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“Oh, thank goodness,” Zelda says through an exhale. “Here!” She puts Belle down beside the girl, and lifts my niece’s hand. “Bee, meet Suad!”
My toddler niece isn’t terribly interested in making friends, but Suad watches her. She holds out the hand clutching the bunny.
“You’d better hang onto that,” Zee says. “Bee might slobber all over it.”
“I doubt she speaks that much English,” I say quietly, still holding Suad’s hand. “Let’s go.”
We take a few tentative steps, and before long, the little girl is walking easily with us to the car. Hajib stands at the door in his usual military posture, but I don’t miss the warmth in his eyes.
* * *
Dieter Trammel greets us in the lobby of the consulate downtown. “Good morning, your majesty,” he says, holding out a hand. “This must be Suad?”
“Yes,” I step forward to shake his hand. “This is her.”
He bends down and holds out his hand. “What a pretty little girl.”
Suad doesn’t shake. She only observes him with those same wary eyes.
“That’s all right,” he says, patting her shoulder gently instead.
We walk to the elevator, and I tell him the story. “Her mother was killed in the bombings, but we’ve been able to find her aunt in one of the camps in Germany.”
“I have a surprise for you.” We follow Dieter out of the elevator and to his office.
Zelda and I exchange a glance. I can’t imagine what kind of surprise he could have. Suad’s eyes are enormous, and I can’t help wondering if she’s ever been in an elevator before. I feel like she must have.
Once we’re inside the office, he circles his desk and sits in front of a large computer monitor. “The U.N. worker in Hamburg has her aunt waiting to Skype with the little girl.”
“Oh…” I look to her and to Zelda. “Do you think that might scare her? I’m not sure she’ll understand, and I don’t know how to explain it to her…”
“Her aunt speaks the language,” Zee says. “Let’s give her a chance.”
My heart beats faster. “Suad?” Anxiety filters through my stomach as the little girl looks at me. “Sanaa,” I say, pointing to the large monitor.
Her little dark brow pulls together, and her green eyes move from my face to the computer screen.
“Let’s give it a try,” Dieter says.
He pulls out his phone and taps out a text, and the computer begins to ring. A few clicks, and the screen fills with the face of a young woman with dark hair and eyes. Her expression is worried, and she’s gazing intently at the screen. As soon as she sees the little girl, her face melts into a smile, and tears flood her eyes.
“Suad!” she cries, and the little girl jumps out of her chair.
“Sanaa!” She rushes forward and reaches out to touch the screen.
The two begin speaking quickly in their language, and Suad is more animated than I’ve ever seen her. Her eyes flash, and she bounces on her tip toes as she talks to her aunt. Sanaa is smiling, and she keeps wiping her eyes. I can tell she’s asking her questions by the way her voice goes high at the end of her sentences She must be satisfied with the answers, because she hasn’t stopped smiling yet.
Zelda and I are both wiping our eyes. Suad’s bunny is on the floor, and Belle picks it up, holding it out to the little girl. Suad takes it and says something, holding out one of Bee’s curls. Sanaa only laughs.
“I don’t think it scared her,” Dieter says, and the three of us let out relieved laughter.
We take our seats and wait until the two have said all their words. Suad seems tired, and Sanaa tells her something we don’t understand. The U.N. worker steps up and places her hand on the other woman’s back.
“Sanaa has explained to her niece she can come and pick her up next week,” the worker says. “Is that correct?”
I look to Dieter. “That’s correct,” he says, sliding forward in his chair. “I’ve spoken with the prime minister, and we have a special visa prepared that will allow her to come here and collect the child. We’ll let them say their goodbyes, and we can work out the details on our end.”
“Thank you,” Sanaa says as we start to go. “Thank you so much. Hamida would be so happy to know her daughter is safe.”
