Instead, she said, “Please don’t make a decision while you are upset.”
I looked at her and understood that love, fear, and denial could exist inside the same person.
“I have been upset for years,” I replied. “I cannot keep living this way.”
I left before Khalid could come out.
That evening, Huda helped me contact people who could explain my options and plan for Lina’s safety. I learned that I did not have to settle everything through a family meeting, and that I could seek professional help rather than relying on relatives to resolve the abuse.
I still did not know exactly how my future would look.
But I had stopped asking Khalid for permission to imagine one.
Two days later, Khalid called me from work.
His voice was gentle.
“I’ve been thinking about what happened.”
I stood in Huda’s sitting room, where I had gone for a brief visit while Lina was with a trusted relative.
