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"This is the way in Iran," he says, placing a cube between Stella's own teeth for her. His finger brushes against her bottom lip. She puts the cup to her lips and drinks. Then she holds the cube between her thumb and forefinger.
"It's good," she says, "but what about conversation?"
Ushman smiles, displaying his own sugar cube.
"Yeth, ith ith juth thumthing you learn to do. A wight of passagth."

-The Rug Merchant by Meg Mullins

I usually don't mind reading sad books, but I'll admit that I was relieved when I closed The Rug Merchant and switched my focus to what I would prepare. It reminded me of when I was dating, when cultural differences and lack of authenticity were part of whatever relationship I was in at the time. Thankfully I'm no longer dating, and thankfully there were a few happy moments in the book, including a moment with tea.