Karim's mother smiled warmly. "That's the most important thing. As long as you support each other, you can overcome any obstacle."
Then Karim's father began to speak. "Karim told us you're from Istania."
I nodded, "I am."
His father continued, "And you know the political enmity between our two countries..."
I nodded again, but before I could say anything, Karim interjected. "Dad, we've talked about this."
His father looked at Karim and then turned back to me. "I'm not against you, but I believe you should know the reality. If you marry each other, his career would be in danger, and people would be against you two."
Karim spoke up again, his voice firm. "I will handle things, Dad."
There was a moment of silence, and I could feel the weight of his father's words settling over us. The reality of our situation was stark, and I could see the concern etched on his father's face.
