Summary

Part 1 – Elliot and his cousin Yazmin eat breakfast while waiting for the (late) arrival of someone Yazmin has arranged to meet. Elliot asks “Yaz” for help with his stubborn mom. Yazmin says that his mom (Ginny) is just being herself, and then asks Elliot to be a witness to her signature on her divorce papers. Elliot protests that he never saw Yaz and her husband William argue, and thinks they’re getting divorced because one or the other of them was having an affair. Yaz says that they just woke up one day and realized that they didn’t want “mediocrity” any more.

Part 2 – Professor Aman arrives hurriedly, late for his lecture. Yazmin introduces him to Elliot, then hurries off. Conversation between Elliot and Aman reveals that Elliot has an Arabic phrase in his mind that he wants Aman to translate. After he recites...