They remained entrenched in Ismailia for a solid six weeks, clawing out a safe zone in the once beautiful city, now ruined and ravaged by war. For a month, the omnics had rushed at their camp borders again and again, chipping away a piece of their defenses with each attack. The soldiers were being run ragged from long patrol shifts, their equipment falling apart from extensive use and damage. The ammunition store grew dangerously lighter each time they fought and lived to see another day. They dug their fingers in, hanging onto a fraying thread of hope with bleeding nails. And when their bodies were pushed to the brink of collapsing, they were given a chance to breathe – the omnic assaults became irregular, and gradually lightened to skirmishes that could be handled by a platoon or two.

There was a deep, unspoken relief passing through the ranks, but it wasn't shared by their commanders. The first day that passed without a single battle, had made Ana's suspicion skyrocket. The forces at Ismailia were bent to nearly breaking point. Why would the omnics desist then? Either luck had graced them with a gentle caress, or there was something else brewing on the horizon. But as removed from Central Command as they were, there was no way to determine what lay in store. So Jaida had chosen Ana and a small squad for a return to Cairo, leaving General Mahmoud and Mesi behind to hold the fort.

Uncertain whether the ground between them and Cairo were friendly or hostile, they chose to travel quietly to avoid any trouble. They took two LRVs – modified to emit only a whisper of noise, and each carried its own stealth module so they wouldn't appear on any heat or movement sensors. The squad moved under the cover of night, with the vehicles' lights off and their night-vision equipment on. They kept radio silent for the most part, only informing each other of road obstructions and possible enemy sightings as they picked their way through destroyed roads and debris. What would've been a two-hour journey was stretched into four, owing to their reduced speed and caution, but they made it safely to the Heliopolis base.

There was no time to rest – when command had learnt of Jaida's return, she and Ana were rushed into a war room to discuss the future of Jaida's plan. Needless to say, it was difficult and confusing – their data and reports couldn't be verified due to sporadic communications, and their scattered forces were kept in a state of constant flux. The month-long omnic siege had thrown them into disarray, and they would need time to rebuild.

When that fact was established after some heated arguments, the meeting was adjourned to give Jaida and Ana some mandatory R&R. But not before they presented Jaida with two new star insignias to go with the eagle on her epaulet, signifying her jump-step promotion to Colonel. Evidently, they understood that Jaida was running the show, and wanted her to continue running it – but with a more respectable rank. 'Just want to save their own faces,' Jaida had muttered, albeit with a thin smirk. 'Don't want a lowly Major to show them up."

Then she had turned to Ana as they walked out into the mid-afternoon sun. 'Want to take my place?' Jaida said, and merely patted Ana on the back in farewell when the captain shot her a surprised look. Ana gazed after Jaida as the colonel strode down the road, then shrugged off the question as a joke. She went in the other direction, walking all the way towards her home despite the heaviness in her muscles.

Ana nipped into the house first, running through the shower in a tired daze and falling into the bed for some shuteye, before she fetched Fareeha from the babysitter. The girl, who had been roused in the middle of her afternoon nap, perked up at the sight of her mother, giving Ana a lazy welcome of hugs and kisses and babbles, before she fell asleep again. Just as well – Ana was happy enough to lay on the sofa with Fareeha, hugging her daughter securely as she kept her eyes closed, falling into silent meditation in the peacefulness of her home.

An hour later, Ana heard the rumble of a bike outside, and the garage doors opening. She lay Fareeha in the baby rocker and strode into the garage, the sight of her causing Kamilah to stop mid-stride towards the door. After a short stare, her wife breathed a sigh of relief and flew into her, arms wrapping around Ana tightly.

"You need to stop scaring me every time you come back," Kamilah said in her ear, then loosened her grip on Ana's shirt and leaned back.

"And you need to stop being such a scaredy-cat." She smirked when Kamilah flicked her cheek.

"Says the one who's terrified of horror movies." Kamilah ran a hand through Ana's hair, then cupped her cheek, thumb stroking her skin softly. "Are you alright? I heard about…what happened."

