Sometimes, Naira wondered how her brother was a college graduate let alone a functioning adult. She was sitting at their family dining room, her laptop in front of her while her father and brother sat nearby on their own laptops, typing away.

But Daris wasn't typing.

No, he cheekily grinned at her instead, a jovial glint in his amber eyes, bright enough to blind her.

She heaved an annoyed sigh. "What's it going to take for you to not bother me?"

"Technically, I didn't bother you yet."

"Daris," she glared.

He pressed a hand over his chest, feigning a hurt expression. "Oh, your royal iciness, you break a poor sibling's heart."

Naira sent a helpless look to her father, pleading for him to save her.

Chuckling, her father leaned back against his chair, crossing his arms at the antics of his children yet unable to hide his own smile. "You kids bicker like you're still in kindergarten."

A loud knock came from the door, frantic, which startled the entire Muller clan. Naira's mother was still at work, and she wasn't one to knock.

"So much for getting work done today," sighed her father as he stood up, muttering under his breath. 

His footsteps faded into the hall, fainter and fainter until she heard the click of a door. Her mind narrowly focused on the spreadsheet on her screen, and for a brief moment, Naira believed that she would be able to finish her tasks for the day without any more interruptions. 

"Old sport, how's it hanging?" echoed an all too familiar voice, followed by her father's yelp as their feet shuffled. 

Naira and Daris both looked at each other with the same horror in their eyes, knowing exactly who their unexpected visitor was. 

"Sorry, Nick. I have no control over the crazy doctor," laughed her other uncle, their voices closer now. 

Daris shuffled his seat closer to her, voice low. "If we hurry, we'll be able to avoid the hugs," he whispered. "Quick, pretend you're sick again."

She whacked him upside the head. "You idiot. You think our uncles won't smother us in hugs because we're sick? Were you even born in this family?"

"You're so violent," he pouted, rubbing the back of his head. "And that hurt."

"Good, it was supposed to."

Their banter was cut short by the arrival of her two uncles and her father as they walked into the room. The second her uncles saw their nephew and niece, their visages lit up like rays of sunshine, vibrant, full of life, and energized by their mere presence. 

Even her father could not hide the smile from his lips. Though Daris and Naira rolled their eyes at the overwhelming affection they got from their relatives, especially these iconic uncles of theirs, they would never deny the seedlings of love that grew from their advice over the years, the generosity and wisdom that grew that tiny seed of hope into a pillar of strength. 

"Hey, kiddos," smiled their uncle, Haroon, maple eyes alight with joy, so similar to her brother's with flecks of gold in his irises. "Working hard, I assume."

Daris chuckled. "This one is working hard," he said, pointing at Naira. "Or at least she pretends to."

"Shut up," she huffed. "Let's not forget who's behind on his codes."

Her brother rolled his eyes. 

The second Naira spoke, her other uncle, Humaid, immediately embraced her in a tight hug. "Your mom told me you were sick. How dare you not come to your favorite uncle?" he asked her, half-jokingly and half serious. "What's the point of me being a doctor if I can't even help my family?" 

She smiled up at her uncle, gently patting his hand. "I'm okay, Alhamdulillah (thanks to God). It was only a bad cold."

Humaid scowled at her, dark eyes narrowed. "It's flu season. You should have called me."

Naira's father decided to intervene, clapping a hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder. "We took care of her, Humaid. No need to stress about the past," he said gently. 

"Speaking of family, where's my talkative sister?" asked Humaid, letting the sickness thing go as he took a seat in the chair beside Naira's. "Has she been up to her shenanigans again?"

Her father chuckled, eyes as blue as the ocean shimmering in the gleam of love at the mention of her mother. "Oh, you know, her usual scheme of life," he shrugged before the smile spread across his lips too wide that he couldn't hide it. His blonde hair fell across his forehead, red blossoming his cheeks like petals.

Naira leaned against the palm of her hands, a teasing grin playing on her lips, an expression that mirrored her uncles. "Dad, are you blushing?"

He scoffed, looking away until the gleam of the lights reflected through his glasses, hiding his eyes. "Of course not."

"Ammu's been keeping Dad on his toes. She almost broke his coffee machine yesterday," said Daris, winking at their father. "But we all know Dad can't stay mad at her for long."

Haroon and Humaid threw their heads back in deep chuckles until laughter spread throughout the room, the elevated happiness written across their expressions like the pages of a book retelling the tale of a bond so strong that all felt it the second they walked into the room, felt the euphoria bathe them in it's noor (light). 

