He lifted his palms to stop her from saying any more. “Hey, I’ve told you before. Your music is fed by your passions. If you don’t live, life won’t come out in your voice. A new lover will keep your energy fresh.”

She bristled. “Is that all you care about?”

The phone rang again. “Don’t answer,” she said, but he had already picked it up.

He covered the mouthpiece with his hand and spoke to her. “Listen. Tomorrow, you’ll have a brutal day. Take it easy today, exercise, go shopping…. But whatever you do, don’t let the media bait you into making any more statements.”

Outside the room, Nola kept her hand on the doorknob, lingering. How was a gravy train supposed to feel?

“How did the Yankees do?” She heard Wade asking whomever he was speaking to on the phone. At the answer, he gave a hearty laugh. “Get me tickets for the World Series, will you?”

Leslie peeked out of the room, Lulu in his arms. “Well?”

Nola shook her head as if to rid it from the cobweb of bewilderment. “I must get Lulu adopted. Today. I can’t do it alone. I don’t want to—and I don’t know how.”

Lulu pitched forward, her arms outstretched. Nola took her and cradled the compact body, rubbing her cheek against the crown of Lulu's head. After her bath, the baby smelled of powder, the color in her cheeks was high, and her tuft of clean hair fanned out like a black dandelion.

From behind her, she heard Wade speak into the phone. “Yes. One million shares of Motorola. You can’t beat a billion-three market of Chinese for beepers and cell phones. And while you’re at it, I want a complete due diligence on military technology our government has cleared to move into the commercial and export market.” He listened for a moment. “Fine. Buy me another two of BRW. Yes. That’s two million shares. BRW Entertainment. Capeesh?”

“Wade’s buying a nice chunk in the company that holds your contract,” Leslie said. “He puts a lot of eggs in one basket.”

“If you want a financial chat, you’re talking to the wrong person.”

On the crown of Lulu's scalp, in a spot where the bones had yet to fuse, the skin throbbed with a pulse. The utter vulnerability of her head sparked a fire inside Nola. She handed the baby back to Leslie, swiveled on her heel, and stormed back into the living room.

She slammed the door behind her. “If you have time to speak to your broker, you have time to speak to me. Please tell the operator to hold all calls for ten minutes.”

The look of astonishment on Wade's face quickly changed into amusement. “What is it now?”

Her heart banged against her ribcage. She settled in the armchair set perpendicular to the couch. “How much money is there in my foundation?”