“You came into this house with two bags, and I made you feel as if even those two bags were too much.”
She covered her face.
“I am ashamed of myself.”
For a long moment, Suleiman watched her.
Then he reached for the glass of water on the table.
“Shame is useful only if it teaches us to behave differently,” he said. “I cannot erase what happened, my daughter. But I can give you the chance to show me that you have learned something from it.”
Amina nodded through her tears.
“I will.”
He did not embrace her immediately.
Forgiveness, he understood, was not a switch that could be turned on the moment the truth was revealed.
It was a decision that would have to be supported by actions.
The following week, Malik’s older brothers arrived.
News of the lawyer’s visit had somehow reached Hamza, who appeared at the apartment with Youssef and their sister, Nadia.
