Friends and Strangers - J. Courtney Sullivan Page 0,135

Not even Nomi knows. She’ll ask me about it constantly, and I want to keep the process as mellow and low pressure as possible.”

“That makes sense.”

Sam felt flattered to be included in the inner circle, but then she supposed it was necessary, since she spent so much time in this house.

“I know I’ve told you that I don’t want more kids,” Elisabeth said.

“What changed your mind?”

“I haven’t changed my mind. But we have the two embryos, and Andrew wants to put them both in at once. Twins! I want zero additional children. Since neither of us could persuade the other to come over to our side, we decided to meet in the middle. One more kid—potentially.”

Was this how it happened? Could the decision to bring a life into the world be reduced to a calculation, a compromise?

“There’s a very high chance that it won’t work,” Elisabeth said.

Sam thought she sounded hopeful.

“We’re going to start the shots next week. I’ll be monitored by a doctor here. If all goes well, I’ll go to the city in a month for the embryo transfer.”

Her kids would be so close in age. Gil wasn’t yet a year old. If Elisabeth had been purely a friend, Sam would have asked if she was sure.

Clive was asleep when she got back to the dorm. He looked so sweet. By Saturday, he would be gone. Tomorrow she would try to block that out and enjoy the small amount of time they had left. Sam was never more in love with him than on the last night.

* * *

—

On Friday, Clive’s fever broke. He was well enough to shower, get dressed, feel hungry again. Sam found herself touching him constantly, clinging to his T-shirt.

“Don’t go,” she said. And, “I’m psychically willing your flight to get canceled.”

They went into town for dinner. She thought he looked particularly handsome, even under the fluorescent lights of the cheap Thai restaurant. When he asked if they should go to Herrell’s for ice cream after, Sam shook her head and said, “I want to get you home.”

Clive nodded. “I think that could be arranged.”

Back at the dorm, voices floated out from the living room.

“What’s going on down there?” Clive said. He was constitutionally incapable of missing a good party once he knew it was under way.

“Nothing interesting, I’m sure,” she said.

It felt natural to be with Clive in Maddie’s apartment, or on the streets of New York City, or even downtown, eating Thai food. But on campus, Sam still felt self-conscious. She didn’t want to lead him down the hall and squirm as he tried to make conversation with a bunch of college girls.

Next year they would live in the real world again. The age difference wouldn’t matter as much.

They climbed the stairs to her platform.

Isabella came running. She had mostly ignored them all week. But now she shouted, “Sam! Oh my God! Sam!”

Sam’s heart rate quickened.

“What’s the matter?” she said. “What happened?”

“Listen to this voice mail I just got,” Isabella said. “Oh my God, my hands are shaking.”

She set her cell phone to speaker. Clive and Sam leaned their heads down to listen.

Hey, little ho. This is Inez, Joseph’s baby mama. You stay away from him, or I will claw your motherfucking eyes out. I’m not kidding. Don’t try me, bitch.

At first Sam thought it must be a wrong number.

“Who’s Joseph?” she asked.

“The stripper’s assistant!” Isabella said.

“He has a baby mama? Who refers to herself as his baby mama?”

“Apparently.”

“And he never mentioned this.”

“Nope!”

“But didn’t he get your name tattooed on his arm?” Clive said.

Sam felt touched that he remembered a detail like that.

“It was my initial,” Isabella said. “The letter I.”

“Inez,” Clive said, nodding. “What a bastard.”

Isabella laughed. “For real,” she said.

Sam wondered if Clive had won her over, at last.

She took his arm. She was lucky to have found her person so early in life. Most of her friends would be searching for years.

* * *

—

In the morning, they were frantic, trying to get ready in time for George’s arrival.

“What time is your flight again?” she asked.

“Half ten,” Clive said.

Sam could never remember if it meant half past the hour or until.

“We need coffee,” she said as he struggled to close his suitcase. “I’ll meet you out front, okay?”

Sam went to the kitchen.

She pushed through the swinging door and found Maria and Delmi, not working, as they usually were when she entered, but looking down at something on the counter. Their heads snapped to attention when Sam walked