Chapter Two
Khalid el Amid ripped apart the bouquet he had picked for his mother, and he collapsed onto the garden steps, sobbing his heart out. Just because he was fourteen years old, nobody thought he could recognize that his mother was dying? He would be shocked if she made it through the night. And he wouldn’t be there with her.
The doctor had said it would be best if Khalid left the room. He had fiercely protested, wanting to give her the flowers that he had picked, but his father had ordered him to leave in a harsh voice filled with grief.
Over the last few months, his mother’s health had been rapidly declining, and no one knew why. She had lost weight and none of the tests the doctors performed explained why. Tonight, her breathing had grown more erratic, and her pallor had a tin
