Summary

The perspective switches back to Deya in winter of 2008 as she thinks about the unsent letter from her mother, and if she was possessed by a jinn. One day coming home from school, Deya sees a woman lurking outside their house. When she gets home she finds a white envelope on the doorstep with her name on it. She waits until later that night and opens it to find a business card with the name “Books and Beans” on it (81). On the back is a note that says “ask for manager” (81). She wonders if the woman could be her mother and decides to call the number the next day during lunch at school. She borrows her friend’s phone and ducks into the bathroom, avoiding her reflection in the mirrors thinking her face is, “the face of a coward. The face of a...