Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Darius emerges from his room, taking his present of specialty tea to his grandmother in the kitchen. Mamou thanks him, saying he’s “sweet” like his father, which shocks Darius: “No one had ever called Stephen Kellner sweet” (126). She then offers him qottab—a kind of pastry. It’s Darius’s favorite of Iran’s many desserts, but he can’t have it often because he has struggled with his weight since starting antidepressants.

As the family settles down to tea and qottab, there’s a knock at the door. Nervously, Darius goes to answer it and finds that it is in fact Sohrab; he's returning Darius’s sneakers, which he forgot in his hurry to leave. Darius lets him in so that he can fetch the cleats, reluctantly introducing Sohrab to his father and sister. Sohrab follows Darius to his bedroom and apologizes for making fun of him. Darius claims that it isn’t important, but Sohrab continues, explaining that he’d been relieved not to be Ali-Reza's target for once, but that he shouldn’t have joined in the teasing: “I was very rude. And I am sorry. Will you give me another chance?” (131). Darius accepts the apology, and the two decide to be friends.