Chapter 54 – Acceptance

Sasha’s POV


“Hello Mrs. Hassan,” I greeted as I walked into Nef’s home.

“None of that now,” she said pulling me into a hug. “Call me by my name or Nef, or something like that.”

Well at least one member of the family wasn’t out for my head. She smiled knowingly and ushered me into the living room. Nef’s brothers were sitting there watching Sports Center so I grabbed an empty spot on the couch while Nef followed her mom into the kitchen. Her dad was at John Hopkins hospital where he worked and wouldn’t be home until the morning. As soon as Nef and her mom were through the door, out of sight and hearing Imhotep turned to me.

“What the fuck?!” he said. “What happened?”

“Huh?” I said, not getting the transition.

“”Huh” he says. What the fuck happened between you and Nef? Why did my sister flip out?”

“Ummm, Nadiya? She was an old friend from home. She want me but I with Nef so she try to break us up,” And almost succeeded.

I explained to Imhotep what happened between myself, Nef, and Nadiya from start to finish. He let out a low whistle.

“Nef tell me that it my fault because: 1, I’m a guy, 2, I not see what Nadiya wanted from the beginning, and 3 – well I don’t remember the third thing but yeah. That’s it.”

“Is Nef still mad?” Khai questioned.

“No, she not mad anymore. I think that we are past it for good. I not want Nadiya. I told her that.”

Nef and her mom walked out of the kitchen and told us that dinner was ready. It was really informal and laid back but it wasn’t long before Mrs. Hassan cornered me into talking to her. I was surprised at how understanding and gentle she was. She was really easy to talk to. In truth, she was easier to talk to than my own mother. She didn’t pressure me into doing what was right, or get mad when I said something she didn’t like. She was patient and she helped me to further understand Nef and what she has gone through. Nef and her mom had a really good relationship. She told her virtually everything – even things that she had told me during our talks. I even talked to Mrs. Hassan about what Nef and I had done to work on our relationship: dealing with the busy schedules, the distance, and the subtle lack of trust that had persisted.

“You’ve certainly thought this out.”

“Yes, ma’am. I love her and I want her to be happy.”

I thanked her for listening and for all of the suggestions that she gave me. When Nef and I got up to leave Nefetiri hugged me tightly. She said “Be good to my little girl.” Nef’s mom had always been nice to me. She was a very sweet and caring woman but today was different. She was more open with me. She talked me in a way that she’d never done before. We talked and it was more than just polite conversation.

“My mom likes you. I mean she really likes you,” Nef said to me. “She’s accepted you as a part of me.”

Tomorrow was Saturday and there was a little bit of free time during the insanity that was training camp. A group of us were getting together to go paint balling. We done it for team building activity last year and had a really great time. We’d decided to go again our own this year. Some of us had invited our significant others. I was bringing Nef. She missed the guys and wanted to hang out with them.



Nef’s POV


Sasha and I hadn’t been there long before my mother pulled him off to the side to talk to him privately. From the conversations I’d had with her I knew she wanted to talk to him about what had happened between us. My mother was one of the first people I’d talked to after the incident with Nadiya. She knew the whole story…at least from my point of view.

“He’s going to be fine, Nef,” my mom said. “Stop hovering.”

I wasn’t hovering; I just wanted to know why my mom needed to talk to him alone.

“I fine. Go spend time with your brothers,” Sasha told me as he pushed me toward the couch.

My mom and Sasha talked for a long time. I could only guess he was telling her about what happened over the summer, about what happened after I left Russia and what happened in Egypt.

“I made a mistake,” I heard Sasha say. “I was too trusting. I wanted to keep my friend when I should have let go.”

I heard laughing a little while after that. However long it was it seemed to be going well. When they made their way back to the living room my mom pulled me aside.

“He’s a good man,” she whispered to me, hugging me tightly.

“Did I miss something?” I asked.

“No, but he’s a good man and I approve. I wasn’t too sure about whether or not you two would last but after the way you worked through this…I’m impressed.”

“Ommy, we didn’t do anything special.”

“Yes you did. You two not only addressed the problem but you also addressed what caused this problem and how to avoid it in the future. What the two of you did most adults can’t do. Nef, relationships aren’t easy but you guys are willing to work at it. It’s hard, especially arguing with you when you think you’re right.”

“Hey! I am not that bad,” I replied back. I can be stubborn and hard headed, sure but I am not a horrible person to argue with.

“Yes, you are!” Sasha called out. Quiet you!

“He loves you. He really loves you and I’m okay with that.”

There was a crash and a thud in the living room. My mother and I looked over and saw that Sasha was sitting on the floor with Khai in a choke-hold. Set was trying to break Sasha’s hold on Khai but he couldn’t.

“What are you boys doing in there?” my mom yelled in her Mommy voice.

“Nothing!” all three voices said back.

Immy sat on the couch laughing. He was glad that Khai and Set had found someone else to bother. They liked to horse-play.

“A little help here?” Sasha asked. Khai had wiggled out of the choke-hold and now they were gaining the upper hand. Khai held Sasha’s left arm while Set grabbed the right. Sasha didn’t want to hurt either of them so his moves were defensive…that was until Khai started punching him.

“What do I do?” he asked.

“Khai, Set, enough. He doesn’t have brothers so he’s not used to this.” Ovi was the closes thing to a brother that Sasha had but Sasha could hit Ovi back when they fought. He wasn’t sure how to deal with teenage boys.

“You know Alex, if you hit them back you won’t get in trouble,” Immy said from the couch.

Sasha looked at my mom for confirmation and when she nodded he punched both of them on their backs.

“Ow!” Set shouted.

Khai scrambled to get away but Sasha grabbed his ankle and pulled him back. Set attempted to throw himself on Sasha’s neck but ended up being pinned to the floor with Khai. Sasha had grabbed the left arm of both of them and pinned the behind their backs, which forced them to lie face down on the floor.

“You gonna stop?” Sasha asked.

“Never,” Set replied defiantly.

Sasha jerked Set’s arm higher up his back and he shouted “Okay, okay you win!”

“All right boys, enough,” I said. “Khai, Set leave him alone before you get your asses kicked. He doesn’t have to be nice to you anymore.”

When Sasha let them go, Khai turned around and said “this isn’t over.”

We didn’t stay for too much longer. I was spending the night at his place because tomorrow there was a paintballing trip with the guys. Sasha had invited me and I was super excited to be able to see the guys again.