“It might give you a measure of comfort.” I patted Itzhak, who had followed us into the office. I could tell the dog was also troubled by Amelia’s absence.

“Nothing’s giving me comfort right now, Delta.” He repeated that gesture of running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know where the fuck my wife is.”

Fritz was obviously agitated. Even so, I needed to see the subject through to its logical conclusion. Granted, it was not the best timing, but it wasn’t likely that surrogacy would come up again in an organic way. “Listen,” I said, “there might be a woman who wants the experience of being pregnant. Or someone who loved being pregnant and wants that experience a second time. Or someone who needs the money. There are health benefits. Your risk of cancer and heart disease go down.”

“OK.” Fritz was staring at the monitor and didn’t respond.

“All of those reasons would pale compared to the reasons that a friend would do it. A good friend who cared about you would want to see you happy. I know that I would.”

He shifted his jaw to one side. “Yeah?” He was finally listening to me.

“I would do it for a good friend.”

He squinted. “For us?”

My whole body was vibrating with uncontainable energy. I tried to maintain poise and stillness. I didn’t want Fritz to know how high the stakes were for me. The lengths to which I would go. “Fritz, you and Amelia”—I took his hand in mine in a purposefully platonic gesture—“I love both of you. And I love Natalie too. I don’t think it’s appropriate.… Amelia is the one who should be having the conversation.”

“She’s not here. Did you notice?” His voice sounded choked and sarcastic all at once. “And it’s just as much my decision.”

“Is it?” I placed my other hand on top of his. “I think … I don’t want to offend you.”

Fritz looked down at the floor, clearly angered. “Fine. Talk to Amelia about it. If she’s not dead.”

I heard a noise in the doorway, looked up, and was stunned to see Amelia standing there.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Amelia wore an expression of divine bliss and looked strikingly pretty in spite of her wrinkled dress and faded makeup. The western light streamed through the wall of glass doors and across her face. She seemed to glow from the inside out.

Fritz stood up quickly.

With her chin tilted up and her chest expanded, Amelia was relishing the drama of her entrance. “I found our birth mother,” she announced. “I found our baby.”

Her words knocked the wind out of me.

Fritz’s eyes narrowed into thin slits in his face. His jaw was clenched. He pounded the desk with his fist. “Amelia, you can’t disappear for eight hours.”