Page 116 of To Tango, with Desire

All the nurse would tell us was that it was taking longer than expected, but they would know more soon.

So we waited. For hours more, we walked the waiting area, trying our best to distract ourselves.

Finally, Dad’s surgeon came out, guiding us to a private consultation room. With him was one of the intensive care nurses I recognized.

“How is my husband?”

“Please, sit down, Mrs. Hadid.”

I could only hold Zane’s hand as the surgeon sat on the adjacent sofa. I could feel Mom trembling beside me.

“There’s no easy way of saying this, but I have bad news. I’m so sorry to tell you that Hasan has died.”

“What?” My mother gasped, then let out a shrill wailing sound that pierced my heart. After a few minutes, the surgeon continued.

“Nasrin, I’m sorry. We did everything we could to help your husband.” The surgeon explained what had happened, but it was as if I were underwater and all the words he spoke were distorted somehow.

All I could focus on was the glinting gold face of his watch. Did he wear that while operating? Or were they forced to take it off in surgery? All I knew was that if I focused on his watch, then I could ignore the hot, prickly sensation in my body. It would smother me if I wasn’t careful. So I needed to be careful. I needed to focus on the watch.

Navy background.

My dad was dead.

What did those numbers mean?

Dead.

It was a Breitling watch.

Dead.

I’d never heard of that brand before.

Dead.

“Amira? Amira?”

Zane? It wasn’t Zane’s watch. He wore a different—

The watch disappeared. A nurse’s face hovered before me.

“Do you need a glass of water?”

I blinked, and everything came rushing back. The sounds of the hospital, the whirring hum of machines . . .

“I think she’s in shock.”

Zane was fanning my mother’s face. Her eyes were closed as she lay on the sofa.

Was she dead? Was I getting it all confused?

“Your mom has passed out, Amira.” The kind nurse made me hold the plastic cup. “Drink this, it’ll help.”

I sipped at the drink, closed my eyes, and that was the last thing I recalled.

THIRTY

AMIRA