“I need you to help me convince Meel of something,” she says. “I think Summer and I should stay here when he takes Lulu back to school.”

“You told him that?”

“I will.”

Summer has two years left of high school, Diane says. She isn’t being prepared for college well enough by her school in Saudi. Diane has done the legwork. She has school brochures hidden in her nightstand. She talks about the SATs and college admissions. She says the people at the private school love Summer, and she could learn French there.

“When did you take her there?”

“Last summer.”

“When she wasn’t flunking yet.”

Diane starts folding a T-shirt, returns it to the basket. “These are dirty. I’ve got to throw them in the washer.” She lays her hands back on her thighs. “I don’t know where to go from here, Muneer. It’s not a new problem. The school in Saudi is OK for Lulu, but Summer won’t learn anything if she goes back. Your kids aren’t old enough yet, but you’ll see. Can’t you talk to him?”

He hopes she can’t see how the empty chasm of lost years has opened up in his chest. Other people can forget Fouad was not his first child, but he never does.

“I don’t think Jameel will listen to me,” he says. The words come out lullaby-quiet, and he realizes he’s holding the cylinder of prayer rug in his arms as gently as an infant. “I’m not the one to tell him not to keep his babies close to him for as long as he can.”

Diane squeezes Lulu’s ankle, leans over, gives the girl a hug that isn’t returned, rises from the couch, and steps toward Muneer.

“I’m sorry.” She carefully removes the rug from his grasp. “You should go tell Meel you saw Hanadi. We want the best for you, and for her.”

The next day, Muneer looks up the convenience store in the Yellow Pages and dials the number on the basement telephone. He asks for Hannah. She’s not there, but the voice on the line sounds young and female.

“Are you the one who drives her to work?” he asks.

“Who’s this?”

“You saw me yesterday. Her father.”

“She didn’t show up today.”

“You didn’t drive her?”

“I’m sorry, sir. My boss is calling me.”