Chapter Nine
Zoya hadn't felt this low in a long, long time. It was just like when she was a child, when she thought there was someone to save her, there would be a complication to ruin it, and it broke her heart to see the same happen to Lily.
She zipped up her bag as quietly as she could, not wanting to wake the baby yet. She'd get the car loaded up and then come back in for Lily. The less time either of them had to spend with Asad this morning, the better. She had failed Lily and she had failed Najma. Her instincts had been wrong about Asad. She'd let her attraction for him cloud her judgment"she had never made so many mistakes at once.
Zoya walked down the hall, patting Bruno when he trotted over to her. She didn't want to see Asad. She had no idea how she could look him in the eyes and be able to hide her disappointment. She wouldn't cry when he said goodbye to his niece today, to her. She'd wait until she was in the car, safely away from the cabin.
She walked into the great room, her heart and feet stopping. Asad was standing next to the kitchen, his eyes on hers, his lips set in a narrow line. Her eyes went from his handsome face to the bag beside his feet. She stared at him, not daring to ask what she hoped more than anything in the world.
"I'm going to adopt her." His voice broke the silence in the room. His eyes held hers and everything inside her went still. She bit her lip, trying desperately to hold on to her emotions. She didn't want to believe, couldn't. His image turned blurry. Those were the words she'd prayed for as a child in foster care. They were the words that would have saved her. She had spared Lily and kept her promise to Najma. Relief and gratitude tore through her. Her bag slipped off her shoulder, falling to the ground with a thud. She tried desperately to find some air, but her breath came in shallow gasps...
Her chin fell to her chest, and she placed her hands over her eyes. Seconds later Asad was there, with the tenderness he'd shown her last night, and gently moved her hands and folded her into his arms.
"I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing," he whispered against her hair.
"You don't have to," Zoya said, her face against his chest, the warmth she felt from Asad so addictive.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
She nodded firmly. "I'll be there every step of the way during the adoption process. I'll help you in any way I can."
"I have your word?" he asked, leaning back to look at her, an odd light flickering across his eyes.
She'd do anything for Lily. "I promise. I'll do whatever it takes," Zoya said, smiling up at him.
...
Zoya opened the door to the dingy, stuffy government office that had been her second home for the last five years. She had only been gone five days and yet she felt as though it had been months. She felt more confident, more determined...but more vulnerable. Her facade was cracking. She was letting people in.
But she had done it. She had convinced Asad. He was in Hope's Crossing, ready to start the paperwork. Nothing could have prepared her for the moment he told her he was going to adopt Lily. She didn't know what prompted his change of heart and at that moment she didn't need to know.
They had dropped Lily off at Mrs. Singh's, who was ecstatic to hear that Asad was going to adopt his niece. Zoya had asked Asad to wait for her in the car while she dealt with work. The last thing she wanted was him witnessing what was sure to be a major reprimanding from Tanveer. First Zoya needed to get the situation under control and then she could invite Asad in to get started on the paperwork.
"Welcome back," Zoya whispered under her breath as she stepped inside. Old metal desks, the kind that must have still been ugly when they were new in the sixties, the stale smell of old office building combined with burned coffee reminded Zoya that she really hadn't been away all that long. The small blinking Christmas tree in the front window, sadder than Charlie Brown's, hummed along with the rest of the electrical equipment that hadn't been updated.
Zoya made eye contact with Nikhat, who was on the phone. Her friend's eyes looked like they were ready to pop out of her pretty face as Zoya walked in. Nikhat pretended to slice her neck with her finger as Zoya approached, clearly warning her that Tanveer was royally ticked.
"Zoya. Nice of you to show up." Tanveer's thin face was pinched and her narrow eyes even beadier than usual as she marched towards Zoya. Nothing like a little office drama to lighten up the mood at the social services department. Zoya thought she looked more and more like the wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz, except dressednfor the twenty-first century, kind of.
"Hi, Tanveer," Zoya called out in her most chipper voice, smiling. Zoya refused to let her nerves take over. This was a victory, no matter what. No one was going to ruin this for her.
Tanveer came to an abrupt halt in front of her, steaming coffee in hand. The mug boasted the caption World's Best Boss in faded letters, and Zoya and Nikhat always joked that Tanveer had probably bought the cup for herself.
"Zoya, there's a box on your desk filled with all of your belongings. Take it, get out."
