"Selim, we talked about this," she said, her voice trembling. "The sadness here... it’s swallowing you. I can’t stay underwater just to hold your hand."

"I'm trying to surface," he replied, finally meeting her gaze. His eyes were bloodshot, reflecting the flickering streetlights. "But the medicine only makes the water feel warmer. It doesn't help me swim. Sen gidersen, gökyüzü de gider. If you go, the sky goes too."

Across from him sat Leyla. She was adjusting her scarf, her eyes already halfway out the door, looking toward a life in a city where the sun actually shone. She was leaving for London in three hours.

"I'm not," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm just asking for a little more time before the lights go out."