Her mother was explaining why Khalid meant so much to her and why his engagement to Reem was her own personal loss. She had always hoped that he would choose Nadia even though Nadia had told her time and again that marrying one’s cousin was gross!

The next day Reem took Nadia with her to the AUC campus while Khalid was at work. They drank iced juice in the cafe and it felt different to be with Reem alone. There was an easy mood to the campus, the hairdos of the girls to look at, young men with bright eyes and loud voices. Nadia glimpsed the corner of a tennis court, the thud of a racket and a cheer. It must be fun to play tennis in the open air, skipping classes but not going home. She would like to come to this oasis again, with its high walls that kept the city’s pollution and noise at a distance.

Reem was asking, ‘Is your mother still upset about our engagement?’ She knew everything that was going on in Khalid’s family.

Nadia shrugged, ‘This summer she’s not as happy as usual.’

‘And what about you?’

‘Oh, I’m on your side. I think you’re perfect for each other.’

Reem smiled, ‘You’ll marry someone from London. I’m sure of it. There are other Muslims there, aren’t there? Besides you’re so young, you still have to do your exams and go to college.’

‘I never said I wanted to get married. It’s all my mum’s idea.’

‘She sounds like a real worrier. It’s to be expected. An immigrant is a parent who finds out too late that she’s given up her child for adoption.’

‘But she’ll fight it all the way,’ Nadia sighed. ‘She tugs and keeps me close.’

Reem smiled, ‘My parents brought me back here to Cairo because they were anxious too. I was thirteen and I hated moving. It was difficult at first but now I think I’m better for having come here. Cairo teaches you every day. It makes you sharp because it’s real and in your face.’

‘I used to hate it,’ Nadia said. The confession gave her a surge of confidence. She finished the rest of her orange juice and it was time for the campus tour.