Invitations Near
Chapter 40 – Invitations Near
The day the invitations became real, Belle expected to feel excited.
Not the loud kind.
Not the Instagram kind.
Just… quietly happy.
Instead, she felt like she was standing at the edge of a pool.
Everyone around her was already wet.
Already committed.
Already splashing.
And she was still measuring the temperature with her toes.
Because an invitation was not just paper.
It was proof.
Proof that they were doing this in public.
Proof that it was no longer a protected private space.
Proof that the world–relatives, aunties, colleagues–would now be allowed to look.
Belle didn’t fear looking.
She feared the way looking could turn love into a spectacle.
But Aleem, as always, did not treat her fear like an inconvenience.
He treated it like a responsibility.
So when the invitations arrived, he didn’t say,
Finally.
He said,
“Let’s do this properly.”
They arrived in a plain brown box.
No fancy branding.
No ribbons.
Just a courier delivery and a signature.
Belle signed and carried the box inside, heart thudding.
Aleem was at the dining table.
He looked up.
“Here?” he asked.
Belle nodded.
“Here,” she whispered.
They stared at the box like it might jump.
Then Crystal called.
Of course she did.
Belle answered.
“Hello?”
Crystal’s voice exploded through the speaker.
“IT’S HERE ISN’T IT.”
Belle blinked.
“How do you–”
“I FEEL IT,” Crystal declared.
Ivan’s voice in the background was flat.
“She posted a story of a delivery van,” Ivan said.
Belle looked at her phone.
She hadn’t posted anything.
She glanced at Aleem.
Aleem’s mouth twitched.
Crystal continued,
“OPEN IT. OPEN IT NOW. I AM COMING OVER.”
Ivan’s voice cut in.
“No,” Ivan said. “We are not coming over without permission.”
Crystal hissed.
“Permission is for weak people,” Crystal muttered.
Ivan:
“Permission is for proper people.”
Belle’s throat tightened.
Proper.
Aleem raised his eyebrows.
Belle laughed weakly.
“Okay,” Belle said into the phone. “Come. But… don’t scream.”
Crystal gasped.
“I WILL TRY,” she promised.
Ivan sighed.
“We will be there in twenty,” Ivan said.
Belle ended the call.
She looked at Aleem.
Aleem’s gaze was steady.
“You okay?” he asked.
Belle swallowed.
“I’m… nervous,” she admitted.
Aleem nodded.
“Me too,” he said.
Belle blinked.
“You?”
Aleem’s mouth twitched.
“Yes,” he said. “I just hide better.”
Belle laughed softly.
Then she placed her hand on the box.
“Open?” she asked.
Aleem nodded.
“Open,” he said.
Belle cut the tape carefully.
As if the tape was holding something fragile.
Which it was.
Inside, stacks of invitations.
Thick paper.
Simple design.
Clean fonts.
Not extravagant.
But beautiful.
Belle lifted one.
Her name was there.
Isabelle.
Beside Aleem.
Together.
The date.
The venue.
The program flow.
And a line at the bottom:
With the blessings of both families.
Belle’s throat tightened.
Blessings.
Not permission.
Not ownership.
Blessings.
Aleem picked up another.
He stared.
His jaw tightened.
Not from stress.
From gravity.
“It’s real,” Belle whispered.
Aleem nodded.
“Yes,” he said quietly. “It’s real.”
Belle’s fingers trembled.
She wanted to cry.
She also wanted to laugh.
She also wanted to hide.
All at once.
The doorbell rang.
Crystal and Ivan arrived.
Crystal burst in like she owned the air.
“WHERE,” Crystal demanded.
Ivan walked behind, carrying a tote bag.
“Hello,” Ivan said calmly. “Sorry for intrusion.”
Crystal ignored him.
She grabbed an invitation.
She stared.
Her mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Belle blinked.
Crystal–speechless?
Ivan took one.
He read silently.
Then he nodded once.
“Okay,” Ivan said.
Crystal snapped out of it.
“OKAY,” Crystal shrieked.
Ivan grimaced.
“Lower volume,” Ivan muttered.
Crystal waved a hand.
“I can’t,” she said. “This is official.”
Belle laughed.
Aleem’s mouth twitched.
Crystal hugged Belle so hard Belle nearly folded.
“YOU DID IT,” Crystal whispered.
Belle’s throat tightened.
“I didn’t do it yet,” Belle murmured.
Crystal pulled back, eyes wet.
“You did,” Crystal said. “You survived to this point. That’s doing.”
Belle’s eyes burned.
Ivan cleared his throat.
“Next step,” Ivan said.
Crystal groaned.
“Can you let us feel for five seconds,” Crystal snapped.
Ivan stared.
“I am feeling,” Ivan replied. “In my own way.”
Crystal rolled her eyes.
“Your feeling is a checklist,” she muttered.
Ivan nodded.
“Yes,” he said.
Aleem looked at Ivan.
“Thank you,” Aleem said quietly.
Ivan shrugged.
“This is what friends do,” Ivan replied.
Belle’s chest tightened.
ABIX.
Family.
That evening, they began the first batch.
