To my grandparents, Mimi and Papa, who dote on me so. To Veeta Khala and my cousins Hamnah, Umaymah, Aizah, and the little ones. To Johnnie Mamoo and Faisal Mamoo. To Samina Phuppi. To Madho Khala and Nano and Ahmed Uncle and all my family in Pakistan. Thank you all for the constant love, laughter, food, support, and guidance. You’ve taught me that family can be a foundation, from which all else grows. And how I’ve grown! It is all thanks to you.

To Noor, whose wisdom always guides me. To Mahum, who showed me there is strength in silence. Thank you for all the laughs and pagalpan and besharami.

To Arusa. You are my rock. You are my constant. Thank you for the endless FaceTime calls, for listening to me, for understanding, and for somehow always knowing exactly what I need to hear. I love you more than words. Without you, life would be unbearable.

To Sara, my ray of sunshine. You are my warmth. Thank you for always being so supportive and reading the sloppiest drafts I’ve ever written and for reassuring me whenever I worried. To Justine, who understands me in ways no one else can. Thank you for always cheering me on. Your constant faith in me kept me going. I love you both so, so much. You are the very best thing to come out Mt. Sinai.

To Isra, my sweetest friend. Thank you for your kind reminders and for feeling things so keenly with me. I feel seen by you, which is no small thing. To Uroosa, meri jaan. Thank you for always holding me in your heart and making me feel loved and reminding me to be grateful. I love you both so dearly and for the sake of Allah. You remind me to be a better Muslim, which is the very best thing.

To Gia and Sidrah, thank you for all the love and support. We used to be kids, dreaming of what we would do when we grew up, and now we’re all grown, and I’m so glad we held on together for the ride. To Murriam and Sabiha and Sara, who are so far away yet still feel so close. To Salwa, Mutahira, Hanaa, and Maria, my gal pals. Thanks for the chaos, the sleepovers, and all the excitement and hype. I love each and every one of you.

To family friends like family: Uzma Auntie (my saheli), Shana Auntie, Ayesha Auntie, Mona Auntie, and Saadia Auntie, who always showed me so much love and support, and who laughed with me until I forgot you were my mother’s friends and not mine.

To Yusra and Umaimah, thank you for the outpouring of love and support, and for the laughs we’ve had along the way. To all my friends on Twitter who have been cheering me on: Sanah, Liya, Siraj, Amna, and Meha. Your support has made all the difference.