I land at the airport in Malmo after two weeks in Egypt. I’ve been away on one of my charter trips. I try to do one per year. Be by myself. Catch up on my reading. Fall asleep when I want, and waking up when I want.

I’m met by a cheerful E. She always has a difficult time admitting that she has missed me, but I can always tell by the way she hugs me. They’re a little harder, a little longer. We sit in the car and she talks about Christmas. Relatives, friends and the night out on Christmas Day. I think about I’ve missed hearing her talk. The constant flow. No room for breathing. No breaks. I smile and think how I’ve missed her too.

When we get to the burger joint to buy some burgers to eat at her mother's apartment, where we will spend the night, my phone rings. It's my dad. We talk about Egypt, the need for rest and other things. I don’t remember all the details.

Fast forward to E's mother's apartment. View over the rooftops. It’s the end of December and it's cold. It is nothing compared with Egypt but I am glad to be home again. Everything is as usual. Almost everything. Almost nothing.

E comes out from the toilet with her pants down at her ankles. She is holding something in her hand and stumbles through the hall crying. I turn around and look at her. She jumps up and down:

- We’re going to have a baby.

I land in my body after 25 years of life. I'm going to be a father.

Text: Navid Modiri