I was twelve weeks pregnant with a confirmed fetal heartbeat. If Dr. Krasnov recognized that I had never carried a baby to term, he hadn’t ratted me out thus far. I felt that he and I had reached a truce of sorts. He explained that I’d passed a critical milestone and the likelihood of miscarriage had significantly diminished. Upon hearing his words, a sensation of expansiveness and levity moved throughout my body and filled me completely.

Amelia was standing by in the waiting room at my request. I did take some secret pleasure in these moments, when she was the outsider who was forced to wait for me. I had the critical information before she did.

Afterward, she was invited into the doctor’s office and offered a seat next to me. “So far, so good, Mrs. Straub.”

The look on her face was like someone who had just finished scaling a mountain.

My power was increasing daily. I was carrying a life inside me. I had an indisputable purpose. My value in other arenas—my professional value, my value to lovers and friends, had never had the same gravity. Not even close. Amelia needed me and it was a life-and-death kind of need. I could feel vibrations of anguish and desire radiating off her.

The doctor shook her hand. “Now Ms. Dawn can continue care with her OB.”

Amelia stumbled over her words. “Thank … thank you so much.”

While waiting for the elevator together, she embraced me. “You’re a miracle.” I noticed how chapped her lips were and considered offering her some lip gloss, but thought better of it. I remembered the high-end pot of lip gloss on her desk in her home office. I doubted that she’d want to use my brand of lip gloss. Neither would she want my germs.

A sick feeling threatened me, but, just as quickly, it subsided.

Amelia drove me back to Brooklyn in her silver Mercedes SUV and insisted that I join her for lunch at her house. Occasionally I allowed myself to acknowledge why she adored me so much. Of course, it was because of the baby. It wasn’t real love. Or was it? I understand why some women get pregnant to secure a husband or hold on to the one they have. It’s the ultimate power.

I rested on the sofa in the great room, and after a few minutes she brought me a turkey sandwich and a glass of ice water and placed them on the iron coffee table. “I’ve been thinking,” she said. “My dreams are coming true. I want the same for Ian.”

“Of course,” I said.

“So Fritz and I called him.” She sat down next to me. “We told him he should start his own firm.” Amelia smiled with what seemed to be considerable effort. “And that we’d support him.”

“Wow.”

“And that you were his strongest advocate in making it happen.” She beamed.