Arezoo heard the door open. Heard a pause. Heard Donya gasp and then utter something that sounded like a squeal.
"Maman," Donya called. "Maman, you have to come here."
Soraya turned from the window. "What is it?"
"Just come."
Arezoo wanted to turn around and see what the commotion was about, but Angelica's hand on her chin was holding her face still. "Don't you dare move."
"Surprise." It was a voice that Arezoo hadn't heard in months.
Then the front door banged against the wall, and Arezoo heard her mother squeal even louder than Donya.
"I have to go," she pleaded with Angelica. "Five-minute break."
"Fine." Angelica let go of her chin, and she was on her feet before the stylist could change her mind.
Kyra disentangled herself from her sister's arms and smiled at Arezoo. "Look at you, such a beautiful bride."
"I can't believe you are here," Arezoo said. "When did you get back?"
"Just now. I came straight over here." She reached for Arezoo's hand and pulled her in for a gentle hug. "I don't want to ruin your makeup or your hair."
Soraya was crying now, the happy news kind of tears, which were very different from the bad news tears. The bad newscrying was silent. The good news crying involved her shoulders shaking and her hands gripping whatever was nearest.
"Your face is ruined." Angelica walked in, gesticulating angrily with a makeup brush. "It's too late now, so keep crying, but this is the last time I’m fixing this. After that, I'm charging extra by the hour."
Soraya just cried harder, but not because of the additional charge Angelica had threatened. Not this time. Now she was crying because she was overwhelmed with emotion, and Angelica had given her the green light to sob to her heart's content.
Yasmin arrived to join in the reunion, crushing Kyra to her chest. "How long can you stay?"
"Through Sunday. We fly out Monday morning."
"Max came?"
"He took the luggage to our house and will then head to Ruvon's place to hang out with the guys."
Parisa walked in with a pin in her teeth. "I almost stabbed Jasmine in the leg." She took it out and pointed it at Kyra. "Shame on you for not telling us you were coming. You could have at least called from the plane."
"I told her to text," Jasmine said. "She wanted to surprise all of you."
Kyra turned back to Arezoo. "You look beautiful. And terrified."
"I'm not terrified. It's just how my face is."
Kyra turned to Angelica. "What did you do to her face?"
"I'm not finished," Angelica said. "Be done with your reunion, so I can get back to it."
"You've changed so much," Kyra said. "You are a different person than the girl I saw before heading out."
"I'm getting married," Arezoo said as if it explained everything, and in a way it did.
Ruvon was responsible for her transformation, he and Drova.
Kyra, on the other hand, hadn't changed at all. She still looked like she was in her mid-twenties despite being her eldest aunt, because she had been an immortal for over twenty years.
"Yes, you are." Kyra flashed her a bright smile.
