hushed tones as they sat up and then put their heads to the ground. Hannah watched them, fascinated, and wondered exactly what they were praying for. After a few moments, Sadiq squeezed Hannah’s hand and led her along the wall to the back of the room and out through the door.
When the doors were closed tightly behind him, he turned to her and asked, “So, what did you think?”
“I, that was, I can’t,” Hannah was too overwhelmed to speak.
Sadiq smiled widely, excited at her reaction. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Beautiful is definitely one word to describe it,” she said as she slipped her shoes back on.
Sadiq slid into his shoes and then placed his hand on her elbow, leading her away from the temple and down another hall.
As they walked, Hannah thought about the men and their practice. “Sadiq,” she said as he led her through a set of chambers she hadn’t yet seen. “What do you think they were praying for?”
Sadiq looked at her and laughed. “Probably for me,” he said. He looked over at her and saw that she wasn’t laughing. “Oh, you’re being serious?” he said, hoping he hadn’t offended her.
Hannah nodded, and Sadiq thought about it for a moment as they walked. “I would guess that they were praying for the same thing all of us pray for. Health, happiness, safety for the ones we love. That kind of thing”
“Is that what you pray for?” asked Hannah.
Sadiq dropped his hand from her elbow and his tone turned cold. “I don’t pray.”
“But you have a temple in your home.”
Sadiq’s responded in clipped tones. “It’s not my temple. It was built centuries ago. And just because it is here does not mean that I have to use it.”
Hannah sensed a distance grow between then and felt bad that she had asked. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Sadiq stopped walking and let out a long breath. He turned to face her. “No, I’m sorry, Hannah. I know you have a lot of questions, I guess, I’m just not used to answering them. I’m the boss of my home. I’m the boss at work. Even when I date, women expect me to be cool and aloof. I guess I’ve gotten used to that.”
“I get it,” Hannah said. “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”
Sadiq reached out and took her hands in his. “That’s just it. I know I don’t have to. But I want to.”
He didn’t know why he had said that. He didn’t know why he was saying any of what he was saying. But it felt right. He had kept to himself for so long, kept his feelings, his fears, his everything bottled up inside, not allowing anyone in or anything out for so long that sometimes he felt like he could just burst. And when he was with Hannah, he felt at ease. There was something about being in her presence that made him feel like he could share some of what had held in for so long; something about her kindness, her authenticity, that made him want to share them with her.
Sadiq looked into her eyes and for a moment wanted to tell her everything. But as quickly as that feeling came, it left again.
Hannah saw it. She sensed the fear in his eyes. Not wanting to ruin the moment or push him further away, she squeezed his hands and smiled, trying to make light of a tense situation.
“Listen, I appreciate that. But my mind is on overload already,” she said, releasing his hands and letting her arms fall to her sides. “I mean, I’m just a country girl from Georgia. I’ve never been in a temple before, let alone a palace. So I think it’s good if we keep things simple.”
Hannah stood still as she waited for Sadiq’s response. “Agreed,” he said and smiled back, still wanting to tell her everything, but knowing she was right.
“Agreed,” she said, hoping she hadn’t implied that she wasn’t interested in hearing about his problems—she just wasn’t sure she wanted to hear them now. Besides, was that really part of her job
When the doors were closed tightly behind him, he turned to her and asked, “So, what did you think?”
“I, that was, I can’t,” Hannah was too overwhelmed to speak.
Sadiq smiled widely, excited at her reaction. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Beautiful is definitely one word to describe it,” she said as she slipped her shoes back on.
Sadiq slid into his shoes and then placed his hand on her elbow, leading her away from the temple and down another hall.
As they walked, Hannah thought about the men and their practice. “Sadiq,” she said as he led her through a set of chambers she hadn’t yet seen. “What do you think they were praying for?”
Sadiq looked at her and laughed. “Probably for me,” he said. He looked over at her and saw that she wasn’t laughing. “Oh, you’re being serious?” he said, hoping he hadn’t offended her.
Hannah nodded, and Sadiq thought about it for a moment as they walked. “I would guess that they were praying for the same thing all of us pray for. Health, happiness, safety for the ones we love. That kind of thing”
“Is that what you pray for?” asked Hannah.
Sadiq dropped his hand from her elbow and his tone turned cold. “I don’t pray.”
“But you have a temple in your home.”
Sadiq’s responded in clipped tones. “It’s not my temple. It was built centuries ago. And just because it is here does not mean that I have to use it.”
Hannah sensed a distance grow between then and felt bad that she had asked. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Sadiq stopped walking and let out a long breath. He turned to face her. “No, I’m sorry, Hannah. I know you have a lot of questions, I guess, I’m just not used to answering them. I’m the boss of my home. I’m the boss at work. Even when I date, women expect me to be cool and aloof. I guess I’ve gotten used to that.”
“I get it,” Hannah said. “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”
Sadiq reached out and took her hands in his. “That’s just it. I know I don’t have to. But I want to.”
He didn’t know why he had said that. He didn’t know why he was saying any of what he was saying. But it felt right. He had kept to himself for so long, kept his feelings, his fears, his everything bottled up inside, not allowing anyone in or anything out for so long that sometimes he felt like he could just burst. And when he was with Hannah, he felt at ease. There was something about being in her presence that made him feel like he could share some of what had held in for so long; something about her kindness, her authenticity, that made him want to share them with her.
Sadiq looked into her eyes and for a moment wanted to tell her everything. But as quickly as that feeling came, it left again.
Hannah saw it. She sensed the fear in his eyes. Not wanting to ruin the moment or push him further away, she squeezed his hands and smiled, trying to make light of a tense situation.
“Listen, I appreciate that. But my mind is on overload already,” she said, releasing his hands and letting her arms fall to her sides. “I mean, I’m just a country girl from Georgia. I’ve never been in a temple before, let alone a palace. So I think it’s good if we keep things simple.”
Hannah stood still as she waited for Sadiq’s response. “Agreed,” he said and smiled back, still wanting to tell her everything, but knowing she was right.
“Agreed,” she said, hoping she hadn’t implied that she wasn’t interested in hearing about his problems—she just wasn’t sure she wanted to hear them now. Besides, was that really part of her job
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