“We’re very optimistic,” Mrs. Hargrave said. “They were fine eggs and fine embryos.”

Marissa didn’t say anything. She could tell Robert wasn’t happy. Linda had no doubt irritated him.

The room that Marissa was placed in for her four-hour wait was pleasant enough. There were yellow curtains over windows that looked out onto the Charles River. The walls were a restful light green color.

Marissa was gingerly transferred from the gurney to the bed. Following orders, she lay quietly on her abdomen, her head to the side. Robert sat in a vinyl chair facing her.

“You feel okay?” he asked.

“As well as can be expected,” Marissa said evasively.

“You’ll be all right?” he asked. Marissa could tell he was impatient to go. “All I’m doing is lying here,” she told him. “If you have things to do, please, go do them. I’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?” Robert stood up. “I suppose if you are comfortable, there are some things I ought to attend to.”

Marissa could tell he was grateful to be excused. Before he left he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

The way she’d been feeling lately, Marissa was initially more comfortable left alone. But as the hours crawled by, she started to feel lonely, even abandoned. She began to look forward to the infrequent visits by one of the Women’s Clinic staff who dropped by to check on her every now and then.

When four hours had passed, Mrs. Hargrave came back to help her dress. At first, Marissa was reluctant to stand up, fearing she would spoil the transfer, even though the prescribed time had gone by. Mrs. Hargrave was nothing but encouraging.

Before Marissa left the clinic, Mrs. Hargrave advised her to take it easy for the next few days. She also told her to avoid sex for a little while.

No problem there, Marissa thought forlornly, especially if Robert continued to sleep in the guest room. She couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had had sex.

Marissa arranged for a cab to come pick her up. The last thing she wanted to do was call Robert for a ride.

She spent the remainder of the day resting. At seven o’clock she watched the news, keeping an ear out for the sound of Robert’s car in the driveway. By eight o’clock she began eyeing the phone. At eight-thirty she broke down and called his office.

Marissa let the phone ring twenty-five times, hoping that he was there by himself and would eventually hear it even if it wasn’t ringing in his private office. But no one picked up.