Ana's smile remained, though thinner when she pressed her lips together, instinctively pushing down the memory. "I'm fine." She gave Kamilah a peck, then pulled her in for a firm embrace. "I'm here."

Ana kicked down the motorcycle's side stand and shut its engine, but didn't move to take off her helmet or get off the bike.

When she was traveling back to Heliopolis in the early morning, they had skirted around the edges of this neighbourhood, and Ana caught a glimpse of the omnic's impact on the area. She had forced it out of her mind then, to focus on the task at hand. But after she had reached home and Kamilah returned to watch over Fareeha, Ana set out on a personal errand. Kamilah had told her to take the bike since she'd be heading closer to the combat zone, as it would provide a quicker escape should trouble reach her.

Ana stared ahead through her tinted visor, spotting the warm glow of camp lights and fires dotting the sidewalk. Several individuals and families had returned to the area, setting up camp beside their ruined houses despite the present danger. Perhaps they couldn't let go, or had nowhere else to go. Perhaps they wanted just one last look at their home, to bid their old lives goodbye.

She sighed, finally pulling the helmet off her head. Hanging it on the handlebar by its strap, Ana took leaden steps towards the dust-covered front yard, and looked over the remains of the Amari home. Most of it had collapsed, with only a small portion of the eastern section left standing. Ana moved closer towards the rubble, spying the battered cross-section of her sister's and parents' room. Several pictures still hung precariously from the only wall left in Zaid's room, but the single band poster on Safiya's wall remained undamaged, only covered in dirt. Of all the things… Ana snorted despite herself. She hated that band – the poster's demise might've lifted her spirits by a fraction. But life, it seemed, was intent on keeping her as miserable as possible.

Ana stepped gingerly on the large chunks of concrete and splintered wood, climbing up the short pile of rubble to survey her house. There were a few bullet holes, black scorch marks, and smaller fragments of debris that made Ana suspect an explosion. From a grenade, perhaps? Either a small cluster, or a rocket? Ana couldn't tell, and her curiosity died quickly. It didn't matter anymore.

She searched around the rubble with the flashlight from her phone, finding broken and burnt pieces of their furniture in the wreckage. Then she climbed up to the floor of Zaid's room, stopping for a moment when she heard a dangerous creak and groan beneath her feet. When she was satisfied the floor wouldn't give under her, Ana collected the photos from the walls and went over to Safiya's room, gathering more stuff as she went along. She paused in front of the band poster, torn by a second of indecision, before she took it as well.

Dropping carefully back to the ground floor, Ana sat on the rubble in the living room, looking over the photos beneath cracked glass. Three were of the original family, one with Kamilah and Zahra as well, and the last was her parents' wedding photo. She ran a fingertip gently over her mother's face, heart flat and hollow.

Ana raised her gaze from the photo, blinking the moisture from her eyes. She scanned the rubble again, feeling so small from where she sat amid the house's remains; like a child, but with no one to hold her hand, to sing her to sleep, to tell her everything will be alright.

She swallowed thickly, hugging the photos to her chest.

She had to make this right.

Ana gazed at her wife, wearing a small smile of her own as the surprise on Kamilah's face gave way to amusement.

"I forgot your birthday the last time I came back," Ana explained, when Kamilah took the proffered rose from her hand. "So… Happy birthday."

Kamilah chuckled quietly, and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks. But to tell you the truth, I forgot too."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because you were out there, making me sick with worry?"

"I was going to say it's because you're an old hag," Ana drawled, taking Kamilah by the arm and strolling to the living room. "But let's go with that."

"Horrible," Kamilah huffed, then nodded at the paper bag she held. "What's that?"

"Fareeha's birthday present. And a cake for the two of you."

"You got all that on the way back?" Kamilah asked incredulously.

"Your wife might be an idiot, but she's a resourceful one," Ana replied airily and let go of Kamilah's arm, setting the paper bag on the coffee table. It caught Fareeha's interest, the girl forgetting about the rattle in her hand as she peered at the bag curiously. Ana took off her backpack as well, placing it behind the armchair so it would be out of sight. She caught Kamilah's gaze, her wife cocking her head. Kamilah knew it contained the belongings she had salvaged from her home. Ana gave a wan smile to acknowledge her concern, then quickly turned her attention elsewhere.

