(Soundtrack: "Did You See Me Coming? – Pet Shop Boys)

Sunday morning in the apartment.

Ben made his way to the kitchen for a morning snack after he had a warm shower. He sent a text message to Aurah. No reply…

He put the kettle on the kitchener. He seemed to be breaking his coffee habit and going back to his British roots since he'd met Aurah. Now he was only drinking tea in the mornings.

While he sat on the couch and turned on the TV, waiting for the tea to get steeped, he called Aurah's mobile once more; Busy tone…

In the meantime, a white BMW came in front of the apartment complex. The passenger door opened and a Aurah hopped out. Samuel was on the driver's seat. No one had ever seen him that concentrated, and determined. His face looked sixty-year-old. He was sitting immobile, holding on the steering wheel with a worried look upon his face.

"Are you coming?" Aurah shouted at him.

Samuel shook his head. He opened the door and hopped out. He pulled the boot open and took Aurah's suitcase out.

"Thanks. I think I can handle the rest," Aurah said, turning left to go inside the building. But Samuel stopped her.

"I have a word or two to say to Ben," he said in a serious manner.

Aurah looked at his eyes, without challenge, and just shrugged. They walked side by side as they got inside the building and went to the third floor. Samuel nervously knocked the door.

Noise from the door; Ben switched the television off. He walked to the door and slowly unlocked the lock. When he pulled the door open, his face was as much bewildered as enlightened. Aurah was standing at the door, looking innocently. And her father, Samuel, with a nervous look upon his face was standing next to her, carrying a suitcase.

"Good morning." Aurah grinned at him.

"G… Good… Good Morning," Ben stuttered.

Samuel was stunned by Ben's shock towards Aurah's arrival. He gazed at her.

"Didn't you tell him?"

Aurah shrugged her shoulders. "I wanted to surprise him."

Samuel watched Ben as his face blushed like ketchup.

"Surprise me for what?" Ben shyly asked.

Samuel raised an eyebrow. "Aurah decided to live with you."

Even a blind man could see that Ben's heart was about to pop out of his chest.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, mother-fucker fucking fuck!

His face was so blushed that one could think that he was having a heart attack. Aurah smiled cunningly as if she read his mind.

"Aren't you gonna let us in, Ben?" She mildly asked.

Ben stepped back to a side. "Sorry… Please come in."

Samuel left Aurah's suitcase on the hall and went inside the living room. Ben with a worried frown, and Aurah with a cunning smirk, followed him.

"How come you don't call Ben to tell him that you are coming?" Samuel asked Aurah irascibly.

Aurah preserved her composure. "But it wouldn't have been a surprise if I had told him, dad."

"It would have been only fair if you had warned him beforehand."

Ben was still trying hard to recover from his shock. Aurah? Living with him? In his apartment?

Samuel came to his feet and stood against Ben. Even though Ben was actually taller than him, Samuel's aura was stronger – which was making him look larger.

"I'll say it once, don't make me say it twice," Samuel said with a voice as cold as ice. "If I ever see one single tear drop in her eyes, I'll rip your head off. Are we clear?"

Fuck, fuck, fuck! I'm so fucked. Ben swallowed hard. "Clear."

Samuel bent and placed a kiss on Aurah's forehead. "You're going to call me and your mother once in a day. Okay?"

"Well, mom said 'twice'," Aurah replied, grinning.

Samuel gave a tiny smile at her before he turned around and left. Aurah waved her hand at him from the kitchen window as he got into his car and drove away.

Aurah closed the window and turned around with a cunning smile on her face. Ben was standing by the fridge with an open mouth.

"Aurah, what have you done?"

"What have I done?" She shrugged mischievously. "I've just moved into your apartment."

"Without obtaining my permission or at least letting me know?"

Aurah's face fell. She innocently sat crossed leg on the chair.

"You don't want me?"

Ben sat next to her and cupped her face.

"Of course I want you… I've never wanted anyone or anything like this… But I don't know if you can be happy here. Can you? After your grandfather's Manhattan residence and Samuel's luxury house?"

Aurah raised her head and looked into his eyes, cracking a smile. "Ben, I know… I was born privileged. But that doesn't mean that I'm a spoiled, sourpuss home cat. I can leave my posh habits like I left New York." She jumped to her feet and began to pace up and down the rooms as she kept on speaking. "And since I'm a girl who is in favor of being modest, this apartment fits me like a glove. Maybe just a couple of changes; a new couch, a new carpet… I can't wait to show you my interior decoration talents. I love this apartment. I love that I can ride my bike in the driveway. I love that I'm gonna sleep only one room away from you… This apartment seems to look spectacular with Christmas lights. It's a home. I don't wanna go back. But the thing I think I like best about this apartment is the scent I catch when I walk through the door; your scent…

A tear drop slid down along Ben's cheeks. He turned his back in order to hide his eyes which were becoming bleary.

Aurah stopped by the bathroom door. She pulled it open and looked inside.

"Oh, I missed this bathroom... You know, some things are unforgettable; like a girl's first period." She tittered.

Ben rubbed his face quickly in order to clean it of any evidence of tears. He walked out of the kitchen, saying:

"Speaking of the bathrooms, I'd like to mention that there is only one of them in this apartment."

Aurah ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It's okay. I gladly share the bath tub with you."

Ben heaved a sigh of surrender. He looked up at the ceiling, invoking God's pity…