The omnic war dragged ever on, an endless tug-of-war that left human palms bleeding and scarred as they fought for the simple right to exist. No one, not even the top minds in the world, could divine the omnics' motive for this relentless crusade on the human race; and the longer they fought to live, the more blood they spilt just to survive, the less curious the world became. They could ask questions later, if any of them were left standing. For now, what they had to do was shoot.
Ana had reached the point where her hands no longer felt at ease without the weight of her rifle. It was a source of comfort and security – with it, she was all-seeing and near-untouchable. It was a symbol of her duty, emblem of the Horus incarnate; the sight of Ana walking among the troops with her modified rifle, was taken as a guarantee that the upcoming battle would be success.
She found the notion amusing, but rather ludicrous as well. It was true that Ana's record since the founding of God Eye had been impeccable, keeping casualties to the minimum even when they're retreating in defeat, but she knew all too well that there were no guarantees. Her own failures aside, she'd had to receive and accept reports of her fellow snipers' demise, and the many engagements where all soldiers were wiped out despite having God Eye at their backs. News such as this were kept quiet by the brass, who had used their name to keep morale up among the rank and file, and this secrecy only made the failures weigh on Ana even more. If no one else was willing to remember the bravery of her comrades, then she would.
It drove her on, the ever-climbing casualty figures she read day after day, the sight of rubble lying where impressive and modern buildings used to be, the tears on civilians' faces after they had been rescued from the chaos. Her snipers were unyielding as well, somehow finding the strength to fight, and fight again, responding to requests for backup in engagements all over the country. There was a growing trend to reserve sniper support for missions of a higher priority, but Ana fought tooth-and-nail to spread her soldiers a little wider, just so more could live to see the next daybreak.
It irked her greatly, this selfishness, and it nearly led her to start a heated argument with a group of generals once. But she begrudgingly understood the rationale behind it, and accepted her fate as the head of God Eye, to be deployed to whichever mission that was deemed the most important. With the help of Horus, the army slowly retook key military installations that the omnics had snatched away from them, clawing back the land inch by inch.
On this mission, it seemed that life had finally decided to give her a breath of fresh air. Ana's company had been deployed farther west in the desert, to provide support for a Sa'ka mission to retake a secluded military research facility. They reported to the command centre in Asyut first, and that was where Ana met the one responsible for her current deployment.
Safiya wore a crooked grin as they strode out of the war room, clamping an arm around Ana's shoulders and squeezing her tight.
"I can't believe it was really you," Ana deadpanned. "I should've rejected the request and let you perish."
"Aw, come on." Safiya patted her cheek, ignoring the glances from other officers. "We haven't seen each other for so long! Or are you too important for family now, Horus?"
"I'm disowning you." Ana crossed her arms, wearing a small smirk on her lips as Safiya unlocked the door to her office.
"Oh no," Safiya said with an exaggerated pout, stopping with her hand on the door handle. "Can you hear that? The sound of my heart breaking?"
"No."
"That's because it's not." Her hand flew out to smack Ana hard in the forehead, and she zipped into her office as her sister stumbled backwards in surprise.
Ana gritted her teeth, reminding herself that it wasn't a good idea to tackle a woman – who was technically her superior – to the floor in front of other officers. So she straightened herself and walked in with dignity, rolling her eyes at Safiya's grin.
"What, do I have to prove my worth to you?" Safiya shut the door behind her, and tapped at Ana's tattoo. "Do I have to get a tattoo like yours to be worth your time? I'm thinking something like this." She held her middle finger up to her own eye. "Callsign, Fuck You."
Ana couldn't help but snigger. "Seriously?"
"Yeah! Imagine." Holding her fingers up to her ear, Safiya imitated speaking into her comm piece, "This is Fuck You, calling Horus. Horus, this is Fuck You, come in. Over." She cackled in time with Ana, slapping at her thighs as she strode over to her desk, reaching down for the drawers.
"You never change, do you?" Ana sighed, catching her breath.
"Does it look that way? 'Cause I feel a thousand times older."
Ana watched as Safiya took out a few files. "No, I was just being nice. You kinda looked like mama back there."
"Funny. I thought the same of you."
"Are you implying I'm old?"
"Duh." Safiya produced a half-finished bottle of whisky and two shot glasses from her drawer, making Ana's brow arch incredulously. "Remind me, how old is Fareeha again? 5, 6, 20?"
