Ana grumbled, though she sounded more coherent in her mind than through her mouth. She pushed her face further into the pillows, doing her best to ignore the familiar throb in her head, and the gentle patting on her shoulder.

"Wake up."

Oh, and the voice trying to tell her what to do.

"Ana."

"Nnnh…"

"It's nearly 11."

"I dn kh…" she groaned against the pillow.

"We missed breakfast, so we'd better make it for brunch with your family."

"Huh?"

"Safiya called. I said we'd meet them."

"Ngh. Five mins…"

"All your 'five minutes' are lies, and you know it," Kamilah said, now patting her head. "Come on."

"Three…" Ana whined into the pillow.

"Ana."

"Two…"

"I regret marrying you."

Ana's eyes snapped open, turning her head to look up at Kamilah's smirk.

"I should've tried that from the start, hm?"

Ana gave a long-suffering groan, and rolled onto her back. If her head was this heavy from last night's drinking, she could scarcely imagine what it would've been like to down all those glasses without Safiya's help. She would feel nothing, probably; that was a typical side effect of being dead.

Insistent tapping on the tip of her nose roused her back to life, Ana having closed her eyes without thinking, starting to slip into unconsciousness again. Draping her arms around Kamilah, she blinked as her partner shifted on top of her, knocking their foreheads together.

"Get up."

"Only the first day and you're already ordering me around," Ana drawled.

"What else is a wife for?" Kamilah smiled, twirling Ana's hair around a finger.

"Kiss?" She puckered up her lips, and was not disappointed. Tilting her chin up to coax Kamilah back after the first chaste kiss, Ana indulged in her wife's touch a little longer, then pushed her onto her back. She brushed their lips together once more, then nestled her head under Kamilah's chin, lying still on top of her partner.

"Five minutes," she muttered, feeling a quiet laugh rumble in Kamilah's chest. This time, there were no more 'orders'. Just soft patting on her back when her request was granted.

Kamilah, the saint that she was, allowed Ana to rest for a grand total of one extra minute before shaking her awake. With all the vigour of a sleep-deprived sloth, Ana followed the tug on her hand and shuffled blindly into the bathroom. By the time her mind had kicked into low gear, she was standing in front of the mirror, wondering just when she had pulled on her jeans and shirt.

Zaid picked them up at the hotel, and drove them to a restaurant just three streets down. It was a quaint little place the Amari frequented whenever they were back home, charmed by its well-cooked dishes and an atmosphere that remained cozy even when they were packed to capacity. Ana was doubly appreciative of the coziness as she huddled in the corner beside Safiya, the sisters clutching their sweaters close while heavy rain pattered on the glass windows behind them. They sniffed and agreed to whatever their livelier counterparts wanted to order, quietly regretting their excess the night before.

Recognising the telltale signs of a hangover, the restaurant owner – who knew them by now – made a special fruit blend for the two. Ana latched onto the straw and sipped at her drink, pausing only when Kamilah scooped a healthy serving of shakshuka onto her plate. Each spoonful of food brought a little life back into her body until eventually, Ana had enough energy to fight over the last poached egg with Safiya, the skirmish ending in a yolk-soaked battlefield of vegetables.

They kept up an endless stream of bickering until Ana saw her family off at the airport in the evening. She nodded over and over again when Zaid told Ana to take care of herself and Kamilah, to be responsible, to have patience, to think on the future, and most importantly, to remember that marriage was a huge change from dating, and to be understanding, to make time for–

"Papa, papa!" Ana cut in, waving her hands in front of Zaid's face. He stopped mid-sentence, thrown off by the interruption. "Relax. You're more worried about me than I am."

"That's why I have to be more worried about you," Zaid sighed. "At least now Kamilah can pick up the slack for me instead."

He managed to squeeze in an extra bundle of advice as he was escorted to the departure hall, where Safiya stepped in to pry her father away from Ana. The sisters parted with a hug, and once again, Ana was the only one left in Cairo. She caught that thought with a start and glanced over at Kamilah, who was looking at her curiously.

Well, maybe not the only 'one' anymore.

They had the night to themselves and, at Ana's suggestion, stayed over at the Amari home before leaving for base the next morning. It was much more comfortable there, and an empty house would be the perfect place to consummate their marriage.

