Relieved that her wallet, keys, and phone are accounted for, she turns on her cell phone.

Over a dozen new messages.

Ca.s.sie sinks heavily into the chair and reluctantly goes through them.

Most are from her mother, speaking above chattering female voices in the background, clearly calling from the bridal shower. At first she sounds irritated, then angry, and, finally, in calls that are interspersed with Alecs, worried.

Her fiances recorded voice, too, is laced with concern.

Please call me, baby, and let me know that youre all right. n.o.body knows where you are. If we dont hear from you soon were going to call the police.

Which they did, at twoAM , according to her mothers final message.

Ca.s.sandra, I have a gut feeling that youre all right. Regina Ashfords tone has almost regained its crisp control, but with an undercurrent of distress. Alec suspects that you might have cold feet. He says youve been less enthusiastic about the wedding than he had hoped. If thats the case, you really need to get over it and remember that a lot of people have gone out of their way to attend your shower, and its inappropriate,andimpolite not to show up at all.

Inappropriate.

Impolite.

That it is, Ca.s.sie thinks, fighting back the strange urge to laugh at her mothers understated choice of words.

One more message.

She braces herself to hear once again from her mother, or Alec.

Instead, she hears a chorus of female voices. Singing.

What the ?

Well always remember That fateful September Well never forget The new sisters we met Well face tomorrow together In all kinds of weather ZDK girls, now side by side May travel far and wide But wherever we roam Sweet ZDK will be our home.

A chill slithers down Ca.s.sies back as she recognizes the lyrics and the voices, including her own.

Rachels distinct soprano soars highest and sweetest on the last note.

Brushing her teeth at the sink in the hall bathroom, Brynn spots a shadowy figure looming in the doorway.

She screams.

Shhh! Youll wake up the kids.

You scared me! she hisses at Garth.

Im sorry. I called you but you didnt hear me.

She turns off the tap with a jerk of her hand; the rush of running water gives way to the hush of the still-slumbering household.

Listen, Garth whispers, I just walked into our room to change. Somebodys in our bed And it isnt Goldilocks. Whats going on?

Thats Ashley. Remember I told you shed be spending the night here? She plunges the toothbrush back into her mouth and resumes scrubbing. The minty toothpaste, usually so refreshing, seems vaguely distasteful this morning.

No, I dont remember anything about it, but Ive been so crazed lately Im lucky if I manage to remember what time my next lecture starts. Which I can, and its in exactly an hour and twenty minutes, and Papa Bears got to get showered and dressed, so Brynn leans over the sink to spit out an unpleasant mouthful of foamy Colgate. Ill wake up Ashley in a minute.

Thanks. Garths gaze meets hers in the mirror. Whats wrong? You seem upset.

Sheis upset And she isnt even entirely sure why. Something is still just offwith her this morning.

It might have something to do with Ashley being here last night, confiding just how absent a parent Fee has been lately.

It might also have something to do with Garthnot being here last night.

Yes, shes aware that Thursday is his late night on campus. And that hes been working on his book every chance he gets in preparation for the symposium.

Still You never came home, she hears herself telling him in an accusatory tone.

He raises his eyebrows. I was working on the book which you forbade me to do in the house, remember? His tone is as accusatory as hers. I need to have this chapter wrapped up.

Well, you should call me if youre not coming home at all.

When? At three-thirty in the morning? Because thats when I realized I needed to download at least another hours worth of research before I could even finish the page I was writing.

No Deflated, she turns to look him in the eye, face-to-face. Im sorry, I was just worried about you.

Why?

I dont know I couldnt sleep.

I saw your pillow and that old blanket on the couch. Take it from me, it isnt the most comfortable piece of furniture we own.

Sadly, itis the most comfortable piece of furniture we own, she tells him, turning on the water to rinse out the sink.

Then lets get new furniture. He rests his hands on her shoulders and tilts her back to lean against his chest, setting his chin on her head as they stare at each other in the mirror.

Are you kidding? We cant afford that.

Lets get it anyway. We need something good, Brynn.

Debt isnt good.

Maybe Ill sell this book. I have a gut feeling that something great is right around the corner.