Zoya ignored her. "I found Lily's uncle. He's here. He's going to adopt her." Zoya felt her stomach begin to churn when Tanveer didn't react to her news. Tanveer stared at her like a dead fish.
"I don't care. You crossed the line. Pack your things. You no longer work for social services."
She'd known this would be a possibility, but she had thought that if she were able to find Asad and have him agree to the adoption, Tanveer would see it as a victory. She had braced herself for probation or a reprimanding, but not firing. Zoya took a steadying breath. She tried to ignore Nikhat, who made stabbing gestures with her plastic bagel knife towards Tanveer. "You don't understand, Tanveer, he will be her legal guardian."
"I already have a placement for Lily lined up. You had no right running off to track down this man. This is the third time you've been in direct violation of office policy and you received a warning each time""
"I had every right to track him down. Najma wanted him to be Lily's guardian. He is next of kin. You knew full well that I was going to do everything to find him. This isn't about me. It's about doing what's right. How are you going to deny next of kin adoption rights?"
"Let's make sure you're clear on where we stand," Tanveer said, setting her coffee cup down on an Nikhat's desk. "You have broken so many rules here I can't even remember. Even though you seem to a have a bunch of people willing to cover up your dirty work for you, I'm on to you. This is the final straw. You almost got yourself raped, you got beaten, and now you kidnap a baby. You're too much trouble. I have to file way too much paperwork on your behalf. You are done here."
Zoya felt her body shake with rage. Damn Tanveer and her black and white rules. She had always been able to separate the emotional aspect of her job. She never made any decision based on instinct, but then again, Tanveer hadn't stepped foot outside the office in years. Zoya took a deep breath as Tanveer handed her a file. A thick one. Hers.
Zoya ignored it.
"Tanveer, we are talking about a family member. You know that's different, you know that he would receive priority. He wouldn't have to jump through any hoops to adopt her," she said, trying to sound calm and logical, even though she was very tempted to pour that cup of coffee all over Tanveer's wiry body and see if she melted.
"There are steps and procedures that need to be followed." She shoved the file in her direction again. Zoya shoved it back.
"That you have the power to speed up and make happen. This isn't a favor. Najma was my case and she left me with her wish that Lily's uncle adopt her!"
Tanveer started a cackle that ended with a bad fit of smoker's cough. "She was probably high as a kite when she wrote that note, Zoya."
"Don't go there, Tanveer."
"Maybe if you had kept a closer eye on her""
"Back off, lady."
Zoya almost jumped at the sound of Asad's voice. She had no idea when he'd walked in. She turned around slowly, vaguely aware that everyone else in the office was watching. She also didn't miss Nikhat's surprised smile. Asad's face had that hard look that she had seen before, but his eyes were colder than anything she'd witnessed from him. His back was straight and his eyes glittered with unmistakable anger. It felt strange to know that it was on her behalf. The most shocking thing, though, was that she wasn't annoyed that he spoke up to defend her, that he'd ignored her request and walked in here. She almost didn't even care that he heard what Tanveer had said. Was this what it was like to have someone guard your back?
"I don't answer to you, sir," Tanveer said stiffly.
"Well, you can be damn sure I'll find out who you do answer to. That baby is going home with me."
Zoya felt her anger dissipate. Asad knew how to get what he wanted. The brown eyes that could be so warm now glittered with a hostility that was palpable and his hard jaw was set. Oh yeah, Asad was royally pissed. He looked very out of place in the poorly furnished grey and metal office. Somehow, even dressed in jeans, the man exuded power and wealth.
"You go ahead, but when her permanent placement gets approved you'll be in for a rude awakening. Your sister's letter won't hold up in court and a single male is not exactly the best candidate for a family," Tanveer said smugly.
"You mean you haven't told her, Zoya?" Asad asked smoothly, glancing down at her, a smile on his face that wasn't quite reflected in his eyes.
Zoya could have sworn she saw everyone lean forward in their chairs. The excitement radiating from her best friend as they made eye contact could have powered the entire office.
"I, uh." What was Asad talking about? Zoya felt his hands wrap around her shoulders, pulling him to her side. What was he doing?
"Why don't you tell her about our marriage?" Asad said, kissing the side of her neck. Zoya felt her knees jiggle and Asad's grip on her tightened, as though he knew she was about to fall on her face.
"Marriage?" Tanveer said.
Asad nodded.
Nikhat squealed, jumping up, her chair crashing into the wall.
Zoya surreptitiously dug her heel into Asad's foot.
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