work trip to New York. Nobody knows who drew them, but it’s the same symbol on paper, coffee cup scraps, cigarette cartons, whatever, and there are hundreds of scraps all over New York.”
Tariq reached over and grabbed one, examining it more closely. “Like its own performance art,” he mused.
Leafing through the small black book, the Sheikh saw pictures from Paris and Al Dirhan, dried flowers and receipt stubs, every tidbit taped inside the book representing different memories. There were dozens of blank pages, just waiting to be filled with adventures, and plenty of places still to travel to. As he reached the end of the book, Tariq couldn’t help but look up in wonder at his girlfriend.
The drive to the airport went quickly, the scenery from the window a blur of holiday lights and garlands rather than a cityscape.
Emily grabbed her bags from the back of the car as Tariq conversed with his driver. She stood by the airport entrance and looked up at the night sky, lit up by rare Phoenix flurries and stars. She breathed a plume of white into the air and marveled at the beauty of the scene.
“Are you excited to get to the villa?” Tariq asked, bustling up beside her with the rest of their luggage. It was clear from the withered expression on his otherwise pleasant face that the man wasn’t too fond of winter temperatures, even at fifty-five degrees. She couldn’t say she blamed him. Both were overjoyed to be spending some time in the sun.
Walking in through the airport doors, Tariq seemed to get especially excited. He turned to watch Emily’s expression, beaming as she finally caught sight of her surprise.
Her mother.
“Mom!” Emily nearly screamed, running over to Janet and pulling her into a deep embrace.
Emily had mentioned to Tariq several times how much she wanted to be nearer to her mother and how the hours long drive to see her was inconvenient at best. She’d often joked about using Tariq’s private jet to go and visit her, but she never thought he would actually bring the two of them together.
Tariq and Janet had spoken over video chat several times now and got along swimmingly, quickly developing an affinity for each other’s sarcastic sense of humor. When the Sheikh explained to Emily that Janet would be coming with them to Hawaii, her heart nearly burst with emotion. She hadn’t been on a trip with her mother since she was a little girl.
Janet looked amazing—much different than the last time Emily had seen her. Her complexion had returned to its usual pink glow and her curly brown hair was growing longer. She looked full and healthy in the best way possible.
“I bet you never thought you’d see the day where you and dear old mom would be heading off to exotic Hawaii together, did ya?” Janet said excitedly.
The way Tariq watched Emily interact with her mother was almost too much to take; he was adorable when he was concerned.
“But how are you,” Emily stammered. “How’s your health? Did the doctor say it would be all right for you to come with us?”
“Ah shucks, I’ve never felt so wanted in all my life,” her mother teased.
Emily frowned, concerned. “Mom, I’m serious.”
“Look here,” her mother said, pulling out a slip of paper from her purse. She looked at her daughter and her eyes glistened with tears. “A clean bill of health!”
That was enough to have Emily spilling over with tears and laughter, looking to Tariq with joy. She didn’t know how he did it, but he looked nearly as excited as she did.
“And you,” Janet said, pointing at the Sheikh. “The next time you whisk my daughter out of the country I’d better at least get a phone call or a plane ticket to come with you. Understood?”
The three laughed and Tariq nodded bashfully. “Yeah, yeah. Understood.”
As her mother left her side to check her baggage, Emily walked over to Tariq and he put his arm around her back. “Isn't she great?” she mused with admiration as she watched her mother walk away.
Tariq smiled. “She's really something. And for the record, you can use my resources whenever you want to see her or have her come here.” He shrugged thoughtfully. “I want us to make a family together. Your family with mine, mine with yours. I want to build a life with you in every way possible. Maybe we could even bring her here to live.”
Emily beamed. “I love you, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” he winked at her before leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose. “I love you, too. Let’s make this an unforgettable adventure.”
“Aren’t they all?”
She loved Tariq. The statement couldn’t be truer than in this very moment. Not for his money, or for all that he’d done for her career, but for the thoughtful ways he read her heart. From his beautiful brown eyes, to the way he held her hand like he never wanted to let go. She couldn’t get enough, and she never wanted to. Tariq brought out the best in her and she knew she did the same for him.
They were the couple that made the other one want to be their very best, and Emily couldn’t ask for a better kind of love than that.
The End