Zaleekhah sits on her houseboat by the River Thames in 2018, feeling the weight of solitude after Nen’s departure. Her gaze is drawn to a seagull soaring overhead, clutching something strange in its beak. The sight of the bird, coupled with the overcast sky, fills her with an unsettling sense of unease. The clouds above mirror the storm brewing inside her, reflecting the turmoil in her heart. As she begins to eat the cuneiform biscuits Nen brought, she finds herself lost in thought, pondering the world around her. Her mind wanders to the fish in the river and how they must seek shelter when the weather becomes as unpredictable and violent as her emotions. Even though she knows that fish naturally seek deeper waters during such conditions, she feels a sense of powerlessness in truly understanding nature’s secrets. The river’s pollution only compounds her concern. She recalls how the fish struggle to breathe when the oxygen levels drop in the water, suffocating silently. It is in this moment that she realizes just how fragile the world is—everything in it, including herself, vulnerable to the unseen forces at play.

As the day turns to evening, Zaleekhah struggles to pick out an outfit for the family gathering she’s dreading. She finds herself lost in memories of past birthdays, one of which stands out with haunting clarity. It had been a birthday party mostly attended by strangers, a painful reminder of the overwhelming isolation she had felt after the tragic loss of her parents. Uncle Malek had tried his best to make the day special, baking a mermaid-themed cake that only served to remind her of her loneliness. As she sifts through her clothing, she is struck by how nothing seems appropriate—none of the garments can disguise the sadness or the self-doubt she carries. Despite the outward appearance of abundance, nothing feels right. The clothes she tries on serve as a stark contrast to the warmth and love her parents once offered, memories of which still linger, casting long shadows over her every attempt to move forward. The absence of her parents is an aching presence in her life, and she realizes that every year that passes only deepens her grief.

Zaleekhah feels an increasing sense of emotional isolation as the time for her birthday dinner approaches. She is torn between attending the gathering out of duty and the strong desire to retreat into solitude, away from the expectations placed on her. The thought of isolating herself entirely is frightening, though, because even in her emotional struggle, she still seeks connection. Her uncle’s house, which had once been a refuge after her parents’ passing, no longer feels like home. It serves as a temporary shelter, a place where she has been forced to adapt and survive but never truly live. Every corner of the house is imbued with memories of her late parents, making it impossible to escape the ache of their absence. She knows she can never replace them, and the weight of that realization presses heavily on her heart. Still, she finds herself unable to deny the necessity of showing up for her family, even if her soul feels like it’s still stuck in the past. As she gathers herself to attend the dinner, a mix of fear, uncertainty, and a faint glimmer of hope washes over her. It is not an easy decision, but the desire for connection outweighs her discomfort. The chapter reflects Zaleekhah’s struggle with her identity, torn between the person she has become after her parents’ death and the emotional turmoil she still faces. Amidst the layers of grief and self-doubt, she seeks solace in the small moments of human connection, hoping that someday, she might find peace within herself again.