– Day Sixteen
On the morning of the sixteenth day, beneath a blazing sun whose hot rays struck straight down upon the massive iron body cleaving through the sea, all the cabins were empty. Every lover was up on the ship’s upper deck, gathered around the swimming pool—swimming, playing, their laughter filling the air.
As for Adel and Naomi, they were inside the cabin.
Adel sat on the sofa beside Naomi. He was wearing a sleeveless top and blue shorts; Naomi wore a black bra and black shorts, her belly rounding forward, unmistakably visible.
Adel said softly,
“I feel what you’re feeling.”
Naomi replied,
“The feeling of leaving half of you to Nelly… it terrifies me. That she would take half your heart, half your love, half your emotions—half of everything. I don’t think I can bear that.
