, Christine leaned over and gently placed the newborn in his arms, vouching to ignore the mildly concerned expression on her husband’s face. She smiled as she watched their daughter stretch in her sleep, then snuggle close to Nadir, which only made his smile widen.
“She’s such a precious girl. Congratulations to you both,” Nadir replied, gently kissing the baby’s forehead. “She seems so sweet, just like her mother.”
“She certainly is. I’m fortunate to have them both,” Erik said with a proud smile. “My girls.”
Nadir shifted his gaze over to his friend, though this time it was one more akin to that of fatherly affection than friendly concern. “I’m very happy for you, my friend. When you were younger, you never thought you could live a normal life like this, and now look at yourself. You’re living in a house that you designed with a beautiful wife and a newborn daughter. I’m very proud of how far you’ve come.”
“Thank you,” Erik replied softly, having to stifle a yawn. His eyes were darkened from a lack of sleep, and he seemed as though he desperately wanted to take a nap. Nadir felt sympathy for his friend, having been in the situation before.
After his own late son had been born many years ago, Nadir had felt the same exhaustion after just a few days of caring for the child, especially since the childbirth experience had left him a widower, the only parent to care for the baby. While it had been a lot of work, though, he wouldn’t have given up that time for anything, and he hoped that Erik would believe the same.
“By the way, you still haven’t told me her name. You said that it was a surprise of some sort?”
Erik and Christine exchanged a brief glance before the former softly said, “Yes, it is a bit of a surprise. You see, we had been thinking that we really wanted to name our daughter after someone important to us. A few options came to mind, and after careful consideration, we finally decided to name her Marie-Kheya.”
Nadir’s brow creased slightly at hearing the child’s name, having to ask his friend to repeat it to be sure he’d heard it correctly. “Kheya, as in…”
“As in your late wife, Rookheya, yes,” Christine said with a small smile. “And Marie, after my late mother.”
Though he smiled, tears pricked at the corners of Nadir’s eyes. “That’s incredibly sweet of you, I…I don’t know what to say,” he spoke softly. “My Kheya would have been very honored, I’m sure. This would have made her incredibly happy.”
Erik smiled. “We’re glad to hear that, my friend.”
The three of them sat in much the same position for a good portion of the evening, their conversation floating between talk of the newborn and memories of long ago. They talked at such length that they ended up just taking dinner in the bedroom so as not to disrupt the discussion.
Nadir held little Marie-Kheya for most of the evening, having quickly formed a bond with the little girl. A bond, it seemed, she was all too happy to forge, if her lack of fussing was anything to go by. It was a feeling Nadir treasured, and he could only hope their bond would last.