Page 111 of Sheltering You

“Right. That’s what… I’m just… If you’d been married in America, and he was married to someone else, it wouldn’t be legal.”

“I was not married in America.”

“I know. It’s just weird to me for a man to have two wives. I’m trying to say that I get it, sort of. How you feel. Or I’m trying to. You and Khalid were intimate, and you’re carrying his child. If you weren’t married, then what would that mean for you? You’d be like one of those women with loose morals. So I get it. You’re married.” The last two words came out with a defeated breath. He took another, then started again. “Did he ever hurt you? Physically?”

Jasmine flashed back to too many moments at the compound, moments she preferred not to remember. “He did not hit me.”

“That’s a carefully worded answer. What does it mean?”

“I would prefer not to discuss this.”

“Jazz, come on. Just tell me.”

Had he not just said she didn’t have to talk about it if she didn’t want to? And yet, here he insisted she talk about it.

His hands tightened on the wheel, but after a moment, he said, “Fine. He didn’t hit you, but I’m guessing he did hurt you.”

“It is not unusual in my country. He would grab me sometimes or push me if I didn’t move fast enough. Nothing terrible.”

“In America, that would be considered abuse, and that’s grounds for divorce. Not that you need grounds here—you can divorce for any reason at all, but as a Christian… I’m just saying, God wouldn’t ask you to stay with a man who hurt you.”

“I do not understand what you’re saying.”

“If you don’t think the fact that he has another wife is good enough reason to divorce him, then abuse definitely is. I don’t know the legalities of it. We’d need a good lawyer to figure out how to go about it, considering Khalid lives in Iraq. But the point is⁠—”

“You’re saying I should divorce him?”

“Of course. It’s the simplest solution.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why? Because… Do you want to be married to him?”

“That is irrelevant. I am married to him.”

“But you don’t have to be. In America, the law is set up⁠—”

“I do not live by the law of America.”

“This is your home now. This is where you’re going to spend your life, right? You have to obey the law of the land.”

“Yes, you’re right. Like in the Book of Romans, of course.” Jasmine was trying to understand what Derrick was saying. “But first, I obey a higher law.”

“I know that.” His volume ticked higher. “I’m just saying⁠—”

“Please, do not wake Rabie.”

He raked a hand through his hair and took a breath. “Sorry.” Though he spoke more quietly, his words carried just as much frustration. “Don’t you want to be free of him? Why wouldn’t you?”

“Free? Is that what I would be?”

“Of course.”

“You think he would stop pursuing me if I divorced him? He would stop searching for his child?”

“If Khalid came for the baby, you’d have legal recourse. You would have full custody. You could seek protection. If you petition the court with all the facts—about his other wife, about the abuse—they wouldn’t consider Khalid a fit parent. He wouldn’t have any legal right to take him.”

Ah. “So for protection, you think I should do this. But custody will not make a difference to Khalid. He will not accept the law of America.”