"She's 1," Ana corrected her, acting unamused. "1… Going to be 2 soon. Fuck me," she sighed involuntarily, reminded again that she hadn't been home for nearly half a year. "She's going to grow up without me."
"All the better for her." Safiya smirked, ignoring Ana's rude gesture as she filled the shot glasses, then handed one to her sister.
"Really? You drink on the job?"
"Hey, in this shitshow?" She shrugged nonchalantly. "You have to, if only to keep sane. What, don't you?"
"No. Alcohol tends to screw with your aim. But you've forgotten that, haven't you? Sitting all soft and cushy back at your command post."
"Fuck you," Safiya chuckled, raising her glass with Ana. "May our next mission be a success, hm?"
"With me around? Of course it will."
The assault on the military installation was a little tricky for the snipers – there was little to no infrastructure around the armoury and research grounds, and the only place they could take cover in, was the small cluster of barracks near the facility. All the buildings were short, and could hardly afford them a good view of what happened inside the facility's walls. So Ana posted a handful of snipers at the barracks, two to stay with air support in their VTOLs, while the rest trailed along with the main force until they could make camp on top of the walls.
The Sa'ka-only troops moved with an efficiency and grit that surpassed what she'd seen in the regular soldiers so far – they made it through the facility's defenses in half the time Ana expected, impressing her immeasurably. Knowing the ground assault was in good hands, Ana and her snipers broke away from the main contingent. Ana sprinted up the eastern watchtower, downing a fair share of omnics with well-aimed pistol shots on her way to the top. Once in place by the windows, she scanned the grounds with her scope and – with a quick glance at their troops and the omnics lying dead at their feet – Ana knew they had this mission in hand. Really, there was no reason for her presence here, other than to act as backup in case the Sa'ka faltered in what was labeled an 'important target'.
Nevertheless, Ana fell into her element, taking down omnic after omnic in a state of meditative coolness – until the Sa'ka had taken over most of the facility, and the ground rumbled beneath their feet. Roving her scope over the base, Ana sought out the source of the disturbance, then spotted the thin seam running through the parade grounds. The vast concrete floor parted in the middle, attracting all attention towards it. The Sa'ka soldiers mowed down the last of the omnics, then took up positions around the parade ground, weapons aimed as they waited…
Ana's eyes widened the instant the new arrival poked over the ground, and her hand flew to her earpiece immediately. "Thunderbolt-Actual, this is Horus! They have a Titan here!"
"Transmit visual, Horus," Safiya said, as calm as Ana was not.
Ana examined the Titan as it rose from its underground hangar, still inert. She had seen Titans in the news, where the omnics had converted these construction aids into weapons of mass destruction, but she hadn't expected to see one in Egypt. Why would she? They had been decommissioned months ago, and torn down before they could become a threat. Somehow, the omnics had managed to get the parts and rebuilt them…
Fear tinged her forced calm, and Ana started moving her scope over the Titan, looking for familiar weak spots to bring the massive omnic down. The bigger they are…
Safiya's voice crackled over the comms on the universal frequency, and the Sa'ka forces promptly moved to carry out 'Evasive Pattern Delta' – to try and slow the Titan as much as possible, while avoiding fire themselves. Then she opened a channel to Ana, "Horus, I need you and your snipers to stay in position. The Sa'ka will lure it out of the facility. You will fire everything you have at the small panel on its back – its fusion reactor."
"No guarantee it'll work," Ana said, though her scope was already in place, waiting for the Titan to expose its back. "There will be a shield protecting the panel – like we've seen in the Bastion units."
"I know. I'm not asking you to take it down. Just add to the distraction until my flyboys get close enough."
"Understood."
"And Horus? Stay clear of the fire." There was a hard edge in Safiya's voice.
"Anything for you, Thunderbolt."
Ana smiled at the snort over the radio before the channel clicked off, and it didn't take long for her to refocus on the Titan. She relayed the orders, then searched for the reactor panel on the Titan's back with her cybernetic eye. It was small – so small, she knew any bullet that actually hit it was just pure luck. Any bullet other than hers, of course.
Taking the lead, Ana pumped round after round at the Titan's back, her snipers following suit after they found their target by tracing the path of Ana's shots. As Safiya intended, the Titan paused, recognising that its weak spot had been discovered. It lobbed a few warning shots backwards, but continued onward anyway, unbothered by the snipers because its panel was shielded, as per Ana's prediction.
