Agnes quickly set the tray aside. “Mrs. Wiseman, I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”
Eve held her burning hand. “Yes, I think I’m okay.”
“Go get a wet towel!” Marissa barked at Agnes. Agnes ran to the kitchen.
“Marissa, don’t talk to her like that.”
Marissa pointed to Eve’s stomach. “Look what she did!”
Eve looked down. Her soaked silk shirt was molded to her belly. She immediately bent over in pseudo-pain. “Oh!”
The guests began crowding around her and everyone was speaking at once. Eve wrapped both of her arms around her belly to minimize the area her mother was currently grabbing.
Agnes returned with a wet towel, which Marissa snatched from her. She pointed to the broken porcelain teapot on the floor. “Are you going to get that?”
Agnes started to clean up. Marissa pulled Eve away from the crowd and pressed the towel against Eve’s stomach. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Eve called over her shoulder as her sister ushered her out, “I’m fine. Be back in a minute.”
Eve’s mother and sister rushed her upstairs to the bedroom. Marissa immediately started tugging at Eve’s shirt. “I can’t believe her. Didn’t she see you?”
Eve held onto her shirt. “It was an accident. I should have been looking.”
“She was walking next to a pregnant woman with a pot of boiling water! She should have” Marissa tugged harder. “Eve, let go so we can get this shirt off.”
Their mother was already in a drawer, choosing another top.
“I can do it myself,” Eve said.
Marissa clicked her tongue and tried to lift up Eve’s shirt. “Let me just take a look to make sure you’re not burned.”
Marissa had briefly seen Eve’s belly before. However, Eve had always taken care to dull the silicone’s shine with a bit of talcum powder. She had no idea what the hot water had done to the surface and no intention of finding out with Marissa standing right here.
She inched toward the bathroom. “I’m fine.”
Marissa laughed. “Why are you being so shy? It’s just me. Come on now, your hand is already looking a little red. We need to get some cold packs.”
Eve slipped into the bathroom, closed the door in Marissa’s face and locked it. “I told you I can take care of myself. Now please go apologize to Agnes.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so.”
“Marissa! You can’t talk to her like that. I said it was an accident. Now I really need you to go out there and apologize, okay?”
She heard Marissa’s grumbling on the other side of the door. “Well, excuse me for trying to help.”
Eve leaned her forehead against the door and took a deep breath. She slowly pulled up her shirt to assess the damage. A knock on the other side of the door made her jump. “Yes?”
“It’s Mom. Are you okay?”
Eve cracked the door open. “Is Marissa gone?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“I’m going to give you some privacy. I laid out another outfit on your bed.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Eve waited for her mother to leave. She sat on the edge of the tub, running cold water over her hand and trying to control the overwhelming panic that washed over her when Marissa tried to take off her shirt.
She pressed her finger into the silicone where the water spilled and found it no worse for wear. She changed her clothes and walked into the hallway.
“Okay,” she said under her breath as she walked down the steps. “Take two.”
“Surprise!” Eve fanned out two pamphlets in her hands. “I’ve reserved a whole week for you at Westglow!”
Agnes took the pamphlets, handing one to Iris. “What’s Westglow?”
“It’s a fabulous spa in the mountains,” Eve said. “Since you two have bonded so well, I thought you’d like a nice girls’ trip. You’re really going to enjoy it!”
“When?” Iris asked.
“Next week.”
Agnes put her hands on her hips. “You know we can’t go then. You’re due next week.”
“I already told you the midwife will be here. This will be a good time to relax before Garvey comes. Consider it a Labor Day present.” Eve giggled.
Iris looked confused. “I do not understand.”
“That’s because it was a bad joke, honey,” Agnes said. “Thank you, Mrs. Wiseman, but having a baby can be…”
“Trust me, I’ll be fine.”
“But you need help with the baby,” Iris said.
“And I’ll have plenty of help with him… as soon as you get back from vacation. Will and I will enjoy our time with him. I insist. Plus, I’ve already paid the spa.”
Agnes and Iris looked at each other. Iris shrugged slowly.
“Okay,” Agnes sighed. “If you insist.”
Eve pointed to some equipment William had set up in the attic. “What’s that?”
“I need to get blood from the umbilical cord and placenta interface,” William said, “for stem cells.”
“Why?”
William hesitated. “He’s going to need weekly injections for a while.”
“Why?”
“It’s part of the pod protocol. He’ll need supplementation in order to thrive.”
“What kind of supplementation? Like vitamins? Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I didn’t want you to worry. I knew the thought of giving him shots would make you apprehensive, so I kept putting off telling you. I’m sorry.”
Eve looked at their full-term baby in the pod. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Of course,” William said. “It’ll be like Similac times ten. Totally safe.”
“You don’t inject baby formula.”
“That’s true… maybe that was a bad example.”
She looked at him.
He cleared his throat. “Are you ready to meet our son?”
Thankfully, Eve returned her attention to the pod. “Absolutely.”
