A year and a half later…
Nimr paced in front of the car, occasionally glancing across the parking lot to the white doors. Every time the doors slid open, his stomach dropped as he carefully scanned the crowd. The longer he waited, the more he felt like he was going to explode.
He wanted to wait inside, but Roy reminded him that crowded buildings with cameras were exactly the place the police might find him. They'd met with a human rights lawyer, and she thought Nimr had a solid chance of getting the terrorist charges against him dismissed. Nabil, probably more out of disgust than love, didn't mention Nimr during his trial, so his involvement was hard to prove. The only caveat, the only thing preventing him from being a free man, was the assault charge.
Nimr spent a lot of nights wishing he'd just kept running. If he hadn't picked up that board, then he and Roy wouldn't still be dealing with lawyers and police. Maybe they could have moved on by now. Nimr could be back in school, and Roy could stop worrying. But he couldn't change what he'd done.
The lawyer thought that if Nimr exchanged the names of Nabil's "co-conspirators", he could bargain his way out of the charge. She said that the Israeli government was much more interested in pursuing active threats, and Nimr should leverage the knowledge he had. From there, he had a good shot at a student visa.
It wasn't something Nimr took lightly. He'd known some of Nabil's friends since he was a child. He remembered having dinner with their families and the way everyone supported his mother when his father died. They weren't always interested in violence and weapons. Most of them graduated from college with plans for a future. At some point, Nimr had wanted to be just like them.
But then he looked at Roy and the life they'd built together over the last year and a half. The apartment felt like a home now; their bookshelf was an odd mix of law and psychology texts, and every morning he woke up curled against Roy's side. Roy had worked at the synagogue for eight months before he found employment at a small law firm. Nimr still worked at the bakery, but he had caught up on his studies. It was a real life. He couldn't imagine giving that up for people who wanted him dead.
A hand firmly grabbed the back of his neck, and Nimr stopped walking.
"Just relax," Roy said.
Nimr rolled his shoulders and looked at his watch to calm down. They still had a lot to figure out. But right now, he had something more important to focus on. He glanced across the parking lot again. The plane should have landed twenty minutes ago. Twenty minutes was more than enough time to cross the airport.
He refused to dive into the cloud of negative thoughts in his head. Instead, he focused his attention on Roy. For the first time, he noticed that he wasn't the only one feeling anxious. The last time Roy looked that tense, they'd been standing outside the lawyer's office. Nimr gently nudged Roy's hand to get his attention.
"Just relax," Nimr repeated.
"Maybe it would be better if I waited in the car. Or I could drive around for a while, and you could call me when you're done. "
"No...I want you here."
Nimr tried to smile reassuringly even though he was just as nervous as Roy. Maybe it was stupid to bring him along, but he couldn't imagine sitting here alone. Nimr took a deep breath and looked towards the doors. Another crowd of people emerged, and Nimr refocused.
He spotted Abir instantly. They may have spent nearly two years apart, but Nimr knew his sister anywhere. Before she even looked up, Nimr was halfway across the parking lot, trying not break into a sprint. But when Abir saw him, she dropped her suitcase and ran straight into his arms.
"I've missed you so much," Abir sibbed, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
"Missed you too."
Nimr squeezed her tightly. When he left Israel, he didn't think he'd ever see Abir again. Even when they started talking, an actually visit seemed like a wild dream. They'd been planning this trip for a month. After all the phone calls and canceled plans, he started to think it was just a fantasy.
"Top of the class, just like I promised."
"I remember. I'm proud of you."
Abir finally let go of him, and Nimr smiled at her. She looked so much like the girl Nimr left behind. Her face looked older and slightly worn, but when she smiled at him, and it felt like nothing had changed. It was like they were back to their house, sitting across the table from each other as they ate breakfast.
"I was so worried. But you look good. Really really good," Abir said.
Nimr smiled. He wanted to ask about her friends and school, but But for the first time, they didn't have to cram their conversations between Abir's classes or Nimr's job. They had a two weeks to just enjoy being together.
"If you want, I thought we could drive a few towns over for some dinner and sightseeing. It's not like anything we had back home."
What Nimr really wanted her to see was the apartment, his new home. Abir spent too much time worrying that Nimr was alone and unhappy. He wanted her to see that the life he'd built was better than anything he would have had in Israel. Mostly, he wanted Abir to know that she had a place to go. If she needed wanted to go to school in France or just needed to get away, she had a home too.
"As long as I get to spend time with you, I don't care where we go. I just have call mom every night before bed. She thinks I'm traveling with Hana's family."
Nimr reached for Abir's suitcase and started guiding her to the car. It didn't hurt to talk about his mom like it used to, but it wasn't something he wanted to dwell on.
"I brought you some pastries. I can actually cook now," Nimr said.
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Nimr smiled, pausing to wait for a car exiting the parking lot. He looked away from Abir for a moment and saw Roy leaning against the car. For the first time, Nimr wasn't sure he should have come. Nimr had mentioned Roy a few times during their phone calls, but only in vague details. His stomach dropped as thought of ways to explain to Abir exactly who Roy was. It wasn't like he could just ask Roy to leave their home for two weeks. But he didn't know what he'd do if Abir reacted like his mother. He didn't want to lose his sister too.
Roy stood up straight as Nimr and Abir stopped in front of him. Roy stuffed his hands in his pockets and smiled, clearly trying not to look anxious.
"Abir, this is-"
"Roy,'' Abir said.
Roy's eyes widened, and he looked at Nimr for support. But Nimr wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't read Abir's face, and that scared him. She wriggled her hands together like she was nervous but didn't say anything. She looked at Nimr and bit her lip. Nimr was frozen.
Then, Abir took a deep breath and stepped towards Roy. She dropped her hands to her side and rolled her shoulders back. Abir didn't look nervous anymore as she made eye contact with Roy.
"Thank you for loving my brother."
End.