Reaching into the paper bag, Ana retrieved the blue bird plushie and held it out to Fareeha, whose eyes brightened at the new toy.

"It's for you, Fareeha!" Ana cooed, letting the girl take the plush with an ecstatic grin. "It's your birthday two weeks ago, you know? Your very first birthday!"

Fareeha held up the toy, giggling as she shook it up and down. She was so preoccupied with the toy, that Ana fancied Fareeha didn't notice when she kissed the girl's forehead.

She sighed quietly to herself and ruffled Fareeha's hair, watching the look of pure, simple bliss on the girl.

If only you could stay like this forever.

Kamilah hovered around her whenever she was home, obviously concerned with Ana's quieter demeanour since her return. Ana offered her no explanation in the way of words, only a smile to set her heart at ease. She made it clear she wanted to go about life as per normal, and so Kamilah asked no questions. Since Ana started spending more time at command, Kamilah took to caring for her instead. Ana never had to work or worry for anything at home – a warm meal always waited for her after work, then a cup of tea to help her unwind, or aspirin if she had a headache. A clean set of her uniform always hung on the wardrobe door, already ironed and ready for use. Fareeha's cries were quickly assuaged by Kamilah before she had to do anything, and Ana had to fight for a chance to take care of her child, reminding Kamilah that 'I'm her mother too, remember?'

Kamilah gave in, and Ana took to teasing her for being 'too capable a solo mother'. Her wife responded to the teases with scoffs and eye rolls, but wore a smile on her lips – being a capable mother could only be a compliment, after all.

A holographic map of Egypt hovered over Ana's table, its many regions highlighted in blue and red, beside the vast grey of the desert. Currently, only the omnium was in red. She clicked a button on her palm-sized remote, and the red seeped into the blue of Cairo. Another click, and the red was forced back, but it leaked out the sides into the neighbouring regions. With each press of the button, the red spread inexorably across the map, swallowing small towns and invading cities until the blue pushed against it, and they came to a standstill. Blue went on to swallow red, reclaiming its lost territories and enveloping nearly 70% of the map in uniform colour, when a bright spot of crimson appeared in the Giza Plateau – the Temple of Anubis.

Like large blood splatters, red dotted the entire map, drowning out the blue until they were islands in an ocean of blood. That's when Ana lifted her thumb from the remote, and stared at the map.

They had assigned her a personal office in the command building, and poring over the map was how Ana spent most of her time in the room. In the war room with other officers, Ana looked to the future and planned to save it. In her privacy, she pondered the past and wondered how they had been driven into this desperate state.

She clicked another button, going back in the timeline and watching the Temple grow red again, along with the majority of the map. The God Program had wrested control for itself, and turned nearly all omnics against humans – not only in Egypt, but in Russia, the US, and India as well. But why was the destruction of humanity their first goal after gaining full sentience? And more importantly, how were they doing it? How did they override the consciousness of other omnics? Were the omnics hacked, their memories and sense of self wiped when they were turned into drones? Could the red-eyed omnics operate as individuals, think for themselves as a single entity? She hoped not.

Ana replayed the Temple's activation again, staring at the map as it was steeped in red. If this was the work of mindless drones, she didn't dare to think what would happen should the omnics get creative.

A knock on the door distracted her, and it swung open after her acknowledgement. She stood to attention when Jaida strode through the door, with a datapad in hand.

"At ease, Amari," Jaida said, shutting the door behind her. "Still hard at work?" She nodded at the map, and Ana noticed the tension on her face despite the smile.

"Just…thinking, ma'am." Ana thumbed the projector's switch, and the map blinked off. "How can I help you?"

"That's up to you." Jaida tapped the datapad against her palm when Ana tilted her head. "The Alexandria base had just been breached by the omnics. Dealt damage to over a third of the place before they were pushed out again." She paused, then held the datapad out to Ana.

Ana took it mechanically. The KIA list from Alexandria was displayed onscreen, and she didn't have to scroll down to confirm her misgivings. Amari, Zaid was among the first casualties listed.

