The silence that followed was deafening.
Her mother's face went through a series of expressions. It started with understanding, which was good, then panic, which was not good, and then something that looked alarmingly like the precursor to a fainting spell.
"You want to—" Her mother pressed a hand to her chest, "so that you can?—"
"Become immortal, yes." Arezoo completed the sentence.
Her mother's breathing had become rapid and shallow. "The transition is dangerous."
"Not for me. I'm young and healthy, and it's perfectly safe. Dozens of Dormants have gone through it successfully. It's not dangerous, Maman. It's just..." She trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence.
"Two weeks?" Her mother was hyperventilating now, her hand still pressed to her chest, her face pale. "I understand and accept everything, but two weeks? My oldest daughter, the first to get married, wants to rush the preparation and have a miserly party like some pauper?"
"Maman, please calm down. It's going to be beautiful. I promise. Amanda arranged Syssi and Kian's wedding in two weeks, and it was spectacular. People are still talking about their wedding to this day."
"Calm down? You just told me you want to—" She couldn't seem to finish the sentence and leaned against a shelf of canned goods, her breathing ragged.
The storage room door opened, and Parisa and Yasmin walked in.
"What's going on?" Parisa demanded. "We heard—" She stopped when she saw her sister gasping for breath against the shelving unit. "Soraya! What happened? Are you all right?"
"She's fine," Arezoo said, though she wasn't entirely sure that was true. "She's just upset."
"She's hyperventilating." Yasmin pushed past Arezoo and took her sister's arm. "Soraya, look at me. Breathe slowly. In through your nose, out through your mouth."
"What did you do to her?" Parisa turned to Arezoo, her eyes accusing.
"Nothing. I just said that I don't want to wait months to get married. I want to do it in three weeks."
"You said two," her mother rasped.
"I said that Amanda can arrange it in two. I was thinking three."
"What's the rush?" Rana walked in. "Ruvon isn't going anywhere. I know you two are eager to start your lives together, but you need to be patient."
"I don't want to be patient," Arezoo said, frustration bleeding into her voice. "Every day I stay human is another day I could get sick, or hurt, or—or worse. I want to be immortal. I want to spend forever with Ruvon. Why is that so hard to understand?"
"It's not hard to understand," Yasmin said. "It's just hard for a mother to accept that her daughter is grown up and making her own decisions, especially choices that involve—" she cleared her throat. "Certain activities."
"I know about sex," Arezoo said flatly. "The mechanics aren't a mystery."
Parisa looked scandalized. "Don't talk like that in front of your mother." She moved closer to her sister, forming a protective flanking position with Yasmin. "Show some respect."
Arezoo watched as her aunts fussed over her mother, murmuring reassurances and rubbing her back. Slowly, her mother's breathing began to even out, the color returning to her cheeks.
"I'm fine," her mother said finally, straightening up and shrugging off her sisters' hands. "I'm fine. I just wasn't prepared." She looked at Arezoo, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I just wanted so much more for you. I wanted a spectacular wedding, and since the store is doing so well, I could even afford it. I had all of these wonderful ideas, but you went to Amanda and asked her to do it instead. Do you know how hurt I feel?"
The truth was that it hadn't even occurred to Arezoo that her mother's feelings might get hurt because she'd asked Amanda for her help.
"I'm sorry, Maman. I didn't know it was so important to you. If you can arrange everything in three weeks, I can tell Amanda that her help is not needed."
Her mother's eyes widened. "And insult Annani's daughter? Are you out of your mind, child?"
Arezoo threw her hands in the air. "What do you want from me, then? What can I do to make everyone happy and still be married in three weeks?"
Her mother started hyperventilating again, and her aunts rushed to fuss over her.
Arezoo lost her patience. "Instead of putting up this drama, you all should be doing what I'm doing. You all need to transition, and time is not your friend."
