43 stories
Lessons in Love
At 40, Rukhsana finally decides to learn to drive. Her instructor Naveed is patient, handsome, and makes her nervous in ways that have nothing to do with parallel parking.
The Bethlehem Widow
Omar, a young carpenter, takes a job restoring the home of Umm Elias, a beautiful widow whose loneliness mirrors his own.
The Church Mother's Confession
Sister Bernice has been the pillar of First Baptist for forty years. But when the young associate pastor starts private prayer sessions, she discovers some temptations are meant to be yielded to.
The Date Palm Guardian
In the Jordan Valley, Umm Azzam tends ancient date palms—until agricultural researcher Walid arrives and discovers that some trees bear sweeter fruit than others.
The Embroidery Lesson
Leila learns traditional Palestinian embroidery from her mother's friend—and discovers that Imm Rami's teachings extend far beyond thread and needle.
The Jasmine Seller
Every evening, Umm Khalil sells jasmine garlands at Damascus Gate—until businessman Fadi stops to buy, and finds her scent intoxicating in more ways than one.
The Midwife of Jenin
Traditional midwife Imm Noor has delivered hundreds of babies in Jenin camp—until young doctor Samir arrives and challenges everything she knows about birth, death, and desire.
The Quilt Maker's Promise
Imm Rashid sews quilts from fabric pieces spanning generations—until artist Mahmoud asks her to create something from the clothes of his lost family, and they mend more than cloth.
The Rose Water Maker
In the hills above Nablus, Umm Suleiman distills rose water the ancient way—until perfume buyer Tariq tastes her product and decides he wants more than fragrance.
The Taboon Bread Baker
Every morning before dawn, Umm Said bakes taboon bread in her ancient stone oven—until a young man named Faris asks to learn, igniting fires beyond the clay.
The Vine Leaf Roller
Every spring, Umm Jamil rolls a thousand vine leaves—until her new neighbor Abed asks to help, and their fingers find more than just grape leaves to explore.
Hooyo's Best Friend
His mother's best friend has been staying with them since her divorce. She's forty-five, lonely, and keeps 'accidentally' walking in on him. The fifth time she doesn't apologize—she closes the door and locks it.
The Somali Café Owner
She's thirty-five, divorced, and owns the best Somali café in Shepherd's Bush. He's the twenty-five-year-old chef she hired to help during Ramadan. Their late-night kitchen sessions turn into something neither expected.
The Driving Instructor
She's forty-two, divorced, finally learning to drive. He's the Somali instructor who doesn't treat her like an idiot. When she passes her test, she wants to celebrate. He takes her somewhere private and teaches her something else.
Private Training
He's the star player. She's married to the coach. When she offers to help with his 'private training,' he knows he should say no.
Sweet Tooth
She owns the bakery where he stops every morning. Thick, warm, dusted with flour, and recently widowed. When the shop is empty one evening, she offers him something not on the menu.
The Quiet Section
She's the head librarian—thick, stern, and keeper of the restricted archives. When he needs access to rare manuscripts for his thesis, she demands payment of a different kind.
Private Session
She's the yoga instructor his doctor recommended—thick, flexible, and old enough to know exactly what her body can do. When she offers him private lessons to work on his 'alignment,' he discovers positions not found in any textbook.
Before I Do
She's the wedding planner his fiancée hired. Thick, organized, and impossible to ignore. When his bride-to-be keeps changing plans, he spends more time with the planner than the woman he's marrying.
The Maid
She comes every Thursday to clean his apartment. He works from home and watches her work—thick, meticulous, wearing dresses that ride up when she bends. When he asks her to stay for coffee, she shows him what else she can do.
Five Stars
She's his Uber driver—thick, divorced, working nights to make ends meet. When the app glitches and the ride becomes a detour, she shows him exactly why her rating is perfect.
Room Service
She's the night concierge at a boutique hotel. He's a guest who can't sleep. When she offers to personally deliver whatever he needs, he discovers the hotel has amenities not listed on the website.
Office After Hours
The new IT guy is asked to stay late to fix the CFO's computer. But the real problem has nothing to do with technology.
Piano Lessons
At 32, Derek decides to finally learn piano. His instructor is a voluptuous widow who teaches him far more than scales.
The Showing
She's his real estate agent—professional, experienced, and thick in all the right places. When she shows him a house with a very private master bedroom, she demonstrates features that aren't in the listing.
Cabin Fever
A booking error puts him in the same cabin as a woman traveling alone. When a blizzard traps them for three days, body heat becomes more than a survival tactic.
Between Floors
The elevator stops between the 14th and 15th floors. He's trapped with a woman twice his age—thick, anxious, and increasingly desperate for distraction. Three hours is a long time to be stuck with someone you want.
The Wedding Singer
She's the most famous Somali wedding singer in the diaspora—a thick diva who's performed at hundreds of aroos celebrations. When he's hired to be her driver for a weekend of weddings, she shows him that her voice isn't the only thing that commands attention.
Visiting Hours
His roommate's mom is staying for the weekend. She's thick, recently divorced, and sleeps in the room next to his. When he hears sounds through the wall that he wasn't meant to hear, everything changes.
Deep Pressure
His doctor recommended massage therapy for his back pain. She's a fifty-something therapist with magic hands and dangerous curves. When she asks if he wants 'full body work,' he discovers just how therapeutic touch can be.
Personal Best
She's his personal trainer—thick, demanding, and old enough to be his mother. When she starts incorporating 'flexibility training' into their sessions, he learns that some workouts happen off the gym floor.
Office Hours (Extended)
He's failing her class. She offers private tutoring sessions. But the lessons she teaches him have nothing to do with literature—and everything to do with the curves she hides behind her desk.
Meeting the Mother
He's dating her daughter. But when he meets his girlfriend's mother for the first time—thick, divorced, and starving for attention—he realizes he might be with the wrong woman.
The Fence Between Us
She moved in next door six months ago. He's been watching her sunbathe, garden, and live her life through the gaps in their shared fence. When the fence finally comes down, so do all his reasons for staying away.
While She's Gone
His wife's away for two weeks. Her mother insists on staying to help. When she catches him in a compromising position, she doesn't look away—she takes over.
Dada wa Kazi
His parents hire a new house manager — a thick Swahili woman in her forties, efficient and stern. When she catches him with a girl in his room, she sends the girl away. Then shows him what a real woman does.
Rent Due
He's three months behind on rent. She's a landlady who knows exactly what she wants. When she offers an alternative payment plan, he discovers that some debts are meant to be paid in person.
Night Rounds
After the accident, he's stuck in the hospital for a month. The day shift nurses are professional. The night shift nurse is something else entirely—thick, attentive, and willing to go far beyond her job description.
The Spice Merchant's Wife
His father's business partner has a young wife — thick, beautiful, wasted on an old man who travels constantly. She corners him in the spice storeroom and shows him what she hides beneath her buibui.
Summer with Sandra
Fresh out of college with nowhere to go, he moves in with his aunt for the summer. She's recently divorced, lonely, and built like every fantasy he's ever had.
Moving Day
He comes home from college to find his father remarried. His new stepmom is everything his mother wasn't—warm, thick, and watching him with eyes that promise trouble.
Transference
He's in therapy for sexual issues he can't name. She's the professional who's supposed to help. But when his fantasies start describing her exactly, the fifty-minute hour becomes something neither of them can stop.
The Other Brother
His brother has everything—the career, the house, the wife. But when he visits for a weekend and finds her alone, he discovers that having everything means nothing if you never come home.