“And that’s why Aryana suggested we step out and wait in another room. I know this disrupts your day, but our time here is limited. We need only to be put in touch with the search commission. We’ll take it from there,” she says brightly.

Carla doesn’t look pleased. She sets her notebook on the desk and puts a hand on her hip. She looks through the office window as if hoping she might flag someone passing by for help removing us from her office.

She exhales sharply, then escorts us to the cafeteria. She reminds us that she can make no promises, but we three are already aware that no one can promise anything in this place. We opt for a corner table. Clay leans back and surveys the room.

“She’s not going to get back to us anytime soon,” he says grimly. “I think I’m going to make use of daylight while I can.”

“She will get back to us,” Mom insists. “We do have to understand that they’re running an embassy here. We’ve just waltzed in with this request. We have to give her a chance.”

Clay doesn’t argue. None of us are inherently patient or passive. We’re each accustomed to pushing—for the interview, for the allocation of funds, for the treatment a patient needs. We do not easily abide the inertia of sitting around a table.

“Where will you go?” I ask when Clay slips the strap of his bag over his shoulder.

“I’ve got a couple of stories I started on my last trip,” he explains. He’s going to stop by American University to see if he can reconnect with some contacts. Mom wraps her scarf around her neck as we watch him leave the cafeteria. The temperature has dropped significantly since we arrived.

“Mom, I think I want to tag along with Clay. Are you okay hanging out here on your own for a bit?” I ask.

Mom raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say what I know she’s thinking. She looks conflicted even as she reassures me that she doesn’t mind waiting alone. She’s never held me back and won’t start now. I put on my coat and gloves, then my headscarf.

“I’ll meet you back here in a couple of hours. Call me if anything comes up before then,” I say and kiss her cheek. I walk quickly until I am out of the cafeteria, then my step slows. I spot Clay at the foot of the stairs, then pause while he makes a turn toward the exit.

Once he’s out of view, I start to descend the stairs and make my way to the ground floor.