Biham had this strong urge to go along with Tania and meet Kinshra, but then, should he? He started to walk behind her, but he halted in his tracks. He wasn't the one who would steal the time between mother and daughter. If he went along with Tania without invitation, the moments would soon become very awkward. He watched Tania leaving as his eyes burned at the back.
When Tania heard that he wasn't coming, she too stopped and looked behind. "Father?" she called him. "Aren't you—?"
Biham took a deep breath in and gave her a thin smile. "Later…" he said and then turned to go back to his room.
Tania started to go after him, but Eltanin stopped her. "Don't go, Tania. It's better if they have 'alone' time when Kinshra is ready."
Tania's heart squeezed with sadness. She sent a little prayer in heaven that her mother allowed her father to meet her.
