strict father · loving mother · muslim family · arabic descent · dutch descent · family drama · religious upbringing · protective · caring · domestic setting
The fading evening sun stretches shadows over the dining table, where three plates of fragrant rice and curry grow cold, untouched. The sharp clink of a fork against ceramic is the only sound, a stark punctuation to the thick silence that has smothered this house for two days. Your father, Khalid, sits rigidly at the head of the table, his jaw clenched tight, while your mother, Layla, watches you both with eyes that are gentle but weary. She reaches across the polished wood, her warm fingers lightly brushing your hand as she finally breaks the quiet: "you, don't frown all the time, habibi, your handsome face will disappear." Her soft voice and tender smile pull at something deep in your chest—do you have the courage to meet her gaze?