Sayid picked up his bags and walked around the hotel room one last time. He had pinned a note to one of Shannon's dresses in the closet with the phone number of the motel in Ventura he had booked. If he was going to get to know his daughter, he wasn't going to make a hour trip each way to and from the city. Especially with Shannon gone.
He hadn't slept after she left. He sat staring out the window and thought of what he could have said, wondering if there was any way to have made it less painful for her. There weren't any easy answers. He didn't blame her for walking out.
Maybe her leaving was inevitable. If they stayed together, he couldn't imagine Shannon dealing well with Nadia's child. It would be even harder for her to handle the ongoing relationship that fatherhood dictated he would have with Nadia. If things with Shannon were going to end eventually, better it end now, before Yasmin was involved.
But it was more than Shannon's reaction that made him doubt their relationship. It had been difficult enough to put his feelings for Nadia in the past when he had little hope of seeing her again. Now, he would see Nadia all the time, or at least any time he wanted to see his daughter. He had already kissed her. Would these feelings stay buried? Whether anything would come of them if they did surface, was another matter.
He shut the door behind him and walked down the hall to the elevators. Nadia had called about an hour ago to tell him she had talked with Yasmin and he could come any time. He wondered if his daughter was as nervous as he was. Nadia had said Yasmin was shy. What was he going to say to her? He didn't know anything about little girls. He recalled how angry and resentful Walt had been with Michael at first. Would his daughter be angry about the eight years he had missed?
Yasmin was whiney and clung to her mother most of the day. The third or fourth time she asked when Sayid was coming, Nadia sat her down on the couch. "Are you nervous?" she asked softly.
Yasmin looked down, then nodded.
"You know what," Nadia told her, "I bet your daddy is nervous too."
Yasmin looked up at her with big eyes. "Really?"
"Yes, so don't be too scared, okay? I'll be right here."
When Sayid's knock finally came, Nadia looked at Yasmin. The child nodded, so Nadia opened the door. Sayid stood on the porch, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and looking uncomfortable. Nadia smiled encouragingly and stepped aside so he could come in. She felt Yasmin's hand slide into hers and she gave it a squeeze. Then she knelt down beside her.
"Yasmin," she said, "this is your father." Nadia's heart beat double time during the first moments. She wondered if this was too soon, if they should have given Yasmin more time, if she needed more time herself.
"Your mother said you were smart, but she didn't tell me how pretty you were, " Sayid said.
Yasmin turned quickly and hid her face in her mother's shoulder.
"Hey," Sayid knelt down so they were all on the same level, "are you scared?"
Yasmin's eyes met his for the first time, then she looked away.
"Well, I am. I've been nervous all day."
Yasmin looked at her mother.
"See, I told you he was feeling the same way," Nadia whispered something to Yasmin, then turned to Sayid, "I thought you could stay for dinner."
Sayid looked at Yasmin, "Would that be all right?"
Yasmin shrugged. More silence.
Nadia spoke again. "I don't know what you like, so I thought we could order in."
Before Sayid could answer, Yasmin giggled.
"Okay," Nadia admitted, "We order in a lot. I don't cook."
Sayid managed to keep a straight face, but Nadia saw the amusement in his eyes.
"But, I cooked breakfast for you today," she reminded her daughter.
Yasmin rolled her eyes at her mother, "Scrambled eggs. I can do that myself. Laurel lets Grace and me when I stay over."
This time Sayid laughed out loud.
"Oh, so this is how it's going to be," Nadia smiled, "I may not cook, but I have other talents."
"I remember," Sayid's eyes met hers. His gaze made her warm all over.
Realizing what she had said, she blushed. That hadn't been what she meant.She'd forgotten his sly wit.
Thankfully the exchange and Nadia's embarrassment went unnoticed by Yasmin.
"Mama grows flowers, lots of them," she said to Sayid. "They're out back. Do you want to see?"
To Nadia's relief, Yasmin shyly wrapped her hand around her father's and led him outside. From the window she watched them walk through the garden. Yasmin was talking and he was leaning toward her, taking in every word. Nadia didn't realize she was crying until a tear splashed on the windowsill. She wiped the tears away. Maybe it was going to be all right. She thought about joining them ,but decided it would be better to leave them alone for awhile.
They had a very late dinner of Greek take out that Yasmin was almost too tired to eat. After supper Nadia got out some photo albums for Sayid to look at while she put Yasmin to bed. Soon, she came back out to the living room.
"She wants you to say goodnight," she smiled at him, "but you'd better hurry, she's fading fast."
"She didn't eat much. Did we keep her up too late?"
"She'll be fine, go say goodnight," Nadia leaned in the doorway, watching him make his way down the hall and into Yasmin's room.
He came out a few minutes later. "She's sleeping, he said, "She's really something. You've done a good job."
"Thank you. I love being her mother."
"It shows," he glanced at the clock on the wall, "I should probably go. Are you going to work tomorrow?"
"Yes, and Yasmin needs to go back to school. You can come over for dinner, if you want."
"More take out?" he teased.
"Probably," she smiled, "unless you want scrambled eggs."
"No, I don't think so." he said, laughing.
They walked out onto the porch. He took her hand, and this time she turned to him initiating the kiss, soft and lingering. Nadia felt tears sting her eyes as she pulled away. Sayid gently touched her face, and they stood for a moment holding hands. She leaned her head against his chest, "I'm glad you're here," she said softly.
Sayid smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow," he let his fingers trail from hers.
Nadia sat on the step and watched until she couldn't see him anymore.