Chapter Thirty-Six
Before
Bits of the conversation on the back deck drifted up through my open bedroom window.
“Are you ever gonna get married?” I overheard Ben Rodriguez ask. “You’re the lone holdout in our group.”
I assumed he was talking to Ian, because the only other person hanging out on our deck was Ali, who obviously had a wife.
The three friends were out back smoking cigars, a habit Ali picked up after turning forty.
He’d have one or two people over, primarily neighbors but also old friends—when their schedules allowed.
I usually stayed out of sight on those evenings, not only because I hated the smell of cigars but also because Ali deserved some guy time.
He rarely went out with his friends, and I knew how much he enjoyed the occasional relaxing cigar night.
I was reading in bed when the pungent scent of smoke wafted in the open window. I’d crossed over to close the window when I overheard Ben’s question.
“I’m not the only holdout. Nasser isn’t married yet either,” Ian pointed out. “Has he even come close?”
“Not that I know of.” Ali’s voice. “What about you?”
“Not yet,” Ian answered.
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” Ali told him.
“Yeah?” Ian asked. “What’s it like—being married and having a family?”
“There’s nothing like it. Amira’s essentially my best friend. We always have each other’s backs. And the kids”—I heard the love in my husband’s voice—“they just take life to a different level. It’s a feeling that I can’t describe.”
Warmth blossomed inside my chest. I knew Ali loved me and our family, but I enjoyed hearing him say it. He was a man of few words, especially when it came to expressing his feelings.
Ben snorted. “It’s also having no time to yourself, always running after kids, getting no sleep because they’re up at the crack of dawn, and being too tired to fuck your wife at the end of the day.”
I heard Ali’s quiet laugh. “Your kids are still young. It gets much better once you start getting enough sleep again.” Ali had been the first to get married in his friend group. Ayla and Adam were already in middle school by the time Ben got married.
“I thought I came close to snagging ‘the one’ a couple of times,” Ian said. “But it hasn’t worked out yet.”
“Yet?” Ben echoed. “She’s still in the picture?”
“We’ve been on and off for years.”
“Years?” Ben snorted. “I see you’re still having trouble closing the deal.”
“From what I hear, Lizzie is single now,” Ian remarked, in what sounded like an obvious attempt to shift focus away from his lackluster love life. “I wonder what she’s been up to.”
“I heard she hooked up with someone right after her divorce,” Ben said. “But nothing after that.”
“Who did she hook up with?” Ian asked.
“No idea,” Ben answered. “But I think it lasted a little while.”
“How about you, Ali?” Ian’s voice again. “Have you heard anything?”
“Nope.” I could hear the shrug in his answer.
“You two were so close,” Ian said. “Do you seriously not stay in touch at all?”
“I’m a happily married man,” Ali said. “And I intend to remain that way.”
“Are you worried that Lizzie might tempt you if you were to see her again?” Ian persisted.
“Fuck off.” Ali’s voice was calm but cold. “My wife is inside the house. Have some respect.”
Ben laughed. “Ian’s trying to distract us from the fact that he still can’t close the deal. I remember you and Nass got all the action back when you three roomed together. Ian was lucky to get your leftovers.”
The chatter continued but I stopped listening. I quietly closed the window and went back to bed, savoring Ali’s words about marriage and family.