Her mouth went dry, datapad trembling minutely in her hand, but her entire body remained oddly calm. Empty. A part of her had died when Jaida mentioned the attack on Alexandria, and now the rest of her followed. She realised she was holding her breath, and let it out. Ana stared at the pad's screen longer, then nodded and handed it back to Jaida.

"Would you…" She stopped, suddenly feeling winded. Taking a moment to gather herself, she continued, "Do me a favour?"

Jaida nodded.

"Inform my wife and sister for me."

Jaida peered at her longer, then nodded again. She left the office without another word, and for that, Ana was grateful.

She leaned heavily against the table with both hands, mind clear yet shrouded in a haze. She could think of nothing, staring down at the table with an unseeing gaze. Slowly, Ana sat down in her chair, and closed her eyes.

She stayed in a functional haze for the rest of the day, ignoring the buzzing from her phone until it died away. Jaida didn't summon her to the war room, and no one came into her office that day – she suspected the colonel's doing. Ana read through a report detailing the omnic attack on Alexandria, took another brief glance at the KIA list, then brought up her map again. This time, she didn't give any thought to the past. Instead, she studied their current state, playing mix-and-match with their forces, trying to find the best solution to eradicate their omnic problem.

It was a task that held her in the office well into the night, until Jaida popped by and ordered her to go home. So she did.

Ana walked past the nursery without a word, shutting her bedroom door to block out Kamilah's voice and Fareeha's babbles. She dropped her bag without thought, and sank to the floor beside the bed, staring at the wall blankly. She remained in the cold, hollow state for a long while, and was only vaguely aware of the door opening behind her.

Kamilah knelt beside her and hugged her tight, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Ana turned her gaze slightly as Kamilah sat down beside her, keeping an arm around her back and holding her hand. Ana lowered her eyes to where Kamilah stroked the back of her hand with a thumb, her wife waiting for her to say something. Maybe cry, or break out into another smile as she had done for the past days. Ana couldn't. She didn't dare to. She was afraid to speak, to etch a crack in a dam that would crumble under the pressure.

"I've contacted the office," Kamilah said gently, breaking their prolonged silence. "They said there's no guarantee that they can transport the bodies back any time soon. They don't have the manpower, and there's no secure route to Cairo. So they'll bury the bodies in a temporary cemetery in Alexandria after a few days."

Ana nodded, throat constricting at the last sentence. "Thanks," she whispered.

Kamilah gave a weak, fleeting smile, fingers tightening around Ana's.

Waiting a few more moments, Ana dared to speak, "He didn't even get to see Fareeha–" Her voice cracked, and the rest of her words disappeared in an involuntary, forceful exhale. She took controlled breaths, fighting down the lump rising to her throat. Kamilah's hand cupped her cheek, and she forced a smile. Placing a kiss on Kamilah's palm, she said, "I'm fine."

Her voice was surprisingly steady as Kamilah caught the first tears with her thumb. Ana tried to collect herself and failed, sobs forcing their way to her throat. She cried as quietly as she could, first leaning her head against Kamilah's for support, before moving to rest on her shoulder. She clung onto Kamilah's shirt, fingers gripping tightly at soft fabric as Kamilah held her firmly, rubbing her back soothingly.

Only when Ana had calmed down, sobs dying away as her tears became silent, did she realise the shoulder of her own t-shirt was damp as well.

She received a text from Jaida later that night, informing her that she had been taken off duty for the next two days – no argument or she would be demoted to private. So Ana stayed, and spoke little of her father – even in the phone call with Safiya, the sisters refused to talk directly about their father's death. They asked after each other, made promises to see each other again, vowed to send the omnics back to hell, and that was that. Kamilah appeared even more worried than before, but Ana put on a smile as always, telling her wife not to be silly as she squeezed Kamilah in a hug.