The Titan had reached the wide gates of the facility, when the whistle of jets could be heard in the distance. She saw the Sa'ka forces scattering into the desert, trying to put as much distance between them and the Titan as possible. Giving the order for her snipers to retreat, Ana jumped through the window of the watchtower, and landed neatly on the walkway. She ran in the opposite direction of the Titan as missiles bombarded the omnic and the ground on which it stood, sending tremors through the surface. The Titan was truly distracted then, trying to take aim at the jets, but they were too fast for it to lock on.
Ana met up with her snipers by the base of the northern wall, urging her snipers to run faster through the door leading to the underground exit from the facility. She felt in her bones each second ticking by, until the last of her soldiers sprinted down the stairs. Taking one last glance back at the Titan, Ana slammed the heavy reinforced door shut behind her, running down the stairs in darkness, her path lit only by red emergency lights.
Even underground, through the thick layers of alloy, she could feel the shockwave of the colossal explosion when the Titan was finally destroyed – presumably from taking a missile to its reactor core. Ana took a breath in relief, looking at the questioning expression of her snipers, who had turned back to face her upon feeling the explosion.
"What, do you want to live here?" Ana barked. "Go, go!"
After the debrief, Safiya caught up with Ana in the barracks, trapping her in a tight hug behind the building. She didn't say anything for the longest time, and Ana was left patting her sister awkwardly on the back, casting her eyes around to check that no one was there.
"I just bathed, you filthy woman," Ana said, still patting on the back of Safiya's fatigues. Her sister didn't reply, and Ana let her have a few more quiet moments to herself. "I charge by the minute, you know."
Safiya laughed then. "Fuck you."
"No, no. Cash only, babe." Ana cackled as well, when Safiya shoved her back.
"Asshole," Safiya sighed, resting both hands on her hips. She glanced down, then looked to Ana. "I was worried that I'd trapped you in the facility."
"Right. I did think it a little odd when you didn't bother checking if I had an escape route."
"I'm sorry."
"Stop it, you idiot." Ana moved forward, clasping her by the shoulders. "It was a military base. Of course there'll be escape routes."
"I know." Safiya bit her lip, then smiled again. "You did good today."
"You too."
"Still a bitch though."
"So are you, fuckface." Ana grinned when Safiya delivered a hard slap to her back. Circling an arm around her sister's waist as Safiya rested an arm around her shoulders, Ana followed her lead towards the front of the barracks compound, listening to Safiya talk about getting dinner with Zahra, who happened to be back in base.
She just nodded along, gazing at that perpetually lighthearted expression on Safiya's face.
Well. At least you're holding up alright.
The sisters were parted again when Ana's company was deployed on another mission, and it was business as usual for another month – coordinating her snipers, recruiting more soldiers for God Eye, mourning the dead, getting headaches over their dwindling numbers, and going into the field herself to support her own soldiers. But her endless fight met an…interesting interlude, when she was summoned back to Heliopolis HQ for a 'meeting'. Ana tried to probe for more information when Jaida was determined to be vague, but to no avail. When she hinted that she had more important things to do than fight another hypothetical battle at the drawing board, Jaida merely said, 'This might be more important than whatever you're doing.'
This made Ana's brows rise – both in suspicion and curiosity, and she relented, grabbing transport back to Cairo the very next day. Not that she had a choice, anyway.
Jaida waited for her by the motor pool, and returned Ana's salute casually.
"So," Ana said, falling in step beside Jaida. "Finally going to tell me what this 'meeting' is about?"
"Something important."
"How important?"
"It's about the Crisis."
Tilting her head, Ana continued, "Right… And just who called for this meeting?"
Jaida looked at her, and without a break in stride, she replied, "Xie Anyu." A wry smile finally cracked her poker face when Ana's eyes grew wider. "President of the UN Security Council."
At first glance, Xie Anyu was a severe woman – her black hair was streaked with white and worn in a neat bun, thin face bearing an imposing mien, completed by the tailored charcoal grey suit she wore. But when Ana stood before her at attention, a warm smile spread across her face, and she held up both hands.
"At ease, Captain Amari," she said in accented Arabic. "This is an informal meeting."
Ana cocked her head and relaxed. "Thank you, ma'am."
"Here." She beckoned at Ana, walking briskly over to the coffee table beside her workstation. "Please, take a seat."
Ana took to the black leather sofa adjacent to where Xie sat, pouring tea into two porcelain mugs on the table, and handed one to the sniper.