Why does Brynn have the very opposite gut feeling?

She leans forward, away from Garth, and abruptly opens the medicine cabinet.

Lets go furniture shopping this weekend, he suggests as she takes out the plastic case containing her birth control pills.

Cant. Im working Calebs schools booth at the arts and crafts festival Sat.u.r.day, and Zacks birthday party is Sunday. Remember?

Clearly, he doesnt.

Nor does he know who Zack is.

Maggies son, Brynn explains, wondering how he can be so out of touch with the daily life she lives with the kids.

Oh. Right. Next weekend, then?

Cant, she says again, poking a pill from the packet into her hand. Im taking the boys to the Cape and youre going to that symposium in Arizona. Dont tell me you actually forgot that, too?

I told you, my memory isnt functioning well these days. He presses a thumb and forefinger against his forehead, looking exhausted.

Well, a total lack of sleep will do that to a person.

Sleep? Who has time for sleep? When did our lives become so scheduled?

My life isnt all that scheduled, Brynn points out, shaking her head and staring down at the little white pill in her hand. Im always here.

Youre the one whos been overscheduled, overworked, overtired. Even more so than usual lately.

As I recall, thats howyou wanted it, Garth tells her. You said you wanted to stay home with the boys while theyre young.

What are you saying? That you want me to go to work?

She plucks that out of oblivion and flings it at him, stupidly.

And she regrets it the moment its out there, because that isnt what he was saying at all, and she knows it.

Then again That might have been what he was thinking.

Not that he would ever admit it.

He doesnt. He rubs his temple for a minute, looking tired, before saying levelly, Brynn, you know I support your choice to be a full-time mom, so dont put words into my mouth, okay?

Okay, she says quietly.

Then If we can afford new furniture, why not a new baby?

Oh, no. Did she actually saythat aloud?

She must have, because a parade of expressions is marching across Garths face like a news crawl: from weary to confused to incredulous to fuming.

You cant be serious.

I am serious.

I thought we resolved this months ago.

Well, we didnt.

Glaring at her, he reaches for the k.n.o.b and jerks the bathroom door shut.

She knows its because he doesnt want to wake the boys and Ashley, but suddenly, shes frightened. She doesnt want to be alone in this tiny room with him.

Not when hes looking at her as though No, thats crazy.

Garth is angry, yes angrier than shes seen him in a long time. But shes not afraid of him. Hes her husband. They love each other.

Just not so much, at this particular moment.

So drop it,she warns herself.Drop the subject.

Never mind, she tells Garth. Forget I said anything.

There are some things even I cant forget, he shoots back as she puts the tiny pill on her tongue and bends over the sink. You know d.a.m.ned well that affording a new couch and a new baby are two entirely different things.

Not just a couch. She runs cold water into her cupped hand and tilts it into her mouth to get the pill down, then straightens to look him in the eye. You said newfurniture . That costs thousands of dollars. What does a baby cost? The first year, I mean. Not thousands.

You know this isnt just about money. And what about the second year, and the third? And the sixteenth, when the baby wants to drive, and the eighteenth, when it wants to go to college?

Youre being ridiculous.

No,youre being ridiculous.

Hes right. She is. He already told her in no uncertain terms that he doesnt want a third child.

Why did she even bring it up again?

Maybe because the prospect of a third child has been simmering in her mind ever since, refusing to be snuffed out by Garths adamant refusal.

Yes, the whole thing got back-burnered in the flurry of strep throat and Caleb starting school and And Rachel.

But now all of that has faded, and life has settled back into a routine, and Brynn wants another baby.

And it isnt fair that Garth is taking that away from her.

Feeling like a kid whose PlayStation privileges have been permanently revoked, Brynn folds her arms and lifts her chin. Why doyou get to decide? What about whatI want?

What about what Idont?

They stare at each other for a long moment.

Then a terrified scream erupts from down the hall.

Caleb.

Both Brynn and Garth bolt in that direction.

Their oldest son is standing barefoot in the kitchen doorway, wearing his favorite white Skivvy Doodle pajamas with the blue puppy print.