Two days later, Ana returned to the war room with Jaida. Now with consolidated information about their forces countrywide, it was easier to put themselves back together, and start planning a countermove. But to find a viable solution was nigh impossible. Their forces were stretched too thin, trying to hold onto more territories than they could protect. They would have to choose which cities and towns to let go, and from which strongholds to mount a retaliation. It would be a slow and arduous process, one that was left to the brass to suffer over. Unfortunately, Jaida was to stay and share their pains – one of the 'perks' of her new rank. But she sent Ana back into the field in the meantime, saying that she would be a waste to keep in base.

So Ana kissed both her wife and child in farewell yet again, and charged back into the fray with a vengeance. For vengeance.

The first order of business was to establish secure roads between Heliopolis and other bases, facilitating more effective troop movements across the country. Ana fought her way up to Alexandria first, paving the way for reinforcements that the base sorely needed. There she visited her father's grave, shedding a few more tears in front of the wooden grave marker, before heading out with her company again.

Two months passed, with Ana carving out transport routes along the northern cities, and the army engaging in skirmishes with omnics all over the country. When she had reached Ismailia, finding Mesi and Layla still fighting strong, they received an emergency transmission. A small battalion escorting hundreds of civilians to base had been ambushed along the way, and were pinned down at a location nearly an hour's drive from Ismailia. Judging from the static-spotted report, they would need a sizeable contingent to fight the omnics back, but by the time the larger force reached them, the ambush would've ended in the omnics' favour.

They needed to buy time, so Ana gathered a small response team to provide quick assistance. She left regular infantry alone – tackling the omnics in conventional ground combat with such a small force would be suicide. Instead, she went with her instincts, and chose only snipers for her team, along with a few medics to render medical aid if necessary.

The team flew along the dusty, broken roads at dangerously high speeds in their LRVs, not daring to slow down for even a second – not with the weight of hundreds on their shoulders. They parked their vehicles at a safe distance, then ran towards the ambush site as ghost-like figures, hidden by their stealth kits. Ana sprinted up a sturdy-looking building until she had good elevation, and got a feel of the battlefield. The civilians were holed up in a dilapidated community centre, while the soldiers guarded the building and tried flanking the omnics to distract them.

Noting wryly that they had the right idea, Ana ordered her snipers to open fire. The first few waves of sniper fire was met with confusion, before the omnics gathered themselves to neutralise the new threat. But the split in focus left the rest of their forces more vulnerable to attack, and the soldiers who had been pinned down before, were now the hunters instead. With the snipers baiting the omnics into exposing large openings in their ranks, the soldiers ripped into their lines, scattering them repeatedly amid gunfire and blood and sparks. Ana kept running between levels and buildings, her fatigues soon soaked in sweat from the exertion – but sweating meant she was alive, and she had to keep her position a mystery to stay that way.

Ana's limbs were starting to feel like lead, the rifle weighing heavily in her hands, when reinforcements finally arrived and mowed down the remaining omnics with ease. She received numerous pats on the back with an exhausted, not-quite-there smile, before dropping heavily back in her LRV's seat, muscles weeping in relief.

She was given some reprieve back in Ismailia, after her hand – and entire arm – was shaken vigorously by an ecstatic General Mahmoud. Ana grabbed a bit of rest, then reported to the general as ordered. He was impressed by her initiative, and because of how effective they had been, her snipers were to be on standby at all times, ready to be called to action. And they were put to work a few more times while in Ismailia, responding to emergencies that often occurred close to omnic territory surrounding the omnium. Then Ana continued to fight her way out of Ismailia, relying on her snipers to keep the tide of battle in their favour, when she was summoned back to Heliopolis again.

She was greeted with a proud smile on Jaida's face, as the colonel revealed the reason for the summons. The brass had taken note of her new tactics and its rate of success, not to mention its reliance on a much smaller number of soldiers. Believing that it would greatly improve the army's efforts and boost morale, they gave Ana the authority to assemble her own company of snipers, and provide aid to all of their troops.

Ana studied each sniper's record extensively, paying particular attention to their combat performance against the omnics. She chose not those who adhered strictly to their mission parameters, but the soldiers with proven initiative and flexibility. If she had learnt anything in the past year, it's that they couldn't survive just playing by the book anymore. They had to observe, adapt, and act – and she singled out those who would do just that.