"Have you been briefed in any way about this meeting?" Xie asked, holding the mug so comfortably in her hands that Ana wondered if she could feel the heat at all.
Adjusting her fingers on her own mug, Ana replied, "No, ma'am. All I was told is that you wanted to speak with me?"
"That's the gist of it, yes." Xie smiled, taking a sip of tea as she peered at Ana, who sat with her back straight, fingers holding gingerly onto her hot mug. "Please relax, Captain. I merely want an informal conversation with you before we get down to business."
"Business?"
"The Omnic Crisis, Captain. It is perhaps the worst that we have ever faced – one that could lead to the extinction of the human race, if we do not win. And so, we fight – hard and smart. Something you are familiar with." She smiled at Ana. "I've taken note of the many impressive measures that have been taken to fight omnics all across the world: Svyatogor mechs in Russia, the Soldier Enhancement Program in the US, the Crusaders in Germany, and the God Eye in Egypt. All born out of human ingenuity, achievements in their own right… But they are still not enough on their own, aren't they?"
Ana nodded slowly. "The God Eye was – is – effective in the war, but the omnics are slowly adapting to our tactics. Given enough time, I believe they will find a countermeasure to render us ineffective." The words pained her, but it was the truth – and the growing toll in God Eye served as proof of her claim.
"Exactly. And this war cannot continue for much longer, Captain. Or there'll not be enough of us left to fight. That is why the world needs to come together to push the omnics back, once and for all." Xie took another sip of tea and set her cup down, straightening her jacket. "I am creating a task force to do just that. I've chosen many notable individuals from around the world for this task force – and from Egypt, I have chosen you."
"Because of God Eye." Ana watched Xie nod, then let the news sink in. "Only me?"
"Yes. We need the best, Captain. And you are Egypt's best. Will you help us?"
The answer was obvious. "Of course, ma'am."
Xie smiled, presumably at her lack of hesitation. "I have read your profile, Captain. And if you don't mind – I remember that you have a family. A wife and daughter, correct?" She waited for Ana's affirmation, which she received in a cautious nod. "Needless to say, the risk that comes with being in this task force will be great. You might need to pay the ultimate price in the course of your mission. Are you willing to give up your life for the cause, and deprive your family of a wife and mother?"
It was rehearsed, and it achieved its intended impact, knocking the air clean out of Ana's lungs. But her answer was just as quick as her first, "Yes, ma'am. Pardon my bluntness, but I'll be damned if I let the omnics take another of my family. I will give my life without hesitation – if it means that my wife can live the rest of her life in peace, if it means that my daughter can grow up safely in a world without war. I will give my life ten times over, just to keep them safe."
"I understand, Captain," Xie said, satisfaction apparent.
Ana took a quiet breath, realising that she'd almost lost her calm. In the quiet that followed, she pondered Xie's words. "Ma'am? If you've already chosen the task force's members…why the need for this conversation?"
Xie chuckled to herself, reaching for her cup of tea again. "We are talking about the fate of the world as we know it, Captain. I want to know if my choices are…determined individuals. Those who balk at the prospect of saving the world, will not be the ones to safeguard our future."
"Then…" Ana felt an inexplicable urge to laugh. "I passed your test?"
"You most certainly did, Captain Amari."
"Ami!"
"Yes, habibti?" Ana grinned when Fareeha pressed the purple dragon to her face, and took Fart from her daughter. "Thank you so much!" She pinched the girl's cheek gently, and watched the girl toddle back to her pile of toys and sit down.
Fareeha had learnt to walk while Ana was still fighting away from home, and could only watch Fareeha's growth through her screen. Kamilah's initial videos of Fareeha's first steps made her laugh, and Ana commented that the girl looked like a little drunk, with her wobbly steps and cheerful giggles at nearly everything she saw. Since then, Fareeha's coordination had gotten much better, to the point where Kamilah didn't hover over her like a mother duck, afraid that the girl would trip over herself…again.
No doubt Fareeha would continue to improve after her ami returns to the field, and surprise Ana again with how much she'd grown upon the sniper's next return home. Ana ached at the prospect whenever she thought about it, being forced to watch her daughter grow from afar. At least Fareeha was still able to live in relative peace because of her.
"What else did she say?"
