The other Mr. Rezaei sighed. Not an exasperated sigh, but a sad one. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“Come in.” He took my shoulder and led me into the living room.
Mrs. Rezaei sat slumped on the couch, looking like she hadjust strode inside from a battlefield, leaving behind a trail of corpses in true Klingon fashion. Her hair was black flames licking the air around her. Her makeup, normally so careful, was wild and smeared. Her chest heaved.
She was sobbing.
I felt terrible for thinking of her like a Klingon.
I was a complete and utter D-Bag.
Sohrab had his arms wrapped around her, like he could keep her from flying apart if he squeezed tight enough. At first I thought he was shaking with the effort, but fat, sloppy tears were pouring down his cheeks too.
I didn’t know what to do.
I didn’t know what to say.
“Sohrab-jan. Mahvash. Darioush is here.”
Mahvash Rezaei moaned. It was the worst sound I had ever heard in my life. It was the sound someone makes when they’ve been stabbed in the heart.
Sohrab took his mom’s hand, gently uncurling her manicured fingers and weaving them with his own. He rested his chin on his mom’s head and held her tighter.
“Um.”
I felt so useless.
My palms were sweating on Sohrab’s box, smudging the wrapping paper.
“Can I. Uh. Make some tea? Or something?”
I knew it was stupid as soon as I said it.
Sohrab’s head snapped up.
“Go away, Darioush.”
His voice was as sharp as a knife.
“Sorry. I just...”
“Get out!”
My stomach inverted itself.
“Sohrab,” Agha Rezaei said softly. He spoke in Farsi, but Sohrab argued back, his voice rising in pitch and volume until it started cracking.
Sohrab’s uncle shook his head and led me back to the kitchen. His hands shook as he filled the kettle.
“Here.” I set Sohrab’s cleats on the counter and grabbed the Rezaeis’ tea out of the drawer to the right of the stove.
I swallowed and swallowed but I couldn’t get rid of the pulsing lump in my throat.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered.
I couldn’t make my voice work properly.
Ashkan Rezaei opened his lips to speak, but then pressed them back together as they trembled.
