Her mother inhaled. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“I don’t think I will be. But if I am, it’s how I’ll learn and grow.”
Her mother nodded. “You know my feelings, but I will support you, if you truly want to do this. InshAllah, you will be happy.”
This wasn’t the woman who had screamed at Sadia all those years ago for marrying an unsuitable man. Jia wasn’t the only one who had grown. “Thank you, Mom.”
A knock came at the door, and Luna peeked in, her face wary and concerned. “Hi. My uncle told me you were looking for me.”
“We were, yes.” Jia motioned her in. “I thought you might like to get ready with us.”
Luna came fully into the room. “Okay.” She stopped when she noticed Ayesha and her mother in the room as well.
If there was one thing their mother knew, though, it was young girls. She took charge, placing her arm around Luna. “Hello, dear. We didn’t get a chance to get acquainted yesterday. You may call me Auntie Farzana. Come, let’s see what dress you’ve chosen to wear today.” She took the garment bag from Luna’s arms.
“Aji brought me clothes from India, so I picked one of those.”
Jia smiled. “Excellent. Why don’t you get dressed, Luna, and then we can discuss what you’d like to do with your hair and makeup.”
Luna looked moderately interested. “Are you going to do it?”
Jia picked up a makeup brush and swished it in the air. “Do you honestly think I’d let anyone else do it? Come here, I have something for you, too.”
Luna accepted the wrapped present Jia handed her. “Should I open it now?”
“Yes, you’ll need it for the day.”
Luna’s chuckle when she opened the gift was small, but authentic. “Did Kaka tell you I spend too much time on my phone?”
“He did, indeed. Now you can make sure it has style.”
Luna turned the crystal-encrusted phone case over in her hands, and the fake diamonds winked. When she pressed a button on the side, the border of the case lit up, like a built-in ring light. Jia gave a moment of thanks for her goody bag stash. There was no way she would have had time to get a teen-friendly present amidst this chaos.
“He got me a boring old black case. This’ll match my dress today. Thanks.” There was wary interest in Luna’s gaze when she looked up.
Jia wasn’t naïve enough to think the girl would be won over with one present, but it couldn’t hurt. “Not a problem.”
Another knock came on the door, and Rhiannon and Katrina walked in. Rhiannon held up dry cleaning bags and a bottle of sparkling grape juice. “Hello all! Looking for the bridal suite.”
Farzana beamed at Rhiannon. “Rhiannon, how are you? Your mother says hello, and told me to tell you to call her.”
Rhiannon nodded and hugged Jia’s mother. “Sounds about right.”
After everyone greeted everyone else, Rhiannon threw her arm around Jia’s shoulder. Her friend looked at her with concern, not condemnation. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.” She braced herself for the arguments, the reasons against it, but Rhiannon’s lips curled.
“He’s no peach blush, eh?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Then let’s get you married.”
DEV FOUND MOHAMMAD sitting on the deck of the house, overlooking the beach. He approached slowly, more than a little worried. Had this been a normal state of events, he would have already spent a great deal of time with his soon-to-be father-in-law. As it was, he only had time to get the man’s blessing before the ceremony in a couple hours.
Jia’s father glanced up as he approached and gave him a kind smile. He was dressed in a slightly baggy suit. “Dev.”
“Dr. Ahmed.”
“Please, no need to revert to formalities. Mohammad is fine.”
“Okay.” He took a deep breath, bracing himself. “I know this is all a little unorthodox.”
Mohammad laughed. “A little. I understand family dynamics, especially when there’s an elder who may or may not be sick, Dev. But I fear your family is using my daughter.”
Dev paused. “Is that what Jia said? That she feels like she is being used?” He hadn’t seen her since last night. Had she changed her mind?
“Not at all. She is ready and willing to marry you immediately. I know what you’re here for, for my blessing. I thank you for seeking it, but I am hesitant to give it.” Mohammad raised his hand and counted off each point. “You two barely know each other. We barely know you. I do not appreciate one of my daughters being pressured into a commitment, especially into a family that is so different from our own, one that has such a wildly different way of life. This inheritance business alone is strange.”
“I am well aware of that. My grandfather was a strange man.” He spread his hands. “I don’t care about the money, at all, by the way.”
“Then why rush? We take marriage seriously. It is not something I want one of my children to enter into lightly.” There was a finality to Mohammad’s words that struck fear into Dev’s heart. It was scarier than if the man had yelled his opposition to this match.
“It’s not something I enter into lightly,” Dev said quietly. “And I think it matters how Jia feels. She wants this wedding now, and I want what she wants.”
“Jia has a history of jumping into situations with both feet, without looking.”
“And she always lands on her feet, does she not? The decisions she makes are good for her.”
Mohammad’s eyes narrowed, and Dev finally caught the upset the man had been hiding behind his easygoing facade. “Just because she gets lucky—”
“It’s not lucky. You only think she’s lucky because she makes things look easy. Have you watched her videos? I’ve watched every single one. She makes shadows appear on her face where there are none! She excels at making difficult things look flawless when in fact she is putting one hundred percent of herself into everything she does. She’s smart. She’s not flighty.”
“That may be—”
“No maybe about it, it is.” Dev shook his head, frustrated. “She craves your and her mother’s approval, but she can’t change who she is. And who she is is someone who propels herself into life without spending eons weighing all the pros and cons. I admire that about her.”
Mohammad studied him. “You’ve watched all her videos?”
“Yes.” Dev clasped his hands together. He didn’t know if he’d ever spoken so passionately in his life, off a stage.
Mohammad looked out over the ocean. “She is set on this impulsive wedding,” he said quietly.
Dev knew that, but his heart still soared. “Good,” he managed. “So am I.”
“Very well. I can’t stop you, and I’m not about to repeat history by opposing another daughter’s choice in a mate.” Mohammad’s chest rose. “I suppose once you are married, we will have plenty of time to get to know each other.”
The relief was overwhelming. “We will.”
“And this is only the formality. We want her to have a proper celebration as soon as possible.”