Nour was the woman who laughed freely, flirted, and made choices without asking permission.
I had convinced myself that one had to be real and the other had to be fake.
But perhaps the truth was more complicated.
I could be a woman who valued modesty and still struggle with desire.
I could love my family and still disagree with them.
I could make mistakes without becoming nothing but those mistakes.
And I could take responsibility for my decisions without allowing other people to define my entire worth through them.
My phone vibrated on the bed.
A message from Zayd.
I stared at his name for several seconds before opening it.
“I’m sorry for the way everything happened tonight. You deserved honesty from me too.”
Another message appeared.
“I also want you to know that I liked Nour before I knew she was Layla. But I don’t want to marry a woman simply because I liked one part of her life. If we ever speak again, I want to meet the person you really are.”