Her uncles were married with their own kids, but they still found time to visit their family whenever they could, sometimes bringing the whole family for large dinners. They were the epitome of amazing uncles, spoiling both Daris and Naira with their love and showering them in affection until it became too stifling. 

Since today was a week night, her aunts and cousins must have been too busy to randomly stroll into their house.

"Where's the rest of the family?" asked Nicholas as he took a seat, gesturing for Haroon to do the same. 

"School and extracurriculars. You know how kids are," shrugged Humaid. "We were wondering why you didn't show up to our monthly brother's night out."

Her father paled. "That was tonight?"

"Heck yeah it was. You missed out on lots of food, but it's okay I ate another meal on your behalf," her uncle winked before laughing at Nicholas's scowl. 

"I'm sorry, we all got caught up doing work this evening while waiting for Dina," apologized her father. 

Daris jumped into the conversation, seeing an opportunity to get work done with his uncles around. "By the way, Uncle Haroon. Since you're a computer engineer, could you help me out with this code? My boss really wants this done tonight."

"Sure, kiddo. Let me see what you got so far."

Nicholas and Haroon continued to chat while Daris pulled up his programs, their voices dulling out in the background. Naira noticed the relaxed position of her father, the effortless smile, and his warm expression as he spoke to his brother-in-laws about anything. Even though her father grew up in a wintry frost of ice and loneliness, he found comfort elsewhere and that led him to her uncles and mother. 

Didn't Rayyan say he didn't speak to his family? What if he grew up the same way?

Her chest constricted in her chest as she thought about the suffering he must have endured, the sadness that clouded over him like a thundering storm, lightning that struck his will to be close to those who were supposed to cherish him. She wondered if part of his frustrations in his work life stemmed from the broken branch of family he left behind.

A shoulder nudged against hers, breaking her spiral of thoughts. "Now, what's got you working so hard?" asked her uncle. 

"It's just..." she trailed off, wondering if it was wise to disclose any of her personal feelings. An idea popped into her head. "How do you live without your family?" she asked instead as a way of being discreet. 

He raised a brow. "Are you planning on living without them?" 

"No, I meant how do other people live without all this," she gestured to the room around them, "without all the care and love that comes from being a part of a family? How do they leave everything behind, sacrifice so much, and still not realize what they're missing?"

A breath of relief escaped him, and a sad smile took form as if the next words pained him. "Not everyone is as lucky as us, little one. Not everyone is blessed with parents like yours," he whispered, glancing at Nicholas from across the table, who was laughing at a joke that Daris said. 

"But doesn't that lead a void in someone's heart?"

He brought his gaze back to hers, staring deeply into her eyes, a dark brown that emulated a midnight sky, sparks of hope circling his pupils like a story waiting to be unraveled. "It would leave a void in anyone's heart," he said. "But sometimes that void is needed to heal from abuse or trauma. Sometimes, you need distance to see what you were missing all along." 

Naira was quiet as she drowned in the deafening tone of his words, a strife to a painful reality. She was blessed for the family Allah had given her, but not all Muslim families were the same.

Noticing the shift in mood, her uncle tried to lighten the brief darkness looming over her. "You know, this is one of the main reasons Allah gave us all these rules and stories in the Qur'an," he smiled, voice as gentle as a swaying wind through cherry blossoms, tranquil and soothing. "We're told to raise our family in the model of Prophet Ibrahim's (peace be upon him). We put our faith and trust in Allah, emphasize that no matter what, Allah will always be there for us."

She felt the tension leave her shoulders as she grinned up at her uncle, already knowing this speech of his. "And that love and determination to be devout Muslims is what creates this circle of family, right?"

He chuckled. "Right on, sport. Your parents taught you well." 

"Damn right I did," muttered her father, causing the rest of them to burst into laughter. 

Family was complex, a puzzle with moving parts that didn't always fit, but the one aspect that always stayed the same was their deen (religion), their Islam. The desire to please Allah, to be the best they could be was the driving force that tethered them together, knotted by the deep bonds that ran within their souls. 

Maybe I could help Rayyan see that one day In Shaa Allah (if God wills it).

----

Tis the season for more updates.

Y'all, I got an A in organic chemistry, I am shook. Saw the final scores and started jumping up and down.

My university is really well known for its brutal STEM classes, so this was huge. Alhamdulilah for finals being over. Now we can really see Rayyan and Naira take off.

What did y'all think about the Younes Twins joining back and Nemo still being madly in love with his wife? You awed, don't lie to me ;)

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