Invitations for immediate family.
Not mailed.
Handed.
Because handing meant respect.
Because handing meant looking someone in the eye.
Belle’s parents came over first.
Belle’s mother arrived with fruit.
As if fruit could shield her emotions.
Belle’s father arrived with that steady quiet.
Belle placed the invitation in an envelope.
Her hands trembled.
She walked toward her parents.
“Mummy. Dad,” Belle said softly.
Her mother’s eyes were already wet.
Her father’s gaze was steady.
Belle held out the envelope.
“This is… our invitation,” Belle whispered.
Her mother took it with trembling fingers.
She opened it.
She read.
Her lips parted.
Then her tears fell.
Not loud.
Just slipping.
Belle’s chest tightened.
Her mother’s voice was thick.
“Blessings of both families,” her mother whispered.
Belle nodded.
“Yes,” Belle whispered.
Her mother’s shoulders shook.
Her mother reached out and held Belle’s face.
Her hands were warm.
“Okay,” her mother whispered.
Belle’s eyes burned.
“Okay,” Belle replied.
Belle’s father took the invitation next.
He read slowly.
His eyes moved line by line.
Belle watched him.
Her heart pounding.
Her father’s throat moved.
Then he nodded once.
“Okay,” her father said.
Belle exhaled.
Her father looked at her.
His voice was quiet.
“You put blessings,” her father said.
Belle nodded.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Her father’s gaze softened.
“Then we show up,” her father said.
Belle’s chest cracked.
“Thank you,” Belle whispered.
Her father’s voice stayed steady.
“Okay,” he said.
Okay.
Not excitement.
Commitment.
Aleem’s parents came next.
Mak arrived with a bag of kuih.
Ayah arrived with calm.
Belle watched Aleem hand the envelope to them.
Aleem’s hands were steady.
But Belle could see the tension in his jaw.
Mak took the envelope.
She opened it.
She read.
Her eyes shimmered.
She blinked quickly.
“Aiyo,” Mak muttered, as if embarrassed by her own feelings.
Then Mak looked at Belle.
“You put blessings of both families,” Mak said.
Belle’s throat tightened.
“Yes, Auntie,” Belle whispered.
Mak nodded.
“Good,” Mak said. “Proper.”
Proper.
Belle’s eyes burned.
Ayah read silently.
Then he nodded once.
“Alhamdulillah,” Ayah murmured.
Belle’s throat tightened.
Ayah looked at Belle.
His voice was calm.
“Welcome,” Ayah said.
One word.
Belle’s chest cracked.
Welcome.
Not conditional.
Not cautious.
Welcome.
Belle’s eyes filled.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Mak huffed.
“Don’t cry,” Mak muttered. “Your makeup later.”
Belle laughed through tears.
Aleem’s mouth twitched.
After the parents left, the flat was quiet.
Belle sat on the sofa, exhausted.
The invitations were stacked neatly on the table.
So many.
So many eyes.
So many opinions.
So many people about to be told:
We are doing this.
Aleem sat beside Belle.
He didn’t speak immediately.
He just sat.
Present.
Then he asked softly,
“You okay?”
Belle exhaled.
“I’m… scared,” Belle admitted.
Aleem nodded.
“Me too,” he said.
Belle looked at him.
“You don’t look scared,” Belle whispered.
Aleem’s gaze softened.
“I look calm,” Aleem said. “Because if I panic, you panic.”
Belle’s throat tightened.
Aleem continued,
“But I’m scared,” he admitted. “Because this is where people will feel entitled to judge. And I don’t want anyone to hurt you.”
Belle’s chest tightened.
Aleem’s voice was quiet.
“So we do it in layers,” he said. “We hand to the ones who matter first. We secure the core. Then we let the noise exist outside.”
Secure the core.
Belle swallowed.
“Our parents,” Belle whispered.
“Yes,” Aleem said.
“And ABIX,” Belle added.
Aleem’s mouth twitched.
“Yes,” he agreed.
Belle stared at the invitations.
The pile looked like a physical form of their future.
Heavy.
Real.
Unavoidable.
Belle whispered,
“Once we give these out… there’s no hiding.”
Aleem nodded.
“Yes,” he said.
Belle’s throat tightened.
“And you’re okay with that?”
Aleem’s gaze stayed steady.
“I never wanted to hide you,” he said. “I only wanted to protect you.”
Protect.
Not possess.
Belle’s eyes stung.
Aleem’s voice was soft.
“And if the world looks,” he added, “let them. Because we are doing this properly. With respect. With honesty. With our families included.”
Belle exhaled.
Okay.
Belle whispered,
“Okay.”
Aleem nodded.
“Okay.”
That night, Belle placed the invitations back into the box.
She ran her fingers over the paper one last time.
Her name.
His name.
Together.
Invitations near.
Not yet the sentence.
Not yet the day.
But close.
The edge of the pool.
And Belle–still measuring the temperature–realised something.
Her toes weren’t on the edge anymore.
She was already in.
Held by steady hands.
Surrounded by people who refused to let her drown.
And that was how she could breathe.
Even as the world prepared to look.