ths, she kept

ble. I'm pregnant. Don't touch me. He had gone white, then silent, then had said nothin

ou feeling? One evening she found a fresh bottle of prenatal vitamins on the bathr

red. It un

in the kitchen. Not at work. In jeans, with h

," Toria said. "W

the da

ver taken

grim concentration. "I want to kn

mostly ou

were slightly overdone. Beside them sat h

grapefruit

a segment, and ate it. His face contort

old yo

pushed the plate toward her.

ontrol with a nicer face. But the other part watched him force down a

she said, to test him. "H

l co

ch droppe

o discuss with her

lo

ivorce and never your husband, and this was the bill. He wasn

f this is

coat," he

rn on her shoulder and the glassy loo

Chriss?" Her

y long," he

s, who was warm and small and frowning at the world. Chriss's hand supported the head without

d. Chriss laughed, a low, astonishe

hallway with her

a face and the baby gurgled. And this was the

t surprised her, can you love other peop

toria said w

ning the tap, when she hear

ss said. "I want to ca

a fr

ything. The loan was never kind. I gave it to you for the wrong rea

something Tori

s said. Because it was wrong.

pt running o

ersion of him. And he had walked in with th

lain, she thought bitterly.

the sitting room, still dazed, still reaching for Rhys. "Tor

nt comple

e said. "H

hing," To

oft

times a

A vein had come up in his temple.

ave told me to lie do

lent. Victoria s

it a contract. I made it about my freedom." His voice cracked. "It wasn't a r

get to de

kno

, some eggs, and a g

N

isits. You can come to the appointments. If something's wrong, you'll hear it from me. But you don't d

won

oo

er the soft, drowsy weight o

it was an opening, nar

the gate, Toria saw it first: a long black car

ach turn

-" Chri

hose car

aired man in a perfect suit stepp

. "My daughter. And I hear