“So,” Khatoun smiles back.
“How old are you now?”
“Sixteen.”
“That’s young. And in this life, youth is on your side. Your whole life is still ahead of you.”
“Insha’Allah.”
“And you and Iskender…he is…you are…you know…everything is…good between you?”
Khatoun stares at Sophia blankly.
“When you’re alone together…you…enjoy each other’s company?” her eyebrow hovers.
“Of course.”
“Good,” Sophia smiles.
“Although…”
“Yes?”
“Sometimes he’s too quiet.”
“Quiet?”
“He doesn’t say anything.”
“What do you want him to say?”
“I don’t know. He could talk to me.”
“Talk to you?”
“Yes. To make our time alone more interesting.”
“Interesting?”
Somewhere a door slams and a child begins to wail. Sophia shifts in her seat and leans forward.
“Listen, Khatoun, woman to woman, tell me straight. I
