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My mother sighed, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “We are more than that. We are a family. You girls have been through so much together. I don’t know what I would do without you both.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
My mother embraced me, and I felt her shaking. Souhir cried openly and clung to us both.
We sat like that for a while, letting the tears flow. There was nothing left to say. We just held each other tight.
The music started up again, and people danced. My mother and Souhir went to join them, hand in hand.
I watched them and felt a sense of peace settle over me. No matter what happened, I knew we would always be there for each other. We were family.
As I stood up to join them, the women ululated, and the men cheered. I laughed as we spun around and around. Our hips swayed to the music, and we sang along as loud as we could. Traditional folk songs, modern songs, it didn’t matter. We were together, and that was all that counted.
“You look beautiful,” aunt Ghalla told me as she spun me around.
“Thank you,” I said, my cheeks flushed with happiness. “How could I not? The Caid paid for it.”
They pampered me like a princess. Teams of beauticians came to my house to perform a variety of treatments on my skin, hair, and nails. They applied creams and serums to my skin to make it glow and hairless, and applied special treatments on my hair to make it sleek and shiny. My nails were painted a deep green, and my eyelashes darkened and curled.
Souhir smiled brightly at me. “You look like a queen.”
“A princess.” My mother corrected her. “But you will always be our queen.”
One of my aunts walked over to us, carrying a tray of food. “You girls need to eat something. You’re going to get dizzy from all this dancing.”
I took a small bestilla from the tray and nibbled on it. Souhir did the same. Chicken, almonds, and spices wrapped in a flaky pastry. It was delicious.
“Make sure you save some for later,” my aunt said as she walked away. “I made them for you.”
“I will,” I promised, before popping the whole thing into my mouth.
Souhir laughed at me, and I stuck my tongue out at her. The people laughed as they watched us. One of my uncles walked into the living room.
He bowed down to my ear. “It’s probably best if we continue this party outside.”
I looked up at him. “Why?”
“More people have shown up than we expected,” he said. “And they’re getting a little... rowdy.”
I frowned. I hadn’t seen more guests arrive, but then again, I had been busy with Souhir.
My mother’s brow furrowed in concern. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, Diyha,” my uncle said. “It’s best if we move the party outside. The Caid will be here soon, and he doesn’t want to be kept waiting.”
My mother nodded and herded us towards the door. Souhir lifted my kaftan so I could walk outside. Tilila and the other children rushed after me.
“What’s going on?” I asked Souhir in a low voice.
“See for yourself.”
We walked outside, and I gasped. The sun was setting, and the sky was a beautiful orange. They had hung lanterns up all around the courtyard, and people were milling around, talking and laughing.
The entire street was filled with people. Men, women, and children of all ages gathered around. There were more people here than I expected. Most of them were strangers, but there were a few familiar faces mixed in.
In the center of the street was a stage, and on the stage was a band. They played traditional music, and people were dancing.
All around the street were food stalls. The smell of grilled meats, fresh bread, and fried dough filled the air. My mouth watered.
