Chapter 21: Mari

Chapter 21 - Mari Jamal stood by the large window of his office, staring out at the busy city below. His jaw was tight, his hands buried deep in his pockets. It had been seven weeks searching for Abigail, and yet, there was no result. He had thought the outreach would bring results, but it hadn't. No trace of her. It was like she had vanished into thin air. It was almost as though he had imagined their night together. The frustration of it all weighed heavily on him. A deep sigh left his lips. He hated feeling helpless. He hated not knowing what to do next. Just then, his office door burst open. "Surprise!" Two voices rang through the room, loud and cheerful. Jamal turned to see Mari and Emily standing in the doorway, grinning at him. Mari was dressed in a tight, low-cut red top and a short black skirt that barely reached mid-thigh, her long dark hair falling in waves over her shoulders and dark sunglasses in her eyes. As usual, she looked like she had walked straight out of a fashion magazine, thanks to the influence of her celebrity stepmother, who also happened to be his aunt. Emily, on the other hand, wore a simple bodycon blue dress that reached her knees, and her hair was packed in a bun. Her expression was softer but just as excited as Mari's. Jamal couldn't help but smile. "You two," he said, shaking his head as they rushed toward him, wrapping their arms around him in a tight hug. "We missed you!" Emily pouted as she pulled back. "Speak for yourself. I didn't," Mari said, running her fingers through her hair. "Yet you wouldn't stop talking about, If Jamal were here this, if Jamal were here that," Emily said dryly, while Jamal laughed as he watched the two young ladies who had become his sisters and closest friends over the years. He still remembered when he met Mari for the first time on her sixth birthday, shortly after he had been cut off from communicating with Dawn. She had been a shy little one, just like Dawn, but wore glasses like Lucy. That was what had first made him like her. But now she was no longer shy, and she had long began to use contacts in place of glasses, still he loved her like his blood sister. And Emily, she was just a sweet and soft spoken young lady. "What are you both doing here?" Jamal asked, still holding Emily close. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?" He asked since he had attended the same University with them. Emily sighed dramatically, leaning against his desk. "School's no fun anymore since you graduated and left us all alone on campus. We came to convince you to take up another course." Before Jamal could react Mari rolled her eyes dramatically. "I was actually thinking about dropping out," she said, her voice serious. Jamal laughed. "Cut it out, both of you. Go back to school." Emily and Mari exchanged a look before turning back to him with matching smirks. "Only if you take us out for lunch," Mari said, batting her lashes. Jamal groaned. "You two can afford lunch." "Lunch tastes better when you pay for it," Emily said, grinning. Jamal chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine. Let's go before I change my mind." He grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and slung it over his shoulder, leading them out. Jamal took them to a quiet restaurant not too far from his office. It was cozy, with wooden tables and warm lighting. They settled into a booth near the window, ordering their food before Mari leaned in, resting her chin on her palm. "So," she said, dragging out the word. "How are you holding up? What's the plan now that the outreach didn't work?" Jamal exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I knew that was the reason you two showed up," he muttered. Emily nudged his arm. "Did you expect us not to care? We know how much this means to you. And we also know you have no one to talk to since your jerk of a friend isn't here." Jamal chuckled as he leaned back against the seat. "Cal is not a jerk." "He is if we say he is," Mari said, supporting Emily, "but let's not talk about Cal the jerk. We are here to talk about you and your next course of action." "I can't believe my personal business has become everyone's concern," he muttered. "We are not everyone. Besides, that's what happens when you are from such a close knit community of family and friends," Emily pointed out. "Yup. So, tell us. What's next? Do you have a plan?" Mari asked curiously. "Not at the moment. But I'm not giving up. I'll keep searching. In the meantime, I need to focus on the move to Ludus and start learning sign language. When she shows up again, I want to be ready." Mari reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Good. Stay hopeful," she said, giving him a small smile. The food arrived, and the conversation shifted. Jamal looked at them as he picked up his fork. "So, how are your parents?" Mari shrugged. "They're fine. They left for the island yesterday. By the way, I saw your mom and your siblings yesterday. They're all doing okay." Jamal smiled, glad to hear that even though he talked with her daily. He turned to Emily, who was pushing her food around with her fork. "My parents are fine. Too fine," she said. Then she sighed. "My second mom is pregnant again. Can you believe it?" Emily said, since she didn't like the stepmom term and preferred to refer to her stepmom as her second mom because that was exactly what she was. Jamal raised a brow. "And that's a problem because...?" "I'm too old to be having another younger one," Emily grumbled. "I don't get why they want to have so many kids." Jamal chuckled, shaking his head. "It's not exactly your business how many kids they decide to have as long as you're not the one responsible for them." Mari laughed. "Funny that I wish my parents would give me a younger sibling," she said, and then set her fork down when she remembered something and leaned forward. "I have a secret to tell you both." Emily and Jamal exchanged a glance before turning to her.