"The hardest journeys are the ones you take with your own face — but someone else's name."
It wasn't easy for Dalal to become "Nadia." From the moment the idea took root, she knew it would take far more than a passport or a few papers. She would have to learn to live with new eyes, a new voice — even a new way of moving her hands.
Nadia began teaching her in small, careful steps. At the church, she showed Dalal how to make the sign of the cross over her chest and how to whisper the hymns softly without hesitation. In the kitchen, she taught her the names of the traditional dishes her family served at celebrations. Even everyday speech had its nuances — a short laugh here, a familiar phrase there.
Nadia laughed as she watched Dalal trying to mimic her:
"You need to slow your steps. You move like a sparrow… I walk slower."
Dalal smiled back:
"So I have to learn to walk like you… unhurried?"
"Exactly. And that's just the start. If you want them to believe you — you have to become Nadia, not just borrow her name."
Weeks passed in quiet preparation. Then came the day they would go to the government office to file for the official documents. The two girls dressed simply, with Samer accompanying them in the role of the protective older brother.
In the long queue, Dalal felt every stare like a spark on her skin. Her heart pounded, palms damp with sweat. Nadia leaned close and whispered:
"Remember… don't forget to smile. You are Nadia today."
When the clerk called the name, Dalal stepped forward with practiced calm. She signed the forms, posed for the photograph, pressed her fingerprint — every movement deliberate, every breath measured. Minutes stretched like hours.
And then it was done. They walked out with a brand-new passport — the name printed beneath her photo read: Nadia Hanna.
Dalal stared at it for a long moment. It was her face, yes, but not her name. For the first time, she felt her life split in two — Dalal, who remained in Bethlehem, and Nadia, who was about to leave for the unknown.
A few days later, the visa arrived — the one Nadia's uncle had promised. Then came the hardest part: convincing the families.
Nadia sat before her parents and said firmly,
"I've decided to delay my studies for a while. I'm not leaving yet."
Her mother looked at her in surprise:
"But we've spent months preparing everything!"
Nadia held her ground, though she knew the choice no longer belonged to her alone — her friend was about to live an entire life in her place.
Meanwhile, Dalal prepared for her supposed journey to Jordan to continue her studies — or so everyone believed. University papers, housing documents — all carefully arranged to conceal her real destination: Canada, where Billy Mark lived.
That night, Dalal sat alone in the courtyard, holding the new passport between her hands as the cold air flipped its pages. She whispered to herself:
"This is where it begins… with Nadia leaving herself behind — and Dalal stepping into a name that isn't hers."