William handed her the control tablet and guided her through the delivery application and codes. Her hands trembled as she navigated the touch screen. William stood behind her, his hands around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“It’s one, seven, one; not one, seven, four.” He kissed her. “Evie, calm down or you’ll never get the code right.” He steadied her hand and guided her index finger along the key pad.
The fluid slowly drained out of the pod. The sphere broke open and the baby lay serenely on the flattened surface. William clamped the umbilical cord and let Eve cut it. The tablet’s screen started to blink.
“Ten pounds, one ounce,” Eve read.
“Big boy!” William said proudly. He wiped off the baby and performed the Apgar test Penelope had shown him. “Perfect ten.”
Eve swaddled the newborn and held him up next to the attic window. He squinted at the light from the waning moon and Eve started to cry. “I can’t believe he’s really here.”
William smiled. “Believe it. Our son is finally here.”
Eve kissed her baby. “Welcome to the world, Garvey Wiseman.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The following January, Eve held Garvey, humming a lullaby softly. She was in the rocking chair in the nursery, admiring his teeny fingers. She kissed his hands and fussed with the pastel blue blanket wrapped around him. Garvey yawned, his eyes fluttering closed, and Eve stroked his fat, caramel cheek.
Iris walked in. “Agnes said you have a phone call.”
Eve handed Garvey to Iris and picked up the extension. “Hello?”
“Hey, Eve, it’s Mom.”
“Hey, Mom. I was actually going to call you tonight. Guess what?”
“Have you talked to your sister?”
“Um, not in a couple days. Why?”
Ruth exhaled noisily. “I just got a call from Warren. He said he came home from work and Marissa and the boys were gone. She left a note.”
> Eve gripped the receiver tighter. “Gone where?”
“She didn’t say. We were hoping you might know.”
Eve shook her head even though she knew her mom couldn’t see her. “No… what happened? What did the note say?”
“Oh goodness.” Eve heard something that sounded like her mother’s hand slapping a table. “She says she has proof that Warren has been cheating on her with their neighbor. He says she can’t have proof, because he never cheated. She says she’s taking the kids. He says if she files for divorce, he’s going to try to get sole custody. Honey, it’s a mess.” She sniffed. “I just want to make sure my grandkids are safe. I wish Marissa hadn’t been so rash. Warren said if she doesn’t have the kids back by this evening, he’s calling the police.”
“What can I do? Do you want me to come over?”
“No, no. Warren’s here now. If you hear anything from Marissa, call us.”
“Of course.” Eve hung up slowly.
William walked in. “Who was that?”
“My mom.”
“Evie, I thought we were going to tell them together.”
“I didn’t tell them anything. Apparently, my sister ran off. She thought Warren cheated on her so now she and my nephews are in the wind.”
William looked at the new pod printout Eve held. “When do you want to tell them?”
Eve put down the sonogram. “We have thirty-six weeks. We can do it later.”
Agent Roswell waited in the grocery store parking lot, listening to Bill Evan’s Peace Piece in his car. He needed a moment to collect himself. An hour ago, he’d done something he said he’d never do, and now had to figure out how to handle it.
He could still feel Carmen’s lips on his, and the warmth of her skin underneath the damp towel wrapped around her.
She’d caught him off guard while he’d been rummaging in the linen closet.
“What are you looking for?”
He’d turned around and there she was. “Um, I ran out of shaving gel.”
She reached to the back of a shelf and pulled out a tube of Gillette, holding her towel closed with the other hand.
“I thought you wore a robe,” he said.
“I do, but it’s in the dryer.” She held out the bottle. “Does that bother you?”
Yes, it bothered him. It bothered him greatly.
“No, I just thought you wore one, that’s all.”
He’d reached for the tube, but when he tried to take it, she didn’t let go. She looked up at him.
“Carmen, I can’t.”
But she didn’t back away. She’d just stood there, waiting.
The automatic sliding door to the grocery store opened and Agent Roswell sat up. A girl walked out with a paper bag and a jug of milk. He relaxed, rubbing the stubble on his chin. He hadn’t even taken the shaving gel. He’d walked away, gotten dressed, and left the house. Now what was he going to do? Act like the kiss never happened? Explain to Carmen that he wanted to date her, but couldn’t risk their relationship falling apart for Missy’s sake? He picked up his cell phone and scrolled to Carmen’s number. His finger hovered over the “send” button.
The Wiseman’s housekeeper walked out of the store and navigated her grocery cart over a patch of snow.
Agent Roswell put down the phone and got out of the car. “Excuse me, it’s Agnes, isn’t it?”
She moved her head jerkily in what he guessed was a nod.
“My name is Agent Jake Roswell. I handled the Dr. Chang case.”
She opened her trunk. “I remember.”
He picked up a bag from her cart. “May I?”
Agnes’s eyes darted around the parking lot. “Um… okay.”
He helped her load the groceries. “I’d like to ask you a few questions about your employer.”
Agnes kept her eyes down. “I don’t really have anything to say.”
“Just a few questions. It won’t take long.” He closed the trunk and rolled the cart a few feet away to the cart corral.
“I thought the case was over.” Agnes said. “Dr. Chang is in prison, right?”
