“Samantha! Samantha!” she heard a voice call from behind her. She hadn’t seen Charlie for over a year but she was certain she would recognize his voice. When she called him she’d had half a moment’s hesitation. She knew it was possible that Charlie would be solicitous but have already moved on.

“Samantha, it’s me, Pearson.” She turned around and saw her first husband, still with his Exeter roommate.

“Oh my God! Pearson, what are you doing here?” She kissed him.

“Our daughter wanted to come in to see The Nutcracker and Radio City.” He smiled. He was still boyishly handsome with a water polo medalist physique.

“Your daughter?” she asked.

“Yes. Rick and I adopted Cecilia eight years ago. She goes to the Windsor School in Boston where we live. Honey, you remember Samantha?” He put his arm around his partner, who was at least five inches shorter.

Rick shook her hand. “Of course. You look wonderful.”

“Well, so do both of you,” she answered, thinking Pearson looked unbelievably well and Rick had succumbed to middle age.

“Crazy time to take a vacation in New York, huh?” Pearson flashed a huge grin.

“Yes.” She had just gotten off the plane two hours before.

“But we love it. What do you say, Rick. There’s nothing like it.”

“Nothing like it.” Rick kept his arm around him in that possessive way partners do when they run into their spouse’s exes.

“We’re staying right here if you want to call us. We’d love you to meet Cecilia.”

“Oh yes! That would be great!” Samantha was now wanting to wrap it up.

“It’s great to see you, honey.” Pearson kissed her. He had never called her honey during their marriage. She thought Cecilia must have made him warmer, more accessible.

“Great to see you.” She embraced Rick. “Good to see you, Rick. Congratulations on everything.”

As she watched them walk into the hotel, Samantha took out a pack of Marlboros that she’d bought at the Denver airport. When Pearson first told her he was gay she thought it was because he knew she wanted a child as part of their marriage and he clearly didn’t. Samantha watched in a haze as the nighttime traffic on Madison Avenue trickled by. Nothing ended the way she would have called it. She would never have predicted Pearson being the one with a child, or her being anxious as to whether Charlie would actually show up. And she would never ever have dreamed that Judy Tremont wouldn’t be chattering away somewhere tonight planning her New Year’s Eve dinner party.