Evil Eye: A Novel

Yara takes her daughters to the playground after school. There, she has a flashback to her own childhood in Brooklyn. Her father was always working, and her mother was usually tired and distracted. One day, her mother lost her temper and slapped Yara over a minor irritation. Yara was terrified. As she is recalling this incident, her daughters ask her to play with them, and Yara loses her temper. She quickly recovers, apologizes, and agrees to play with the girls. She fights back tears, ashamed of her overreaction.

Fadi and Yara take their nightly shower together. It is one of the few times of the day that they spend together. Yara is distracted, and Fadi notices. She wonders aloud if the two are becoming like their parents. Fadi balks at this idea and tells her that if she wants to change, she has to actively try to do so. Complaining will not help her become the person she wants to be. Still, Yara tells herself that she is lucky to have Fadi, especially since he accepted her despite her mother’s past. He tells her that he actively tries to avoid being like his father.