He pointed to her car. “Why don’t we talk in there where it’s warmer?”
Agnes looked uneasy, but unlocked the doors. Agent Roswell slid into the passenger seat and waited for her to start the engine. She pulled her coat tighter around her chest and avoided his eyes.
“How’s Miss Meesang doing?”
“She’s fine.” Her eyes darted in his direction. “She’s very good with the baby.”
“Good. Do you know Kenny Baker? He was a security guard at Biltmore.”
“No. Why would I?”
“He worked in Dr. Wiseman’s building. He quit shortly after Dr. Chang was arrested.”
“Can’t you find him and talk to him yourself?”
“I’ve already talked to Kenny. I want to know what you know about him.”
“Nothing, of course. There was no reason for me to be on campus.”
“Did he ever come to the house?”
“I told you I don’t know him.”
“Did Dr. Chang come by the house?”
“Occasionally.” She pointed in the direction of the trunk. “I have some things that need to go into the refrigerator so…”
“They’ll be fine for a few minutes,” Agent Roswell said. “It’s cold enough outside.”
Agnes frowned.
“So,” he continued, “when Dr. Chang visited, did you hear him say anything out of the ordinary about any of their research?
“Everything they said sounded out of the ordinary to me. I’m not very scientific.”
“Have you witnessed anything unusual in the house since Miss Meesang started working? Or since the baby was born?”
Agnes was shaking her head before he finished talking. “No.”
“Mmm.” Agent Roswell studied a light pole for a while, letting the car fill with uncomfortable silence.
When it seemed to be too much for her, Agnes said, “I’m not sure what you want, Agent Roswell.”
“Call me Jake.”
Agnes made a frustrated sound.
“I was told that Mrs. Wiseman had a few miscarriages some years ago. That must have been difficult for you. I hear you two are close.”
“I didn’t like seeing her so sad.”
“It had to be some miracle that she finally had a baby, huh?”
“I really need to be going.”
Agent Roswell propped his elbow on the armrest and leaned back. “Did it strike you as coincidental that Mrs. Wiseman conceived shortly after Dr. Chang was arrested?”
“I don’t see the connection,” Agnes said.
“So, it was business as usual around the house?”
Agnes opened her mouth, then closed it. She nodded.
“You wouldn’t lie to a government agent, would you?”
“I’m late getting dinner ready.”
Agent Roswell opened the car door. “Of course.” He got out. “Thank you for your time, Agnes.”
He barely got out of the way before she sped off. She fishtailed to a stop before exiting the parking lot. Agent Roswell smiled and walked back to his car.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Iris’s alarm clock went off and she groped for the “snooze” button. She turned onto her back, eyes still closed, and heard a distant rumble of thunder as heavy raindrops began to pelt the window. Just as she was about to drift back to sleep, the alarm went off again.
She got up, turned the television to the news, and made her bed. After showering and brushing her hair, which she cut after moving in with the Wisemans, she checked her word-of-the-day calendar.
“Ravelment,” she read slowly. “Entanglement or confusion.”
She walked across the hall into the nursery. The suite was divided into sleeping quarters and a play area. Iris pulled back the curtains to let in the muted light from the grey sky. Garvey sleepily pushed himself upright.
“Good morning, little Garvey.” Iris patted h
is head. “It is time to rise and shine.”
Garvey rubbed his eye with a fist. “I’m not little.”
“I am sorry. I meant big Garvey. Now, up, up! You know Agnes does not like for us to be late for breakfast.”
He flopped back down on the bed and turned his face into the pillow. “I don’t want breakfast.”
“You say that every morning, and every morning, you really do want breakfast, right?”
Garvey’s voice was muffled as he yelled into the pillow, “No!”
“Okay, I guess I will tell Agnes that you do not want the chocolate chip pancakes she is making.”
Garvey turned over slowly and poked out his bottom lip. He looked up at Iris and she raised her eyebrows. He slid off the bed.
“Good,” Iris said. “Now that was not so bad, was it?”
He shrugged grumpily.
Iris laughed and shook her head. “Are you ready for your birthday next week?”
Garvey nodded.
“And how old will you be?”
He held up three fingers.
“Very good, little Garvey.”
Garvey stomped his bare foot on the carpet. “I said I’m not little!”
“I am very sorry. I meant big Garvey.”
He gave one hard nod and marched to the bathroom in his Spiderman pajamas. He closed the door and Iris waited to hear the toilet flush. When he opened the door, she supervised his hand and face washing.
“Very good,” Iris said from the doorway. “Now you can either help me with your brother and sisters, or you can go on downstairs to eat.”
Garvey gave the other bed and the two cribs dubious looks. “Downstairs.”
“That is what I figured. We will see you soon.”
Garvey waved. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
Garvey ran out. Iris heard him jumping down each step, making web shooter noises. She walked over to Billie, who was born a little over a year after Garvey.
“Rise and shine, pretty girl.”
She smiled at Iris.
“How did you sleep?”
Billie just giggled.
“Do you know what we have to do now?”
She shrugged.
“Think really hard.”
Billie thought for a long while. “Potty?”
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