With a clang, Hanan dropped her fork and covered her swollen eyes. A bolt of pain ran through Rania with all the force of an ax splitting wood. She wanted to wrap her daughter in her arms, throw her head back, and wail at the sky. But all she allowed herself was a brief squeeze of Hanan’s shoulder. Even that felt dangerous, like it might send them both over the edge.

“You must be strong,” she muttered, to herself as much as Hanan. “Tears will only give us away.”

There had been many tears last night, out in the garden, under the watchful eye of the bronze mother curled around her child. The moon had been bright, so bright she could almost see her daughter’s childhood ending, word by word, whisper by whisper.

“Don’t send me away,” Hanan had cried. “I’ll behave. I swear, I’ll be good.”

“None of this is your fault.” Rania’s voice cracked. “And no one could wish for a better daughter.”

“I want to stay with you.”

Rania hugged her tight, so tight she could feel Hanan’s heart hammering in her chest. Her bones felt as easily crushed as a bird’s.

“I promise,” said Rania, “I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

“Why, Mom? Why is this happening to us?”

Rania didn’t know what to say or how to explain. Hanan’s enormous amber stare kept her silent, pinned like a butterfly under glass. As the stars looked on, Rania had cursed Malik, and Uday, and his father. How many families had they torn apart? How many had they forced into exile? How many tears would Iraq’s daughters have to weep?

The bell rang at the gate, jolting Rania back to the present.

“Try to finish that egg, darling.” The words caught in her raw throat, and she hurried across the dry lawn.

Huda was alone at the gate. As Rania hustled her in off the sidewalk, she caught a glimpse of Ally in the front of the Land Cruiser, eyes wide as a lake, and Khalid in the backseat, bobbing his head back and forth.

“I can’t eat this.” Hanan appeared on the path, holding her plate of eggs. “If I do, I’ll throw up.”

The girl glanced at Huda and tried to smile, but her lips wobbled and tears flooded her eyes. Rania felt that ax again, the blade cleaving her in two. She put an arm around Hanan’s shoulders and guided her toward the front door.

“Darling, go inside and freshen up,” she said. “Splash some water on your face, then we’ll leave.”

Hanan sniffed and stumbled indoors. Huda shot Rania an irritated glance.

“I thought we agreed not to say anything until we got to Lake Habbaniyah.”

“I couldn’t do it.”

“Listen to me,” said Huda. “It’s not too late for you. We can go together. All of us.”