I will say only that it was the unmistakable evidence of major abdominal surgery, and of a body being managed through serious illness, and that there was, of course, no pregnancy, had never been any pregnancy, and that I understood all of it in a single instant.

And then the audio caught her voice, alone on that kitchen floor, whispering to herself: Just hold on a little longer, Rosa.

Just until Laura finishes her big launch.

You can’t cause problems for her right now. And my legs went out from under me, and I slid off the couch onto my own floor, and I could not breathe.

Chapter 8 — You Knew