The week after their wedding was utterly serene compared to the bustle and nervous anticipation of the months before. Even if there was a honeymoon to look forward to, their preparatory shopping had been done in advance, so they had an abundance of time to lay back and review their itinerary for the trip. That, and also start looking for a house.

"So. What do you think?" Ana leant against the kitchen counter, eyes on the agent who was speaking on the phone near the entryway. They were in one of the smaller family lots on base, the last one they would look at for the day. After they had gone to the housing office only over an hour ago, an agent was assigned to show them around the available houses on base. The office was never very busy; it was common knowledge why, and they just had their first-hand experience.

All family houses were built the same, down to the last wood paneling and screw. The only difference was the sizes, and that was it. The one they were in had only one level, with two bedrooms, one study, a small laundry room, and a kitchen right next to the modest living room. Compared to her family home, this was rather…

"Pitiful."

Ana snorted. "Well, I wouldn't be so harsh, but…"

"It's much better than the barracks," Kamilah admitted. "And for two people it is adequate, but…"

"Claustrophobic."

"Right." She shifted to lean on Ana. "Who would choose this over the bigger houses anyway?"

"Practical people? Who…don't want children?" A sly grin made its way onto her lips, and Kamilah sighed, fully aware of what was coming. "Already planning so far ahead, Shad– Amari?"

"Don't put words into my mouth, Amari," Kamilah said with a smile. "But it's a practical consideration."

The agent returned, cutting off the comeback already sitting on Ana's tongue. Taher pocketed his phone into his boring gray trousers, eyes bright and expectant. "So, ladies? What do you think?"

"You were right. This one is small."

He laughed. "I might've had a long career as a salesman, Ms. Amari, but lying is one thing I've never picked up. So!" He brought his hands together in a clap. "Would you like to put your names in the waiting list first? It's not a very long one – truthfully, we have more empty lots than applicants right now. Just the paperwork, you know? I'd give you about…one, maybe two months before your application goes through. What do you say?"

Ana glanced at Kamilah, who shook her head, still looking unconvinced. "We'll have to think on it a little more."

"Of course, of course. Take your time, yes? Many have reservations staying in base, day in and day out." Taher beckoned at them, and they followed him out of the house. "Living off base does give you a lot more freedom and space to breathe away from work, but living on base has its own conveniences too. Tight community, free amenities…" He patted at his jacket and trouser pockets, then looked up at them. "I've given you my name card, yes?"

"Yeah."

"Great! So, would you like to look around more, or do you have any more questions…?"

"No. But we'll call you when we do." Ana smiled at him.

"Alright. Well, I've to be off! Something to see to in the office…"

They thanked him, Ana waving listlessly until he had gotten into his car and driven off in a hurry. She took a breath and exhaled, hands on her hips as she looked up at the darkening sky. An arm circled around her back, and she hugged around Kamilah's shoulders as they strolled onto the sidewalk, its colour reminding Ana of Taher's dull-coloured suit. She kicked at a pebble, watching it skitter across concrete and land in the grass.

"Do you want to live here?" Kamilah asked.

"I don't know. It'd be nice to have a shorter travel to work though. Easier to see the idiots too."

"But then we'd be living with work."

"I know. That's kind of why my parents didn't want to live on base either." Ana paused, tilting her head. "I like the idea of living off base though. Reminds me of my childhood, when the army wasn't my life. Ah," she sighed. "Good times. What about you?"

"Off base sounds nice. But then again, living here would be cheap."

"Almost free."

"Mm. It's nice. Then you look out the window and see soldiers walking everywhere."

"Then you look back in your house and realise your wife's a soldier too."

"What a nightmare," Kamilah laughed.

Ana grinned. She gave Kamilah a squeeze, and kissed her temple. "We can take our time. No need to rush."

"Mm."

They walked along quietly, street lamps flickering on as the sun set. Ana looked out at the stretch of houses, and the few children playing on their lawns with their pets. The thought of having a place of their own… Ana could not wait.

"Amar."

"Yeah," Ana drawled.

"How big do you want the house to be?"

"Ideally, like a palace. But something like this would be nice too." Ana gestured at the house they walked past. It was a modest two-storey, an exact replica of an empty lot they had visited earlier. Three bedrooms and a study, and quite a bit of space. Still a little smaller than the Amari home, but cozy.

