The long anticipated week came. Everything we’ve done and endlessly talked about led up to this moment: when Yassine finally met the family, and more importantly, my dad.
So on the day he was supposed to arrive, my parents asked me 500 different questions about the flight number, arrival time, terminal, if I knew the way, if the hotel was confirmed, and repeat… 500 times.
Coincidentally, the day that he was arriving was the day of our six-month anniversary. So it kinda made it easier for me to convince my parents that I should go pick him up alone because we planned a date night.
Actually that’s what I told my mom. As for my dad, well I just told him not to come to the airport (didn’t mean he didn’t stop asking me to come all day!)
So at 8 pm on the dot I was at the airport, and my love was outside waiting excitedly, but I could totally tell how nervous he was!
I took him to his hotel in Zamalek to change (still looking around for possible spies my dad may have sent) and then he FINALLY told me where we were going for our date night.
It was so sweet of him because he obviously doesn’t know where the “it” places are in Cairo, so he had to ask Alaa and she suggested Buddha Bar, which is where we went.
They had dim lights, soothing music and a table for two, such a nice atmosphere, right? Well, all we could talk about was what the hell was going to happen tomorrow: meet the parents day.
Yassine kept giggling nervously while repeating “it’ll be fine, no worries” almost as if to comfort himself as well. I wish I could have completely agreed.
And to top it off, the food was off, and the next day I felt a tummy ache coming on. ALSO, Yassine recently told me that during our “romantic date” he went to their bathroom and PUKED! Such a great sign…
Definitely not forgetting that anniversary… I still enjoyed just being alone with him for once before the circus began.
The next day, I went to pick him up and thankfully my parents were busy prepping for the big lunch and Yassine’s arrival, so no one stalled me as I walked out the door.
He came down and he was dressed so nicely! Exactly the way you’d want your boyfriend to look while meeting your parents for the first time (with a little guidance from me, of course.)
He brought a box of macarons and chocolates, as I instructed, because the way into my family’s heart is definitely with food (chocolate specifically for my mom!)
We were both so nervous in the car, trying to comfort each other! But we just had to suck it in and go for it.
On our way, Yassine insisted we stop and get flowers for my mom and grandma (extra bonus points!)
We were on my street, and from all the nerves I decided to stop the car and told Yassine to get out so we can walk a little around the corniche (a cliff with a view of Cairo two minutes from my house.)
Don’t know why we did that til now, but it was actually soothing, and a nice five-minute break.
So we reached the house, Yassine carrying all the gifts/flowers (he looked so cute, like a modern day Fouad El Mohandes) and as soon as we stepped in the garden, there they were: my grandparents, brothers and my parents sitting in a circle.
WE SAID THIS: Stay tuned for part two!
