“I must say I’m proud of you, too. I’ve heard only good things from my friends. Your deportment, knowledge, and efficiency tell me you are probably more like your father. I doubt I’d do as well at your age. It’s good to see you have a sensible head on your shoulders.

“A responsible woman attracts only responsible men. And now, with your father building us a new and impressive home and possibly becoming the chairman of the board, you’ll be quite the catch.”

“What?”

“Haven’t you heard a thing I’ve said?”

“Yes, yes.” I looked at my new watch. “I’d better finish eating. Mr. Makens is one of those men who live according to the tick-tock.”

“Live according to the tick-tock?” My mother smiled, and then she laughed. “What a clever way to put it.”

Most of my life, I craved having compliments from my mother, unbeknownst to her, apparently, but right now, her smiling at me, praising me, made me feel absolutely sick to my stomach. The higher up she held me, the worse my fall in her eyes would be once she knew the truth.

I left the kitchen the moment I took my last bite and then ran upstairs to look at myself closely one more time. Although Nurse Rose’s description of the early months assured me no one would guess my condition unless my symptoms suddenly perked up, I was still concerned. What if one of the other women at the bank knew just as much, if not more, about pregnancy? What if one could look at me and see something I could not see in my mirror? All my life, I had been good at hiding or manipulating my feelings. Was this just too much for me to handle? I should have asked my father if I could stop working now. Wasn’t he worried I’d be discovered?

I knew that despite my efforts, anyone who was accustomed to my behavior would wonder why I was quieter than usual. Mr. Makens fortunately never shut up all the way from our house to the bank, so I didn’t have much chance to talk anyway. I think he was nervous about having a young woman sitting beside him.

Perhaps precisely because my father wasn’t present, the other employees were even more attentive. I flashed my smiles, laughed when I could, and treated every new customer as if he would make the bank one of the most important in the country by investing his savings in it or establishing an account. We did seem to be busier than usual, and for that I was grateful. Who wanted to think?