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Her sister thought about this. “What about . . . well, didn’t you take a trip together recently?”

“You mean our honeymoon?” she asked.

“Well, then, I guess . . . this wedding weekend,” Hania said, and Dina could see the wheels turning in her mind. “Except you both mostly did your own thing . . . he didn’t even help set up for my mehndi, I’ve never seen you talk for more than five minutes, Rabia Aunty said you’re not sharing a bedroom, and oh my God how could I have missed the signs? How long has this been going on?”

“Awhile,” Dina said, shrugging. “You were too busy taking selfies to notice I was miserable,” she couldn’t help but add.

Hania’s cheeks burned. “Don’t put this all on me. You didn’t say a word.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to find the words,” Dina said softly.

Hania lunged at her, surprising Dina with a bone-crushing hug. “This was a really good convo,” she whispered. “Could we do it all over again in front of the camera? I can get Ambreen here in twenty.”

Dina shook her head and extricated herself from her sister. She loved Hania, but she also knew who she was. “You’re not allowed to film inside Crescent House, remember? I have to go. I’ll see you at the walima. Tell Arshad he can put his note cards away—I’ve got my speech all ready to go.” Or at least she would, after a few hours. She paused. “Samir is a really good guy. I hope you two will be really happy, Hans,” she said, using the childhood nickname she had made for her sister.

“Thanks, Deen,” Hania returned simply. There was a new troubled look in her eyes, and Dina knew she was responsible for putting it there.

She felt a flare of guilt but then took a deep breath. Feeling responsibility for every terrible emotion her family felt, now and after they learned the truth about her and Arshad, was what had led to this situation in the first place.

She had to do better. Maybe if she changed, her family would treat her better too. Or at the very least, she would be better equipped to handle her disappointment when they didn’t.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The wedding planner showed up after Dina’s conversation with Hania, whisking her sister away to begin prep. Shortly afterward, the sounds of construction outside started up, waking the rest of the guests. Yahya Uncle and Rabia Aunty joined Dina in the morning room, alert and excited. When her parents settled beside her, they both looked like they could use another few hours of sleep, but her father was trying valiantly to appear as perky as his host.

“What are they doing outside?” Azeez asked.

Yahya Uncle waved his hands in the air. “They are laying down paving stones from the driveway to where the reception will be held. We wouldn’t want the guests to get grass stains on their shoes. Plus, the horses need a smooth path to follow.”

“Horses?” Dina asked.

“For the horse-drawn carriage. Your sister told Samir she wanted to feel like Cinderella. I cannot say no to my new daughter-in-law!” Yahya said.

Dina rolled her eyes. Cinderella probably would play well to Hania’s audience.

After dressing, Dina walked with her parents down to the venue, a ten-minute stroll in the weak morning light. At least the weather had held out, not a cloud in the sky, though it would warm up considerably soon. A massive tent was being set up on the grounds, with a series of smaller tents surrounding it.

The nikah in Toronto had been luxurious by any standard, but it had also followed the usual pattern—inside a banquet hall, the decor standard, the food the usual staples. The bespoke event Samir’s family had organized was on another level. She knew her competitive father must be fuming.

“This seems a bit tacky, no?” her mother whispered in her ear. “All this excess. A bit much, I think. Are there no banquet halls in all of Chicago?”

Dina grinned at her. “I think they wanted to do things a bit differently for their only child,” she said.

Azeez sniffed. “I only hope it does not rain,” he said, peering up into the cloudless sky. “Nobody wants to be outside in the rain.”

“I’m sure the weather will hold,” she reassured her father, though she suspected that wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Azeez Haq hadn’t achieved his level of success without a healthy dose of competitiveness. “Don’t forget you have the breakfast tomorrow,” she reminded her parents. “I’m sure you have picked out a luxurious spot. Better than a big white tent in the backyard.”

Her father’s eyes brightened, and her mother smiled at her daughter. “You handled that well,” Nasrin whispered, sidling up to Dina. “You’ve always been so good at handling clients, and I’ve seen the way you reason with your father and Arshad. You will be a wonderful mother one day. Half of my life has been spent making sure your father doesn’t blow things out of proportion.”

The words made Dina’s back stiffen. “What are you saying? That it’s my job as a wife and future mom to coddle the emotions of the men around me?”

Her mother shook her head. “You’re so good at keeping your head when others get heated. You take after me in that way.” Nasrin smiled in a way that let Dina know that she was coddling her emotions now, and she felt her temper start to rise.

She turned to her father, who was checking the weather app on his phone with a hopeful expression on his face. “Dad, did Arshad tell you he wanted to do business with Samir’s parents?”

Azeez looked up at her, eyebrows raised. “Yes, of course. We discussed the possibility before the wedding.”

Dina resisted the urge to stamp her foot. “Don’t you think I should have been at that meeting too?”