GO HOME. YES, THAT WAS THE RIGHT IDEA. OF COURSE, I WISH I’D GIVEN MYSELF the message. Hell, I wish I hadn’t signed up for this pathetic adventure. But I had. And now it was up to me. Go home.

With Bea in the bathroom, I quickly packed my bag. Tossed the condoms in the trash. Unlocked the minibar and retrieved my wedding ring from under a high-priced chocolate bar. As I slipped it on, I felt a wash of relief. This will never come off again. I had dodged a big, fat bullet. Yes, Bea had the goods on me, but I believed she would tell no one. And I was grateful that she’d lied to me the night before. By leaving me to stew in room 1701 of the Infinity Hotel, she had done me a great service. I had met myself, and I didn’t like the man I’d found myself to be.

So . . .

I couldn’t get home fast enough.

I was stuffing my pajamas into my bag when Bea emerged. I was slow to notice the way she was standing, her arms outstretched, as if making an offering of herself. Only then did I realize she was naked.

KATE

KATE

THE QUEST FOR SOMETHING REAL TOOK US TO THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, WHERE THE Kilimanjaro Safari was more authentic than anything we’d seen in two days. As we jostled along in an actual lorry, I pulled Teddy and Sam in close to me and tried to speak over a confused Jeff. “Look,” I said. “Do you see that giraffe? It’s real.”

No response.

“Oh, look, real zebras!”

No response.

I pointed out the rhinos and the hippopotamuses, but the boys were miserable. They were about to cry.

“What is it, you guys?”

“We miss Dumbo.”

“Yes, but over here, what we have is a real elephant . . .”

“We want to see Dumbo.”

“Hey, guys, look: These are all real, live animals that we’re seeing . . .”

“But Mommy, Dumbo is real! Mickey and Minnie are real!”

BEA MYERLY

BEA MYERLY

COULD HE TELL I WAS NERVOUS? THAT MY BODY WAS SHAKING? I SQUEEZED MY eyes shut, even though part of me wanted to look and see his expression. Another part of me wondered which part of me he would touch first.

I heard him moving closer.

Be open to what comes next, Bea. Be open.

I could feel his breath.

I am yours, Mr. Welch.

Before I knew it, he was behind me.

I have always been yours.

He draped a hotel robe over my shoulders . . .

Huh?

And gently told me to get dressed.

I don’t even think he looked at me. That he ever saw me. I really tried not to cry. But he gave me Kleenex.