prove that you know each other well."
"You shouldn't give so much away, Sam." Harold scolded. "They will be up all night now, quizzing each other. You've practically given them a cheat sheet."
"Disclosure, Harry." Sam reminded him. "I don't want them to worry all night over it."
"I don't care if they worry!" Harold grumbled. "She'll be worrying a lot more when she's on a plane back home."
Amara glared at him from across the living room and then stood up calmly to show the pair to the door. "I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow." She said politely but resolutely.
After the agents had left and Amara had closed the door, Jason and Amara exchanged panicked glances.
"We haven't had enough time!" Amara worried. "How can we pretend that we know everything about each other when we've shared so little time?"
"That's not true, Amara." Jason insisted. "We've had all those sessions together where we spoke about so many things. We know more about each other than we think. The rest of it is just details."
The two of them spent the rest of the night doing just what Harold had said they would do: making sure they knew the fine print of each other's lives, where they grew up, their first pets, the names of their brothers and sisters. Jason struggled a little to recall all the names of Amara's one sister and three brothers, especially as their South African names didn't roll easily off his tongue, but he was eventually able to recall them all and list their hobbies and professions as if he knew them well.
"What if they call our parents?" Amara worried.
"I've told my parents about us." Jason told her. "I met with my father last week before the wedding. They were shocked to say the least, but they understand what we're doing and why it must be done. They won't say anything."
"What about my parents? We both know what my father can do." She groaned sadly.
"There is a difference between having you sent back to South Africa and having you sent to jail." Jason told her reasonably. "We've already undone his plans to marry you off. What use would your return be now? You couldn't marry that man even if you were there."
"I'm just really scared, Jason,” she admitted with a desperate frown.
"Don't be, Amara." Jason comforted her. He took a step forward to cradle her in his arms and it surprised her how safe she felt there. Even more surprising to Amara was how his embrace felt familiar, despite the fact that they were both so new to this. "We are true friends and that will show."
*
The interview the next day was not conducted by Harold or Sam, which Amara was greatly relieved about. She was seated in an office alone with a woman who seemed ultimately very disinterested in her, and she was asked a lengthy series of questions about her relationship with Jason, which Amara was surprised to find were very easy to answer.
Jason was right. She knew him better than she had believed and not just because they had quizzed each other the night before, but because in the six weeks that she had known him, she had cared to find out about his life and he had cared to find out about hers.
The interview finished without Amara being led away in handcuffs and for that, she was grateful. The immigration official told her that she would be under observation for the next few weeks during the investigation and providing that the immigration agents were satisfied with the review and the results of the investigation, she would be granted her citizenship as Jason's wife.
Amara had to stop herself from becoming too excited by the idea. It was still so distant a promise, that she had to treat her hopes with great care. At any second, everything could fall out from under her by saying or doing the wrong thing. And if she fell, she would drag Jason down with her. It was a possibility that she could not bear to face.
*
Despite anything Amara was doing to protect him, though, Jason's demise was already in sight. Jason felt uneasy when he was called into the
"You shouldn't give so much away, Sam." Harold scolded. "They will be up all night now, quizzing each other. You've practically given them a cheat sheet."
"Disclosure, Harry." Sam reminded him. "I don't want them to worry all night over it."
"I don't care if they worry!" Harold grumbled. "She'll be worrying a lot more when she's on a plane back home."
Amara glared at him from across the living room and then stood up calmly to show the pair to the door. "I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow." She said politely but resolutely.
After the agents had left and Amara had closed the door, Jason and Amara exchanged panicked glances.
"We haven't had enough time!" Amara worried. "How can we pretend that we know everything about each other when we've shared so little time?"
"That's not true, Amara." Jason insisted. "We've had all those sessions together where we spoke about so many things. We know more about each other than we think. The rest of it is just details."
The two of them spent the rest of the night doing just what Harold had said they would do: making sure they knew the fine print of each other's lives, where they grew up, their first pets, the names of their brothers and sisters. Jason struggled a little to recall all the names of Amara's one sister and three brothers, especially as their South African names didn't roll easily off his tongue, but he was eventually able to recall them all and list their hobbies and professions as if he knew them well.
"What if they call our parents?" Amara worried.
"I've told my parents about us." Jason told her. "I met with my father last week before the wedding. They were shocked to say the least, but they understand what we're doing and why it must be done. They won't say anything."
"What about my parents? We both know what my father can do." She groaned sadly.
"There is a difference between having you sent back to South Africa and having you sent to jail." Jason told her reasonably. "We've already undone his plans to marry you off. What use would your return be now? You couldn't marry that man even if you were there."
"I'm just really scared, Jason,” she admitted with a desperate frown.
"Don't be, Amara." Jason comforted her. He took a step forward to cradle her in his arms and it surprised her how safe she felt there. Even more surprising to Amara was how his embrace felt familiar, despite the fact that they were both so new to this. "We are true friends and that will show."
*
The interview the next day was not conducted by Harold or Sam, which Amara was greatly relieved about. She was seated in an office alone with a woman who seemed ultimately very disinterested in her, and she was asked a lengthy series of questions about her relationship with Jason, which Amara was surprised to find were very easy to answer.
Jason was right. She knew him better than she had believed and not just because they had quizzed each other the night before, but because in the six weeks that she had known him, she had cared to find out about his life and he had cared to find out about hers.
The interview finished without Amara being led away in handcuffs and for that, she was grateful. The immigration official told her that she would be under observation for the next few weeks during the investigation and providing that the immigration agents were satisfied with the review and the results of the investigation, she would be granted her citizenship as Jason's wife.
Amara had to stop herself from becoming too excited by the idea. It was still so distant a promise, that she had to treat her hopes with great care. At any second, everything could fall out from under her by saying or doing the wrong thing. And if she fell, she would drag Jason down with her. It was a possibility that she could not bear to face.
*
Despite anything Amara was doing to protect him, though, Jason's demise was already in sight. Jason felt uneasy when he was called into the
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