Chapter 43: Coffee and Rain

The shrill ring of Hadi’s alarm clock broke through the quiet of the morning at exactly 8 a.m. He groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, then lay still for a few seconds, staring blankly at the ceiling. Due to Lubna's absence, the silence of the room felt heavy, but in that silence, yesterday’s events came rushing back to him in flashes, Zohan’s fever, his weak little cries, the restless night. The thought jolted him upright, his chest tightening with worry. Throwing the blanket aside, he swung his legs off the bed and rushed out of the room.