Taif - Part 6: A New Life Begins
The air at school felt different.
Lighter.
Ever since the investigation at the orphanage, the weight that had hung over Taif’s classroom seemed to have lifted. The children—especially Zayn—looked freer. Happier.
The cruel voices had grown silent. Miss Abeer was gone. The oppressive staff members had either been removed or were under strict supervision.
And Zayn…
Zayn was changing before her eyes.
He still wasn’t speaking much, but he was smiling.
And for Taif, that was everything.
A Surprise Visitor
One afternoon, as Taif was preparing her lesson, Umm Ayman appeared at her classroom door.
"You have a visitor," she said.
Taif blinked. "A visitor?"
Umm Ayman nodded toward the hallway. "You should come see for yourself."
Curious, Taif followed her.
As soon as she stepped into the hall, her breath caught.
Standing there, dressed in a neatly pressed uniform, was Zayn.
But beside him…
Was Diaa.
Her husband.
Holding a small bag in his hand.
"Diaa?" she asked, confused.
Diaa gave her a knowing smile before crouching beside Zayn.
"Go on," he encouraged.
Zayn hesitated, gripping the bag tightly.
Then, slowly, he stepped forward and held it out to her.
Taif stared. "What’s this?"
Zayn’s lips parted slightly.
And then, in a soft, uncertain voice, he said,
"For you."
The world stood still.
He spoke.
Not just one word.
Not just a whisper.
A sentence.
Taif’s hands trembled as she reached for the bag. "Zayn…"
The little boy looked up at her, his expression filled with something she had never seen before—confidence.
She opened the bag carefully.
Inside was a small, hand-drawn picture.
It was of her.
And Zayn.
Holding hands.
Her eyes blurred with tears.
She crouched down, bringing them face to face. "This is the best gift I’ve ever received," she whispered.
Zayn’s eyes lit up.
And then, for the first time, he did something he had never done before.
He reached forward and hugged her first.
An Unexpected Discovery
That night, Taif couldn’t stop thinking about Zayn’s progress.
His voice. His smile. His healing.
But something still nagged at her.
Something Umm Ayman and Umm Mu’tasim had said before.
He looks so much like you.
She had brushed it off at the time. But now, as she sat with Diaa on the couch, she couldn’t shake the thought.
"He’s changing so fast," she murmured, staring at Zayn’s drawing.
Diaa nodded. "He’s got a new life ahead of him."
Taif hesitated.
Then, before she could stop herself, she asked,
"Diaa… what if he’s mine?"
Her husband frowned. "What?"
"Zayn," she said, turning to him. "What if he’s my son?"
Diaa stared at her.
Taif felt her heart pound. "I lost my baby, Diaa. But… what if I didn’t?"
His expression softened. "Taif…"
She shook her head. "I know it sounds crazy. But the timing. The resemblance. The way I feel connected to him—what if—"
She swallowed.
"Can we do a DNA test?"
Diaa sighed, rubbing his temple. "Taif, we have to be realistic. Your baby… he didn’t survive."
"But what if we were lied to?" she whispered.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Diaa exhaled.
"Alright," he said. "We’ll do the test."
The Truth Comes Out
A few days later, the results arrived.
Taif sat in the clinic, her hands clammy, her heart pounding.
Diaa sat beside her, squeezing her hand for comfort.
Then, the doctor walked in, holding the envelope.
Taif could barely breathe.
"Are you ready?" the doctor asked.
She nodded.
The doctor carefully opened the envelope, scanned the document, then looked up.
And smiled.
"Congratulations," he said.
"Zayn is your son."