Ana turned to the congested voice, an involuntary smirk curving her lips when she looked at her wife, lying beside the play mat with a lethargic expression on her face. Kamilah had just recovered from a fever, and she still seemed winded from the experience, sniffing so regularly that she was reluctant to get close to Fareeha for fear of spreading her germs. She didn't even want to stay in the nursery with them, but gave into Ana's ever-effective whines and settled for lying on the floor instead of the mat.
"Just that. Said she might take another month or two before…"
Kamilah sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "Will you stop being so popular for once?"
"I can't help that everyone wants a piece of me." She snickered when Kamilah let out a groan, then leaned down to kiss her wife – only to get smacked away before she could do so.
"Don't! I'm sick."
"So am I, baby," Ana crooned, quickly pressing their lips together before Kamilah could push her away. She heard Kamilah's exasperated grunt before she returned the kiss.
"If you get sick, it's your fault."
"Worth it."
"The great Horus," Kamilah deadpanned, slinging both arms around Ana's neck. "Falling sick just because she wanted a kiss."
"How romantic."
Sighing again, Kamilah yanked Ana down so she could hug her wife's head to her chest, locking Ana in place when she tried to move down to Kamilah's cleavage. "Guess I should be grateful that you can still get sick. Means that you're alive."
"Talk about setting the lowest standards," Ana said, voice muffled when she pressed her face into Kamilah's t-shirt.
"If I set any higher standards, you might get too good to stay at home."
"Hey." Ana lifted her head. "No matter how popular I get, albi, you'll always be the only girl for me."
"I'm touched. No." She slapped away Ana's hand, which had slipped down to her thigh. "I'm sick!"
"What, are you sick in your–oof!" Ana let out a breathless cackle when Fareeha threw herself on top of Ana – lost balance and fell, actually. But Ana liked letting the girl believe that it was her own doing. "You got ami pinned, Fareeha!"
Fareeha giggled, rolling onto the mat beside them. She shot them a happy grin, holding up the bunch of finger puppets in her fist. "Pup!"
"You want to play with pups, little one?" Ana cooed, and Fareeha nodded eagerly. Taking the giraffe and monkey from Fareeha, she gave a few to Kamilah, and helped to slip a bird and tiger puppet onto the girl's fingers, folding the cloth at the bottom so the puppets will fit on Fareeha nicely.
"Let's see, Fareeha… What story to tell this time?" Ana glanced at Kamilah, who had pushed herself up from the floor, and was sitting cross-legged with shoulders a little hunched. "How about the camel and the pussy again–?"
"No!"
"Puss!" Fareeha said, wiggling her fingers in delight.
"Fareeha, no…" Kamilah pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed as Ana cackled away, guiding Fareeha's hand in a high-five.
Ana was kept in the Heliopolis base against her wishes, forced to stay in her office, or fight for a chance to lead her snipers in engagements close to Cairo. Being restricted in such a manner – just because she was being eyed by the UN – made her want to tear her hair out. It was so thoroughly ironic, in Ana's opinion, to be kept out of the action when combat was exactly what caught the UN's attention in the first place, but she had little choice except to follow her orders. There was the silver lining of being able to return to her family at the end of each day, so Ana decided to focus on spending as much time with them as possible, before she was inevitably torn away again.
And, as President Xie had predicted, the summons for Captain Ana Amari arrived little more than a month later. She was given a single week to settle business at home – mostly to put Khalid in charge of God Eye and forward her drafted battle plans to Jaida – before packing her bags and boarding a private flight to Switzerland, where she would report to the UN Office in Geneva.
Kamilah took the news much better than she did before, when Ana was first deployed to aid Jaida's efforts against the omnics. She stood by the window, staring at Ana with a placid expression, before her face twitched. Kamilah closed her eyes, letting a long, slow sigh, and rested her head in one hand. She lifted her gaze when Ana's arms circled around her in a hug, and gave her wife a smile. "Time for you to go be a hero, hm?"
"Yup."
Resting their heads together, Kamilah's fingers gripped into Ana's shirt for a moment, before relaxing again. "Make me proud."
"Hm? Not going to make me promise to come back?"
"No need. I did marry the world's best sniper."
Ana laughed under her breath. "Does stroking my ego make you feel better?"
Kamilah nodded, leaning her head back to look at Ana. "If you're the best, you'll come back. Won't you?"
"Of course I will. I swear." Ana kissed her, gladly leaning in when Kamilah pulled her closer and deepened their kiss. Kamilah's gaze was soft when they parted, and her mouth twitched up into a small smile when Ana squeezed her in a tight embrace.
