he air beside

he said, examining her.

o, Fa

. Come in. It's your house,

ing room, taking in the furniture, the paintings, and everything else as t

door behind them

ing. No

ught. He knew her

me explanation, but he had alread

aying for dinner,"

't a qu

r lips together

as a per

e meat himself. He handled the knife with the precision of a man dividing an es

urned Toria

ore the nausea rising in her throat. She swallowed repeatedl

eating," Ale

articularl

r two now. You sh

I should do w

nife

t her before returning h

laugh. "Still tha

y ans

s, port fees, and insurance policies with Alexa. Their convers

were so interested in, yet somehow feeling lik

hriss ask how

ce that she had bare

gs, but sometimes the disappointmen

ventually, lifting his glas

fork s

e

ty, as though the child's se

ed towar

some

t's a boy. Remind him tha

simply lift

boy," he

sed it before

and bright insid

her eyes t

r. After all, he had never been particularly interested

the best in the country. She'll run the amniocentesis on Tuesday, and I'

ly put dow

instruct

es

speakin

as if she had asked

son to make thi

my b

my gra

t even b

sely why we nee

ned towar

utting h

ris

lly loo

he said. "I've cle

d the

iew. Another appointment to fit in

im for a moment b

e caught her father in the hall

s while Mrs. Brandt collected

oying this,

idn't l

ying

ut my pregnancy, and treating me l

adjusting hi

ecting wh

your pr

her a lo

to be useful. It's the kindest thing a father can

ual that it took her

em throughout her childhood, b

ver wan

though she wer

on. You were

cheek twice, l

ends. Chriss gets his free

breath

she couldn't f

oa

ther s

you? She calls

seemed to

ry

ld a marriage with a man who barely acknowledged he

y, everyone k

ou telling

sition. Don't make the mistake of beli

towards th

here she was, wa

ngine purred into the dark before

ere for seve

rned toward

esk, his tie loosened and his

perfectly

nothing ha

Toria asked fr

inued moving acr

hat t

she call you

ngers

that evening, he lo

s my bu

out a qu

your

arrying m

kly that she wondered whe

back in

provoke you. Stress i

ba

t

er

ilt, perhaps. Discomfort. Even a little concern that sh

was no

question into another rem

s, Toria would hav

m to explain. She would have stood in that

er, why Joan still had access to him, and w

something w

was

asking questions that never received honest answers. Tired of being r

w a slo

," sh

rowned s

in

es

d and wal

he didn't throw anything or

y, like someone leaving a

ed at the e

ra

the answers ready, including the usual reminders about

here was o

r another moment before returni

t, he tol

nally learning whe

rs on the screen seemed less interesti

s came out of the st

use wa

hed off, leaving only the dim hal

chen when he heard a voic

ri

owed

ting for him anymore.

s sto

was a

her person's response,

ed of being the onl

owards the

nded di

ry. Not

t t

he wasn't familiar w

rkness, his glass

pause

," she continued quietly. "I c

, trying to hear the re

voice drop

wasn't his intention to liste

ained planted ag

nths, she had a

and his constant dismissal of her feelings,

rown use

too us

ered what would hap

dark hallway with th

ve for a ver