Confused, I said, “You’re welcome.”

And he left.

The next day he went away, and the light in his apartment remained on twenty-four hours a day.

I laughed at his old-fashioned burglary-prevention strategy. Apparently, he still believed in it.

The following day I drove to Ezi’s house.

The first time I sat behind the wheel of the car he drove every day, I felt strange.

Everywhere in the car smelled like him.

A masculine scent I remembered from long ago, from the days when he had been my suitor.

I searched the dashboard and every other place where I might find some clue about him.

I found nothing special except a small Qur’an in the glove compartment.

Even though having his car made getting to work easier for a few days, I wasn’t genuinely happy.

Every night when I went home, simply knowing that he was one floor above me gave me a comforting feeling.

Now I didn’t know where he was or how far away he was.

I wished I had asked where he was going and when he would be back.

When I arrived at Ezi’s house, Dr. … congratulated me on buying a car.

I told him I hadn’t bought it and explained what had happened. He became thoughtful for a moment.

One Friday, the doctor called and said Ezi had a fever and was asking for me.

He was right.

By then Ezi had become completely attached to me.

At home, wherever I went, he followed silently behind me like a duckling.

He talked to me more than he talked to anyone else.

The doctor asked me to come over for a few hours that day and take care of Ezi.

By then, Sina’s car had been with me for about three weeks.

The doctor asked, like a policeman trying to catch a thief red-handed, “Has your generous neighbor still not returned from his trip?”

“No, not yet.”

It was Friday, and the doctor himself was home too.

That created more opportunities for conversation between us.

To make sure I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, he had also invited his parents over.

At lunch he asked, “Ms. Hedayati, do you like cars and driving?”

“Yes. I’ve had a car and driven since I was thirteen, until a week before I started working here.”

“Actually,” he said, “I can help you buy a car. You said your parents’ income would be released in three months. You could pay me back in installments over the next few months. Would you be interested?”