Chapter 59 — The Visit
Campus life resumed around them as though nothing had happened.
Students hurried to lectures.
Friends laughed loudly beneath trees.
Vendors called out prices near the faculty buildings.
Everything remained painfully normal.
Yet for Rihannat, nothing felt normal anymore.
For the next few days, she moved carefully between two worlds.
One was the life she had always known.
The other…
The life that had suddenly found her again.
Still, she maintained her composure impressively.
She attended lectures.
Submitted assignments.
Even argued playfully with Faridat and her friends over food one afternoon.
But Basit noticed the small things others missed.
The way her smile occasionally faded when she thought no one was looking.
The way she sometimes stared at nothing during conversations.
The way she checked her phone repeatedly as though expecting something important.
And eventually…
The call came.
Rihannat had just returned from class that evening when her phone vibrated.
The moment she saw the caller ID, her chest tightened.
"Mrs. Collins."
She stared at the screen for several seconds before answering softly.
"Hello…"
"My daughter."
The older woman's emotional voice immediately came through the phone.
Rihannat closed her eyes briefly.
Even now, hearing those words still felt unfamiliar.
Yet strangely warm too.
"How are you?" Mrs. Collins asked carefully, almost fearfully.
"I'm fine."
"Have you eaten?"
A small smile touched Rihannat's lips.
"Yes."
There was brief silence before Mrs. Collins spoke again.
"We're coming tomorrow."
Rihannat blinked.
"To visit your parents."
Her heartbeat quickened slightly.
"They agreed?"
"We spoke this afternoon."
Rihannat sat down slowly on her bed.
Her foster parents had not told her.
Perhaps because they did not want her worrying unnecessarily.
Mrs. Collins continued gently,
"We don't want them feeling threatened."
Emotion tightened in Rihannat's chest immediately.
"They raised you."
Her biological mother's voice softened deeply.
"And for that alone… they deserve respect."
Rihannat swallowed hard.
At that moment, another small piece of fear disappeared from her heart.
Because deep down…
She had been terrified of conflict between both families.
But thankfully—
Neither side seemed interested in fighting over her.
They simply loved her.
And perhaps that was what made everything even more emotional.
—
The next afternoon, lectures ended earlier than usual for Rihannat.
Basit insisted on driving her home personally after hearing about the planned visit.
Faridat came along too out of pure curiosity.
"I want to witness history," she declared dramatically.
Basit ignored her completely.
The drive home felt tense.
Not because anyone said anything wrong.
But because everyone knew this meeting would change something permanently.
By the time they arrived, two expensive black vehicles were already parked outside the compound.
Faridat's eyes widened instantly.
"Ah."
She whispered dramatically again.
"The rich people have arrived."
Basit pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly.
"Please behave yourself today."
"No promises."
Inside the house, the atmosphere was thick with nervousness.
Rihannat's foster parents sat carefully opposite the Collins family.
Tea and snacks rested untouched on the table.
Nobody truly seemed interested in eating.
The moment Rihannat entered, every face turned toward her immediately.
Mrs. Collins smiled emotionally.
While her foster mother looked visibly relieved seeing her.
Rihannat greeted everyone softly before sitting between both women instinctively.
And somehow…
That single action eased the tension slightly.
Mr. Collins was the first to speak.
His voice calm and respectful.
"We came to thank you."
Rihannat's foster parents looked startled.
The older man continued sincerely,
"You protected our daughter when we could not."
Emotion immediately filled the room again.
Her foster father shook his head quickly.
"We only did what any human should do."
"No," Mrs. Collins whispered tearfully. "Not everyone would."
She looked at them with genuine gratitude.
"You loved her without obligation."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Emotional.
Then suddenly—
Her foster mother began crying again.
"I was scared," she admitted shakily.
The confession stunned the room briefly.
She wiped her tears quickly.
"When she told us she found her biological family…"
Her voice broke.
"I thought we were about to lose our daughter."
Mrs. Collins' own eyes immediately filled with tears.
Without hesitation, she reached across the space and held the older woman's hand tightly.
"You will never lose her."
The sincerity in her voice silenced everyone.
"She became yours long before we found her again."
Tears rolled down Rihannat's cheeks immediately.
Even Basit quietly looked away for a moment.
Mr. Collins nodded firmly.
"We are not here to take her away."
He glanced toward Rihannat warmly.
"We only want to be part of her life again."
Her foster father lowered his head emotionally.
And for the first time since learning the truth…
The crushing fear inside his chest finally began easing.
Rihannat looked between both families quietly.
Then suddenly laughed weakly through tears.
"This is emotionally stressful."
The unexpected statement startled everyone before soft laughter spread across the room.
Even Basit smiled.
Faridat leaned toward him dramatically and whispered,
"Your wife is surviving this situation better than all of them."
Basit calmly pushed her forehead away.
"She's not your entertainment."
Faridat grinned shamelessly.
"Oh, she's definitely becoming my entertainment."
Meanwhile, the adults gradually relaxed as conversations slowly became easier.
Stories were exchanged.
Questions answered.
Painful memories revisited carefully.
And through it all, Rihannat remained seated quietly between both mothers—
One who gave birth to her.
And one who raised her.
At some point, Mrs. Collins suddenly held Rihannat's hand gently.
"We brought something for you."
Rihannat frowned slightly.
Mrs. Collins opened her handbag carefully before bringing out a small silver bracelet.
Old.
Tiny.
Worn with time.
"You wore this when you disappeared."
Rihannat stared at it silently.
Her foster parents looked shocked.
Mrs. Collins smiled tearfully.
"We kept the second one all these years."
Then softly—
"We searched every child we found with its pair."
Rihannat's lips trembled.
Her biological mother carefully attached the bracelet around her wrist.
Perfect fit.
As though time itself had waited for this moment.
And suddenly—
The reality became undeniable again.
She truly belonged to both worlds now.
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