Everyone has a reaction to my hijab, like Layla’s mother who gently grabs both my hands and pulls me close to her, kissing me on each cheek and greeting me like I am a brand-new person. And then there are the people on the street who never used to notice me before when I glided down Ludlow in my beautiful coat but now stop and turn their heads, their eyes watching me like I am a ticking time bomb.
