Page 31 of The Sheikh's Secret Family

“You don’t usually have such strong opinions on education,” Leila said, grinning. “Did something change?”

Something had changed. Tariq had a son now. Suddenly, education felt very relevant. So did issues like parental leave and children’s healthcare. Tariq had an urge to mention Owen, an urge he’d been struggling with for the past few weeks. He wanted to shout from the rooftops that he had a family.

A small part of Tariq’s brain asked what the harm could be. The bigger part reminded him that anyone at all finding out about his family was likely to bring negative consequences. Even Tariq’s own mother was very traditional. There was no way she, or the rest of the country, would be able to accept an illegitimate child who Tariq had had so young and who was half American. No, there was no way that Tariq could be open about his family. No matter how much he might want to.

“Nothing changed,” Tariq said, instead. “I simply remain dedicated to finding the best strategies for all my citizens, young and old.”

The meeting continued relatively smoothly. Still, by the time everyone had agreed on the provisions and Tariq had finally signed the policy into law, it was nearly eight thirty in the evening. Tariq had missed his usual dinner. Worse, he’d missed being able to say goodnight to his son.

Still, missing this meeting would have meant an outdated educational system remaining in place for who knows how long and countless other children suffering. How was Tariq supposed to make a choice between his son and everyone else’s children?

Dimly, Tariq remembered his own father. Nabir Ibrahim had never seemed to struggle with finding a balance. Sure, he’d run off during a few family outings to solve emergencies, but he’d always been there for his family. Tariq remembered attending a few meetings like this, even when he was young. His father had found a balance by merging his professional and personal lives. Too bad that that wasn’t an option for Tariq.

As he walked out of the meeting room, Tariq glanced at his phone and saw a message from Emelia, sent a few minutes ago.

Owen is sleeping, but please feel free to come over when your meeting ends. I’m making some traditional Al Salyan tea :)

Tariq smiled down at the message, feeling the dark cloud lift from his shoulders. Even if it was too late to say goodnight to Owen, he could still see Emelia. He sent off a quick reply that he would be there soon and headed to her rooms, his step light. Any time spent with Emelia always made his day brighter.

When Tariq arrived, Emelia was just pouring the tea into two mugs at the kitchen table. She grinned and waved him over, holding a hand to her lips to show that he should be quiet.

“Owen just got off to sleep,” she said softly. “I’m worried that if he hears your voice, he’ll be back out.”

“Wasn’t his bedtime half an hour ago?” Tariq asked, trying to keep his voice equally soft, as he slid into a chair across from her. The kitchen was lit with a warm light from the dimmer switch and, despite the warmth of the day outside, it felt cozy in here.

“Yes.” Emelia’s smile faltered for a moment. “He was hoping to stay up and say goodnight to you. I told him you’d be by tomorrow, but he still struggled with going to bed.”

Tariq felt his heart twist. “I would have been here if I could have,” he told her.

“I know, and that’s what I told Owen. But these things are hard for kids. He doesn’t really understand where you go all day, and I think he’s worried you might just disappear from his life.”

“I won’t.” Tariq reached over, placing a hand on top of Emelia’s. “I promise, you and Owen are stuck with me.” The words sounded a little too romantic, so he quickly lightened them. “After all, I promised to teach Owen to shoot a basket and I haven’t gotten around to that yet.”

“I told him that, too,” Emelia said. “Almost word for word. Don’t worry about it. As hard as you try, you’ll always disappoint your kid every now and then.” Her words were reassuring, but her smile was still a little off. Tariq wished that he could do better. He wanted to be there for Owen all the time. He also didn’t want to miss any meetings, like he almost had today. And he wanted time alone with Emelia, when he felt more comfortable and more hopeful than ever. How was he supposed to juggle all that?

“Come on, drink your tea before it gets cold,” Emelia prompted, nudging his mug closer. “I made it myself.”

Tariq took a sip and hummed appreciatively. Al Salyan tea was made with black tea, milk, honey, and some spices like cinnamon and cloves. It was a warm, refreshing drink, and this one was especially so.

“It’s delicious,” he told her truthfully. “You got the balance of spices just right.”

She looked pleased at the compliment. “Noora helped me learn how to make it. Hamid helped, too. I’m starting to suspect that there’s something going on between him and Noora.”

Tariq blinked. “Really?”

“Really.” She laughed softly. “Men are always clueless about this kind of thing, but believe me, there’s a spark between those two. You can just feel it. When they’re in the room together, it’s like their eyes are always drifting towards each other.”

Tariq knew exactly what she was talking about, because it was how things were between him and Emelia. When they were in a room together, their eyes always found each other’s. And when they weren’t together, Tariq was almost always thinking about Emelia. Did she feel the same way?

It doesn’t matter, idiot,Tariq reminded himself. Their relationship was well-defined: co-parents, friends, nothing else. After all, he had sheikh duties to do and she might go back to Boston at any time.

“Tariq?” Emelia was looking at him strangely and Tariq shook himself. He must have gotten lost in thought again.

“Sorry. I guess you might be right about Hamid and Noora. Maybe that’s why he asked to accompany Owen to his lessons.”

“I think you might be right.” Emelia nodded at him. “So, do you like the tea? I was thinking of trying to make some kalish next. That’s the dessert that you gave us, right? With the pistachios?”

“It is,” Tariq agreed. He paused, leaning ever so slightly closer. He wanted to be near Emelia, even if they weren’t touching. “You seem happy.”

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