The limousine waited for the light to change, and Nola looked at a small shrine whose red pagoda roofline with yellow corners cried thin rivulets of rainwater. The green paint on the heavy double doors had chipped, yet the temple stood solemn and proud, tucked as it was between ’70s-style concrete-and-steel commercial buildings. Nola wished to pray to any gods who would hear her. Baruch atta Adonai— If only she could remember the words….

She put her hand on the sleeping Lulu, snuggled in a blanket against her thigh, and closed her eyes to psyche herself up for the show. She envisioned the beauty of the stage, the glory and glitter, and the rapture that would ignite all her nerve endings. After a while, anticipation trembled inside her. A part of her would never stop looking forward to exciting her audience. Only another artist could understand the elation of being the recipient of the love the fans reflected back.

Nola opened her eyes a crack. The rain had stopped. She hoped Lulu would wake up soon; it would give her something with which to occupy herself. It would give Lulu, a baby who had already suffered one stupendous loss, another thread to hold onto during the weeklong separation.

“I want my passport. And a credit card and money. Lots of cash,” Nola told Wade.

His movements were short and furious as he unlocked his briefcase and fished in its pockets. He tossed what she’d asked for onto the seat beside her. Without looking in his direction, Nola tucked the passport and the wad of hundred-dollar bills into Lulu's diaper bag.

She wished Leslie were there to buffer the thick tension that hung in the air like a foul odor. But he had left earlier to prepare for tonight’s show.

Lulu stirred. Nola rolled down the window to let in some chilly air. She shouldn’t think about being bound to Wade in the coming week. Only about the next three hours. If only his betrayal didn’t pulsate in her temples.

He sighed and pressed the button to close her window. “Your hair frizzes.” When instead of a response she smiled at Lulu, who had awakened, he leaned over and tried to take Nola's hand. “Look, I’m sorry for being such an ass about it—”

“Don’t touch me.” She yanked her fingers away. “Ever.”

“If only I could turn back the clock. You, of all people, know what it means to make a huge mistake. I hadn’t had enough time to digest the idea when the baby was dropped from the sky, but I’m ready now.”

“Thanks for a below-the-belt comparison. How kind of you.”

He sat back, then popped a mint into his mouth.