Ana glanced over to see Kamilah regarding her with a thoughtful look. "What?"

The corner of Kamilah's mouth twitched. "Nothing."

Thinking about their house gave Ana a bit of a headache, but she took it in stride alongside her wife. They decided to extend their stay at Ana's home for the entire week, just to get a feel of having to drive up to the base every morning. The travel time meant earlier waking times, and they decided that if they ever got a house off base, it would have to be nearer than where the Amari lived.

The more Ana thought about it, and the longer they spent chatting with Zaid, the more amenable she was to living on base. The house came free, and their housing allowance would cover utilities up to a certain point. Not to mention the convenience of having other facilities just within the neighbourhood, and free for use. Though Ana still had a longing for having a house off base, living in base would be a good stand-in for the time being. It would give them the luxury of time to find a neighbourhood to their liking, the right place for them to start building a life together. Besides, their wallets needed a breather after their wedding, and would definitely need a break after their honeymoon.

As it turned out, Kamilah was thinking along the same lines, and shared her desire to move out of the barracks. So they made a quick call to Taher the day before their flight, and were put on the waiting list. They managed to sit on it for about ten minutes, before caving in and talking about what they wanted to do with the house first.

Ana wanted a housewarming party. Kamilah wanted a movie marathon.

The compromise was a housewarming movie marathon without alcohol. Neither had the urge to clean up a living room after drunk soldiers.

Sipping on her coffee, Ana smiled behind the mug as she listened to Kamilah's footsteps travel all over the house. Up the stairs, down the stairs, to the living room, down the hallway, back to the living room, before rushing off somewhere else again. She was practically getting a workout from all this moving about, and showed no sign of slowing down any time soon.

Ana had opened her eyes that morning to a bright smile, and was promptly swept out of bed to get ready for their flight later. She'd never thought she would live to see the day where Kamilah was the one buzzing with energy instead of her; a thoroughly refreshing sight to be sure, but it was time to slow her down for a while.

"Milah…" she said when Kamilah's figure flashed past the kitchen doorway again.

"What?"

"Stop checking the luggage and sit down."

"But have you packed the–"

"Yes."

"And our–"

"Yes." Ana scooped some scrambled eggs into her mouth, then glanced at the doorway when Kamilah appeared with a frown.

"I haven't even said what it is," Kamilah said, munching on the toast in her hand.

"We packed everything last night, Milah. Everything." The way Kamilah had checked and rechecked their luggage the night before was unnervingly reminiscent of boot camp.

When Kamilah still looked dubious, she patted on the counter, where Kamilah's plate lay untouched. Save for the toast, of course. "Finish your food before the cab comes. Or don't. It'll be hilarious watching you swallow your food whole."

She raised her brows to match Kamilah's narrowed eyes, snorting when her nose was tweaked none-too-gently by her wife, who finally joined her at the counter.

"Heat packs?"

"Milah," Ana sighed as Kamilah smiled through a mouthful of eggs. "You don't need heat packs when I'm around."

Kamilah just hummed, downing half of her lukewarm coffee in one go. She pulled Ana's tablet over, swiping through their itinerary for another quick check, before checking the weather forecast in both Cairo and Zermatt. She had been rather diligent in studying their destination, looking up history, geography, and landmarks. Many a time had the tablet fallen onto her face, when she drifted off to sleep after a tiring work day. Ana found it endearing how hard she tried to wrap her tongue around a few choice German phrases, before giving up and polishing her English instead. Kamilah's previous travels had mostly been limited to military deployments and even then, had only ever been to other Arab countries. Obviously, she was determined not to let this trip go to waste.

By the time the cab arrived, they were lounging on the sofa, dressed up and ready to go. They made it to the airport in good time, and headed straight for the small movie theatre in the departure hall, only to regret their decision when they had to leave before the movie's conclusion. Onboard the plane, Ana fired off her last few replies to the 'have fun' and 'make lots of babies' messages on her phone, then sat back for the 4-hour flight. She occupied her time with more movies while Kamilah stared out of the window, listening to jazz piped through flimsy airline headphones. The bright scenery of clouds, clouds, and more clouds was not enough to hold Kamilah's attention it seemed; she started nodding off an hour into the flight, head drooping until she found a makeshift pillow in Ana's shoulder.

