Free The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar Page B

single night, I swear. I got to the point where just looking at a boiled egg made me sick. I couldn’t even participate in those elaborate Easter egg hunts your dad used to plan each year.”
    Diane grinned. “Remember the time he accidentally hid a raw egg inside one of your shoes?”
    “Do I remember? He had to take me shopping the very next day.”
    “Good old dad.”
    There was a sudden silence in the kitchen. Armaiti had heard the wistfulness in her daughter’s voice and knew that Diane was thinking back to the years before the divorce. As far as she knew, Diane had never found out about Blossom.
    The waffles popped up in the toaster and Diane moved to get them out. “Can you pass the butter?” she said, gesturing toward where the tub of Earth Balance sat on the kitchen counter.
    “Sure,” Armaiti said as she reached for the plastic pot. Her fingers missed the container. Mortification made her face flush as she tried a second time, focusing as hard as she could to pick up the box before her daughter noticed that anything was amiss.
    Diane was staring at her with her mouth open. “Mom? What’s wrong?”
    Armaiti tried to keep her voice light. “Who the hell knows? I’m just clumsy this morning, I think.”
    Diane didn’t bother to keep the panic out of her voice. “You can’t pick that thing up?”
    “Sure I can. Watch.” And guiding her right hand with the other, Armaiti gripped the container. “Here. Butter your waffles before they get cold.”
    “What is going on, Mom?”
    Armaiti eyed Diane’s plate. “Your food is getting cold, honey,” she repeated.
    “I don’t believe this. I don’t believe you’re talking to me about my waffles when you’re—you’re . . .”
    “Diane. Calm yourself. I don’t know what’s wrong, okay? Chances are it’s nothing, just, y’know, like a tic or something. Let’s just wait and watch.”
    “Wait and watch?” Diane sounded incredulous. “You can’t use your right hand and you’re telling me to be calm?” The young face grew teary. “What’s wrong, Mom? Don’t you care about anything? I feel like you’ve just given up or something. It’s hard enough that you’re refusing treatment, but why do you have to be so—so— cavalier about this? Can’t you see what this is doing to Dad and me?”
    Armaiti took the two steps that separated her from Diane and put her arms around her daughter. Diane made to pull away but Armaiti merely tightened her grip until the girl relaxed. “I’m sorry, my darling,” she murmured. “I know you don’t understand my decision. I can’t even explain it to you except to say I must live on my own terms. I must. As for this thing, it just happened, you know? I haven’t even had a chance to figure it out. I’m scared, too. But I’m hoping it’s temporary, you know?”
    “Let me call Dr. Cassidy’s office.”
    She was about to refuse when she saw the pleading look on her daughter’s face. “Okay,” she said wearily. “If you like.”

Chapter 8
    Y ou’re doing this for Laleh’s sake, Adish reminded himself as he pulled into a parking space. And Armaiti’s. But his movements were sluggish as he reached into his leather briefcase and fished around for the business card Laleh had pressed into his hand this morning. After he found it, he sat studying it for a moment, adjusting the visor to keep the sun out of his eyes. Ahmed Electronics. Adish thought he knew the narrow little gully the store was located in.
    He got out of the air-conditioned car with a sigh. The things a man does for love, he thought, smiling to himself. But then he remembered how Laleh had grown more agitated with each passing day that she had been unable to reach Nishta, and the smile turned into a grimace. Truth be told, he, too, was worried about the fact that Nishta had never answered her phone since the day of Laleh’s visit. And there was that weird incident from last night. After dinner, Laleh had dialed Nishta’s cell phone as