She chose snipers like Khalid – her very first choice – who could act like a one-man team, providing sniper support on his own by constantly switching his sniping positions, and leaving 'ghostprints' on the omnics' radar with the help of heating and radio devices, fooling them into thinking there were five sniper teams instead of just one man. She chose snipers like Amira – her ex-spotter – who didn't hesitate to throw her sniper rifle aside and grab an assault rifle from the fallen, charging into battle to create a surprise distraction and give her comrades an opening to destroy omnic artillery. She chose snipers who didn't hesitate to take enormous risk, and surmounted impossible odds.

And they did so without fail. Under her lead, Ana's snipers had bolstered efforts to assault omnic territory, snatching back the land bit by bit. The omnics experienced great difficulty in countering the snipers' inspired and unconventional tactics, unable to logically predict what they would do next. They claimed victory after victory in battle, and as news of their success spread throughout the ranks, they were made official.

More snipers were chosen to join the initial company, and they grew into a regiment of 1000. 'God Eye', they were called, with Ana at its head as commander, and Khalid as her second-in-charge. Horus and Bastet, watching over the soldiers of Egypt, protecting these brave souls as they fought to take back their home.

"I'm fine," Safiya said, her voice marred with static. "Still letting…it sink in. It never had much time to fully register, I think. Been too busy."

"Of course. These things take time," Kamilah replied, noting Safiya's reluctance to address her father's passing. She held the phone to her ear and tilted her head back, so that Fareeha's itchy fingers couldn't reach it. She smiled down at the girl's pout, kissing her head and tapping on the bird plushie. It had instantly become Fareeha's favourite toy, and she never let it out of her sight for more than a few minutes. The bird soon worked its magic, and Fareeha forgot about the phone, playing with the toy contentedly in Kamilah's lap.

"Yeah. How are you? And how's Ana?"

"I'm fine. But Ana…" She sighed, leaning back in the sofa. "She hasn't talked much about papa since…"

"Mah," came Fareeha's voice, and Kamilah grasped her hand absentmindedly.

"Yeah," Safiya said tightly, and Kamilah's heart squeezed in sympathy, half-wishing she hadn't brought it up. "Just…give her time. She'll be fine. It was like this when our mother passed as well. We didn't want to talk about it. Agreed to leave the grieving until after the insurgency was done. Gave hell to the insurgents, made sure we could stand in front of her grave without shame."

"It's…" Kamilah considered her words, dimly aware that Fareeha was trying to catch her attention with repeated 'mah's. "It's not an obligation, Safiya."

"I know. But it's useful. Keeps things in focus." Safiya seemed to lose stamina, her voice dropping off amid another wash of static. "Just let Ana do her thing. She'll go to you when she needs it."

"Mah…mah."

Kamilah swirled Fareeha's hand in circles, still focused on the conversation. "And if she doesn't?"

"Trust me, she will. Girl's got a better head on her shoulders than mine." Kamilah could imagine her crooked smile. "And speaking of which, I'd better get some rest. Gotta mow some omnic ass early in the morning."

"Good luck," Kamilah said, smiling at Safiya's casual affirmation before ending the call.

"Mah, mah."

"Hm?" Kamilah hummed, pressing a kiss to Fareeha's head, eyes still on the phone as her screen went dark. She sighed, setting the phone down. She hadn't been able to contact Safiya since the news about Zaid, as her sister-in-law had been given a field promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel and taken on all the responsibilities it entailed. It wasn't much of a relief to know that Safiya was handling her loss just like Ana, but at least she was keeping busy, and had Zahra to turn to when she needed it.

"This family's such a headache, isn't it?" Kamilah sang to Fareeha, who still stared up at her.

"Mah mah," Fareeha said clumsily, and Kamilah's heart stopped for the briefest of moments.

"Me?" she asked, as if the child would understand her question. "Are you calling…mama?"

"Mah-mah!" Fareeha repeated merrily. She reached out with a little hand, and grasped onto Kamilah's hair. "Mama!"

"Yes!" Kamilah laughed, tears springing to her eyes. "That's me. I'm mama."

"Mama!"