After being chair-bound for hours, both women perked up when the plane started its descent, and peered out of the window at the snow-covered landscape. They remained transfixed until they touched down safely in Geneva Airport. Ana snickered when Kamilah stepped into the jet bridge and let out a reflexive curse, getting her first taste of the weather in single-digit temperatures. They scurried off to change into warmer attire, then caught the train that would bring them to Zermatt – their first destination. It was another 4-hour travel, which they spent exploring the carriages to stretch their legs, taking photos, and dozing off again due to lack of entertainment.

Night had fallen when they finally reached Zermatt, and their hotel was just a short walk away from the train station. They were shivering slightly when they first set foot into the warm lodge's entrance, Kamilah with her arm in Ana's after an encounter with black ice on the way there.

Their modest room overlooked the Matterhorn, and Ana took to pressing her face close to the window, squinting out at the mountain as she waited for her turn in the bathroom. Kamilah had conquered it within minutes of opening her luggage, and shut the door cruelly in her wife's pouting face. Ana continued to pout when she saw Kamilah walking out in her shorts and oversized shirt, relenting only when she received a peck on her lips.

"We have a lot of time," Kamilah said, before falling into bed and burrowing under the covers. She sighed, lying peacefully in her warm little cocoon, until she was shaken from her state of bliss by Ana's body slamming on top of hers.

They had a late start to the morning, owing to their reluctance to leave the haven that was their bed. After a few 'you get up first's, Ana rolled out of bed, goose bumps rising when she walked by the windows, feeling the cold that radiated through the glass. She got an annoyed whine from her partner by throwing the curtains wide open, flooding the room in sunlight. Ana cackled when a pillow landed harmlessly at her feet from Kamilah's lifeless throw. The cold seemed to have slowed her wife's engines a bit, and it took a little while for Kamilah to regain some semblance of life.

The day started as slowly as they had woken, with a quiet breakfast in the hotel, sitting beside wall-length windows and spotting the people already playing in freshly fallen snow. It was just as well; their plan for the day was rather laidback. They went exploring about the village, passing by many cafés and restaurants as they walked on, and stopped by the occasional shop to browse through clothes and trinkets. Ana loved how fresh and serene the air felt. The winter aside, Zermatt's car-free environment was notably less noisy than Cairo's streets. No honks and shouts of irate drivers; just the sound of boots thudding on pavements and crunching on snow, accompanied by the passers-by – locals and tourists alike – chatting in their native tongues. It was beautiful in every way, especially how it kept Kamilah's eyes bright and inquisitive, as she pulled Ana down every street and alley they came across.

After a slow circuit through the old village to take photos among quaint wooden houses and barns, they nipped into the Matterhorn Museum, learning its history and walking around its exhibit of a mountain village. When they were done, they strode back to the centre of Zermatt for a quick bite and rest, before heading off on a hike to a few hamlets near village.

The path to Zmutt led them on a gentle incline from Zermatt. Ana tilted her face up to bathe in the bright sunlight before the climb became steeper, and a short stretch of pines offered them some shade. She was fiddling with her selfie stick as they left the cluster of trees behind, pocketing her phone and shoving the stick into her backpack, when she was shoved roughly to the side. Ana stumbled and fell face first into the snowbank, lying in shock from the fall and cold on her face. She raised her head as Kamilah gave a very Ana-like cackle, snapping a photo of her wife sprawled in the snow. Wiping off her face at a deliberately slow pace, Ana let a grin spread on her lips as she stared right back at Kamilah. The seconds seemed to slow as all movement stilled, both women watching, waiting…

Ana flew onto her feet in a split-second, and Kamilah spun on her heel, slipping a little on the snowy path. She regained her balance quickly and started to run farther up the trail, but it did her no good. Kamilah shrieked through her maniacal laughter when Ana's arms clamped around her, and lifted her from the ground.

"Ana, no–!"

"Ana, yes!"

