"An End" Summary

Amal has known the ending of the story all along, has loved Sharif as mother, sister, and wife, and now mourns him with fresh grief. Wishing there to be more materials in Anna's trunk is pointless, so Amal organizes everything, but cannot stow it away. She visits the family mausoleum and has a surah of the Qur'an chanted for Sharif.

Amal feeds and changes baby Sharif, and then dances his feet on the table against Anna's treasures. Amal tells him a statuette belongs to his cousin and assures him he has a large, loving family he knows nothing about yet. The baby grabs for the black oval pebble and Amal explains his daddy, her brother, gave her that. He is brave, handsome, and makes wonderful music. She puts little Sharif to bed beside his mother. The newspapers are full...