Maybe I could have asked if we could try again. This time like normal people. After May 25th.

But I hadn’t done that. And the weeks went by without another peep from Victor. So I threw myself into my thesis production. Until one morning, I went to take my pill and noticed that I was on Day 7 of my inactive pills.

I was on Seasonale, which meant I only opted for periods every three months. Usually, Aunt Flo hit on Day four or five of my inactive week. I’d never gotten to the end of a whole three-month pack without having to break out my tampons.

Was that usual? My next physical wasn’t due until October, but maybe I should schedule a gyno appointment at the school clinic to make sure everything looked alright—

I cut off worrying about what might show up on a pap smear when another possible explanation for my missing period popped into my head….along with the memory of the Washington D.C. trip.

I had been a little worried when Victor had said he’d forgotten my make-up bag, but not too much so. I hadn’t wanted to ruin the surprise trip’s vibe, and I’d figured I could pop a pill as soon as I got home on Saturday.

Only, I’d gotten upset, and no matter how much I sifted through my memory of that weekend, I couldn’t remember taking it that Saturday.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

It was May 24th, the day before our thesis presentations. And unfortunately, I had back-to-back final presentations in my Advanced Character Animation and Post Production classes.

Which meant I couldn’t make it to the campus bookstore in the student center until after my last class that day. Luckily, RhIDS didn’t have any religious affiliations. I found what I needed in the health and wellness section and rushed to the front of the store to buy the one thing I would never dare to put on one of my shopping lists for Wayne.

Unfortunately, there was a line to check out. And this wasn’t CVS. They didn’t call extra people over to help ring up purchases for fear of you calling the corporate line and complaining.

I checked my watch as the line moved at a snail’s pace. Wayne was going to be so suspicious.

I eventually got what I needed. But I didn’t have time to actually use it. The student center was all the way on the opposite end of campus. So I had to book it in order to meet Wayne in the parking circle about ten minutes after my usual time.

Still, Wayne demanded, “What took you so long?” as soon as I slipped into the back of the car.

Luckily, I already had a lie locked and loaded. “I was consulting with Jacoby about my showcase tomorrow.”

Wayne glanced at me through the rearview mirror, his expression skeptical.