"Clever girl!" Kamilah hugged Fareeha tight, laughing breathlessly as the girl hugged about her neck. "Such a clever girl! Mama's so proud of you."

Fareeha patted her excitedly on the back, swept along with her mother's thrill. "Ma–, mama!"

Kamilah gave the child a sound kiss on her belly, getting even more giggles from Fareeha as she was set back down in her mother's lap. As she started babble at her mama again, a thought struck Kamilah. Ana was slated for another meeting back in base, much to the sniper's chagrin. She hated being trapped in a war room instead of fighting in the field, but her new position as the head of God Eye necessitated regular conferences back in Heliopolis. No doubt she would be grumpy again when she returned home.

Reaching for her phone, Kamilah opened the gallery and tapped on a photo of Ana. She held it in front of Fareeha, who brightened up and placed a hand on the screen. She looked up at her mother and said, "Mah!"

"Yes. This is mommy. Mah-mee," Kamilah repeated slowly, holding Fareeha's wrist and tapping her hand on Ana, so the girl knew who 'mommy' was. "Mah…"

"Mah."

"Mee…"

"Mi!"

"Mah…" Kamilah said again, smiling and nodding when Fareeha imitated her effortlessly. "Mee…"

"Mi!"

"Mah-mee."

"Mah–, m-ah…" Fareeha frowned, encountering some difficulty. "Ah-mi!"

"Oh, you almost got it, darling. Mah," she said, placing more emphasis on the syllable, and tapping Fareeha's hand over Ana's photo. "Mee. Mah-mee. Mommy!"

"Ami!"

"Almost there, little one. You're doing so good!" She tweaked Fareeha's nose, and the girl clamped two hands over her face in glee. "We have a few more days. Let's make your mommy happy, hm?"

"Ami!"

"Very close, my dear."

When Ana trudged through the front door in her fatigues, she was promptly tended to by her wife, who took her duffel bag and ushered her straight to the bedroom. Kamilah smiled enigmatically when Ana shot her a suspicious squint, then shooed her into the bathroom. When Ana had shut the door, Kamilah flew into the nursery, where Fareeha was hitting two building blocks together.

She took out her phone and went through their usual practice, tapping Fareeha's hand on Ana's photo as they repeated 'mommy' together. Fareeha still struggled a little with enunciating the 'mah' in 'mommy' properly, but Kamilah let her return to her toys quickly, unwilling to push the girl and upset her. Then she heard the bathroom door open, and it was showtime.

Kamilah picked Fareeha up, bringing her into the master bedroom to greet her mother. Ana looked on curiously with a smile, as Kamilah pointed at Ana and asked Fareeha, "Who is that?"

Fareeha stared at Ana blankly, then turned to Kamilah with uncomprehending eyes.

"Who's that, Fareeha?" She coaxed Fareeha back into looking at Ana, but the girl still didn't react. Hm. Kamilah tried walking closer to Ana, with no luck. Then she tried holding onto Fareeha's wrist, and raised her hand to Ana's face. "Who's that, Far–?"

"Ami!" Fareeha yelled, waving her arms excitedly when she caught on. "M–, ami!"

Ana burst out in a hearty laugh. "Is she…trying to say 'mommy'?"

"Yup," Kamilah said with a fond sigh, handing the child over to Ana. "She's having a tiny problem with it."

"Problem? I see no problem. My little girl's being creative. Aren't you, Fareeha?" She tickled Fareeha's chin, and received a smack on her nose in return.

"Ami!" Fareeha said again, smacking at Ana's nose with great fervour. "Ami! Ami!"

"Ow, ow–, Fareeha, no." Ana scrunched up her face and caught Fareeha's hand before it could land again. "Keep doing that and your mommy's not going to have a nose anymore."

"Ami!"

"Ah, that's right. Ami," Ana crooned and turned to Kamilah, a lop-sided smile on her lips. "I'll assume you didn't teach her to smack me too?"

"By accident, I think?" Kamilah said sheepishly. "I taught her with the hand thing."

"No wonder. Now she thinks each time she says 'ami', it has to come with a slap." Ana smirked, then leaned in to give her wife a warm kiss. "But thank you, my careless little love."