Taking two steps, Ana flung herself back onto the snow, this time with her wife writhing mightily in her hold. She laughed and pounced on top of Kamilah, trapping her on the ground. After rubbing handfuls of snow into Kamilah's hair, her partner finally managed to buck her off, throwing her to the side. Before Ana could get up, a hand slapped snow back into her face. She flailed her arms and sat up, digging blindly into the ground and throwing however much snow she could grab in Kamilah's direction. The two continued their battle, flurries of white flung about haphazardly. Ana had nearly shoved a handful of snow through the neck of Kamilah's shirt when they heard a small poof near them.

They froze, turning their heads to find a toddler lying in the snow a little ways from them. The girl looked up, gazing at them with pure mirth shining in bright blue eyes that matched the cloudless sky above. Blonde hair fell about her face as she giggled, hands smacking at the snow in an effort to imitate the women's antics.

Ana let go of Kamilah's jacket, helping her wife sit up as the child got to her feet with both hands full of snow. She tottered over and threw her ammo at them, which fluttered harmlessly against their jackets. Giggling, she babbled on in German, gesticulating at them. They exchanged playful glances, then scooped up their own handfuls of snow and sprinkled them over the girl, getting even more giggles from her.

"You really like snow, huh?" Ana said, and more German spilled out in reply.

The girl reached out to tug on Ana's dark hair, then turned around to look at the blond man who called out to her, walking down the trail with a woman by his side.

Ana cocked her head, looking down at the girl who had turned her attention back to her. "Ang-geh-lah," she repeated what the man had said, and the girl perked up. "Are they your parents?" Ana asked. And though she still spoke in Arabic, the girl giggled anyway. She bent down to take some snow again, this time offering them to Kamilah, who accepted the gift with both hands and a smile.

"Thank you."

When the couple reached the trio in the snow, the woman came forward first and coaxed the girl to her side. The man started speaking to them in what Ana recognised as German, but somehow it sounded…different. Either way, she still didn't understand, so she spoke.

"Is she your daughter?" Ana asked in English, and the man blinked.

"Yes," he replied in the common language. "I am so sorry she bothered you–"

"Oh, no! She was no bother." Ana smiled at the girl, who babbled something at them again. "She's a very beautiful child."

"Thank you." He beamed, glancing over to where his wife was patting snow off their daughter's clothes. Then he gave a start, as if he had forgotten something. "Oh, do you…need help?" He gestured at them, and Ana remembered that they were still sitting on the ground.

"Ah, no. We're just having some fun." She pushed herself to her feet, and helped Kamilah up as well. "We don't have snow back home, you see."

The man laughed. "I see. Where are you from?"

"Egypt. And you?" Ana looked him over. With his blond hair and green eyes, he could be one of the locals for all she knew.

"We're from Zurich. Came here for a vacation with our little girl." He gestured at his daughter, who had walked over hand-in-hand with his wife. She had her mother's eyes, Ana noticed. "We were just leaving Furi. Are you heading there?"

"Yep. Stopping by Zmutt first though."

"Oh yes. Small place, but beautiful."

"Be sure to eat in Furi when you reach," his wife added. "Their food is amazing."

"We will. Thanks."

"Well, we'll be on our way." He beckoned at his wife, who nodded. "Enjoy your time here!"

The tourists waved at them as they left, watching the little girl turn back towards them for one last 'bye bye!' before skipping across the snow ahead of her parents.

Ana turned around when a hand started patting about her head, and was held in place as Kamilah wiped the snow off her hair.

"I can't believe you just talked to them with snow all over yourself," Kamilah said offhandedly, now patting Ana's jacket down as she received the same treatment.

"We're tourists. We're supposed to look dumb." Ana smiled at the sigh, and shook out the last of the snow from Kamilah's hood. "Done. No, wait." She held Kamilah by the shoulders when she started to turn around. "One last thing."

Ana cupped her cheek, leaning in to press a kiss on her lips, slow and deep.

"Now we're done."

Smiling gently, Kamilah closed the distance again, stopping just before their noses touched. "Next time," she murmured. "Try not to be so cliché."

Ana grinned as Kamilah's fingers slipped through hers, following her wife's lead up the snowy incline. "Don't you mean 'snow' cliché?"

She found herself sprawled on the ground again from Kamilah's merciless shove, cackling loudly as Kamilah flung fistfuls of snow into her face.