That night, they let Fareeha sleep between them, much to the girl's delight. She babbled on endlessly, her parents listening closely and cooing replies until she finally talked all the energy out of her little body, and fell asleep on the smaller pillow she had carried from her own bedroom. Ana tried to keep awake for as long as possible, stroking Fareeha's hair as she spoke to Kamilah in a whisper, sharing kisses until she succumbed to sleep as well, her fingers entwined with Kamilah's.
Both Kamilah and Fareeha saw Ana off at the hangar the next morning, the girl clinging happily to Ana's neck as she was carried down the row of planes, staring up at them in wonder. The jet flying Ana to Switzerland was usually reserved for only the most senior badges in the military, and she couldn't help but feel a little flattered by the gesture – no small feat, considering that she'd just had a video conference with the President of Egypt himself, who told her to 'fight well' and that she was already the 'pride of Egypt' to be chosen for such a venture.
Not that her ego could swell at his proclamation – not when Kamilah and Jaida gave muffled snorts into their fists from behind the screen, upon hearing the president's words. It'd taken all the willpower Ana had not to roll her eyes right in the president's field of vision.
"So, here we are," Jaida said, as they came to a stop before the white-coloured jet. "Make us proud, Amari–no, wait. We already are proud of you, apparently."
"With all due respect, Colonel. Shut up." Ana shook her hand firmly, sharing a grin before Jaida stepped back to speak with the pilot, giving her some space.
"Ami's going to fly now," Ana said to the girl in her arms, and Fareeha perked up instantly.
"Fly?"
"Not you this time, I'm afraid," she sighed, hugging Fareeha tightly before handing her over to Kamilah. Running her fingers through Kamilah's hair, she leaned in to kiss her wife softly. "Take care, Milah."
"Same goes for you." Kamilah closed the distance again, kissing her longer this time, reluctance apparent. "I love you."
"Love you too," Ana murmured, then turned to Fareeha. "And ami loves you too, Fareeha."
Fareeha grinned, little hand landing on Ana's nose, then giggled when Ana kissed her forehead.
Fareeha remained happy and blissfully unaware of what was happening – until Ana climbed the steps into the jet, and she was carried away from the plane in Kamilah's arms. Then she became confused, repeating 'ami' to her mother repeatedly, only to receive a gentle pat on her head. When Kamilah stood by the tall window wall facing the runway, Fareeha watched with wide eyes as the jet rolled out of its spot, carrying her ami with it, then flew off towards Switzerland. She had no idea where the plane was going of course – she only knew that it was going too far.
Her loud cry took Kamilah by surprise. But then again, Kamilah was a little busy fighting the lump rising to her throat as well. Gladly wrenching her eyes away from the runway and looking at Fareeha, she smiled and started rocking the child in her arms gently, cooing soft reassurances beside her ear.
"Ami," seemed to be all that Fareeha was capable of saying at the moment, clinging onto Kamilah's neck tightly, as if trying to keep this mother from leaving as well.
"Ami is fine, little one," Kamilah crooned, patting the girl's back. "Ami will be back, don't worry."
"Need help?"
Kamilah looked at Jaida at her tentative question, and gave the colonel a polite smile, shaking her head. "No, she'll be fine. Just not used to watching Ana leave."
"Really? I would've thought she'd gotten used to it."
"She's only used to Ana magically disappearing overnight," Kamilah explained. "We don't usually let her watch Ana leave."
"Really? Isn't that more jarring?" Jaida tried to offer a sweet she'd taken out from her pocket, but Fareeha buried her face further into Kamilah's shoulder, whining between her sobs.
"Not to her," Kamilah said with a smile, kissing the side of Fareeha's head at the watery croak of 'mama'. Deciding to clean the girl up in their car, Kamilah bid farewell to Jaida and carried the girl down to the underground parking lot, singing and crooning to Fareeha all the way.
Fareeha had calmed down by the time Kamilah set her down in the booster seat, though she still took little sobs as Kamilah wiped her face clean of tears and snot with a wet wipe. Pressing a kiss to the girl's head, Kamilah said, "She'll be back soon, Fareeha. I promise."
The girl didn't reply, keeping her lips puckered in a pout. Chuckling at the sight, Kamilah gave her another peck on the cheek, then secured the girl with a seat belt. As she rounded the car boot, Kamilah had to pause for a while, dragging one hand over her eyes and taking a deep breath, before she climbed into the driver's seat.