Rashid nodded, his movements quiet and composed as he stared into distance, totally at ease.
"Even the desert has a voice.." he added. "The wind carries everything. The sand remembers where footsteps go."
Fadil tore bread with broad hands, speaking between thoughtful bites.
"Which is why gossip travels even faster than caravans.." he said with a grin.
Min-jae allowed himself to breathe.The table felt warm. These people didn't pressure him to tell them about his past, they included him into their circle and made him part of it.
Hanan continued, more animated now.
"My family lives in the western quarter. My mother dyes cloth. My father used to make glass, but his eyesight has dimmed, so now he tells stories. The children adore him more than his vases ever could.." She laughed lightly.
Min-jae found himself responding without thinking, his voice softer than before.
"It sounds… like a really nice place to call home.."
