Chapter 16

Summary

• Yara undresses and avoids conversation with Fadi following a tense day at the park.
• Fadi talks about the unfair expectations from his father, Hasan, who favors his brothers and burdens Fadi with financial responsibilities at their shop.
• Yara, empathizing with Fadi's vulnerability, reflects on their mutual struggle and on her own secretive and dark past.
• She considers opening up to Fadi about her past, wishing it could bring them closer.
• After the shower, Yara asks Fadi if he ever considers their parents and fears becoming like them.
• Fadi dismisses the comparison to their parents, focusing on how he differentiates himself from them, especially not wanting to be like his father.
• Yara brings up her daughter Jude's painting and her concern about Fadi's absence in it due to his work, which Fadi interprets as an attempt to make him feel guilty.
• Fadi's dismissive response when Yara expresses her fear of being like her mother in terms of parenting, not by her negative traits.
• Yara contemplates reaching out to her brothers for insight into their mother, but she feels detached and bitter about their lack of shared responsibility.
• In the kitchen, they continue discussing their fears of turning into their parents, with Fadi encouraging Yara to take control of her responses and make changes.
• Fadi, focused on his meal, disregards Yara's attempt to discuss her desire to change, leaving her feeling isolated and considering the belief that curses are unchangeable.