Fran was her only bridesmaid, and was already standing at the front of the church, beaming at Heidi as she walked into the room. She didn't know anyth...ng about the situation, she thought they were the most perfectly happy couple. Everyone else was staring at her, too, but Heidi tried to avoid their faces. Most of them were Jake's guests anyhow.Little Fitz was standing up there proudly with his father. Because Heidi had nowhere else to look, she glanced at Jake's face. He was staring at her, his. How could anything possibly go wrong?Tariq treasured the silence of the baby Imam’s slumber as well as the silence of Vasilla’s absent mind. Tears welled in Tariq’s eyes, tears of relief stemming from years of frustration and tense emotion, like the violin strings which break from playing too hard. This new Imam would lead the righteous and conquer the pagans. This Imam would be the greatest Imam, the Twelfth Imam, to suck up the West drunk with its false power. ‘So very tiny,’ thought Tariq.He. "She took her husband's shaking hands in her own."You're not losing her, Andy. Look at me. She's always deserved better than any of the boys around here and you know it. It's okay for you to not like Gabriel. That's what daddies do." It's not that I dislike him..." I know, honey." She put her arms around him. "Does this ring a bell: Once upon a time, there was a shy girl who lived on Parsons Street. When she was a sophomore in high school, a boy started calling on her. He was a senior and drove. Your lipstick and nails were bright red too. You were wearing bobby shocks that were folded over at the top. When I first looked at you, your shoes were the traditional 1950s black and white laced up type shoe, like the kind worn when our mothers were teenagers. The next time I looked at you, your shoes had changed to bright red stiletto high heels. Your skin was smooth and tanned. It was as if I were looking at one woman with two personalities. One very traditional. The other very modern, sexy.