Sue opened the door herself this time. When Beatrix exclaimed at how much better she looked, Sue broke out her quirk of a smile, the one that always looked more ironic than genuine. “Nothing like being unable to get out of bed to make walking around seem like a major accomplishment.”
Beatrix laughed, Sue’s smile widened into something less sharp and they sat in the tiny living room. The Clark boys wrestled on the frayed rug near their feet, giggling.
Beatrix looked around. “Anna’s back in school?”
“Yes.” Sue shook her head. “She missed eight days.Eight. I couldn’t persuade her to go back any earlier.”
“She was worried about you.” If staying home from school could have kept her own mother alive, she never would have gone back, as much as she loved it.
Sue closed her eyes, letting out a whooshing sigh. “I don’t want her to get behind. I want her to finish school and make something of herself. Like you.”
“Oh,” Beatrix said quietly. She cleared her throat. “I never thought I’d made much of myself. Now, my sister—she’s a semester away from finishing college.”
“But you sent her.”
Beatrix smiled, the joy she’d felt when she handed Hazelhurst the last payment earlier in the day filling her up again. She’d made it by the skin of her teeth—just $110 left in the savings account. But she’d made it.
“No, that’smine!”Tommy yanked a wooden toy car out of his little brother’s hands and gave him a push.
Beatrix started to rise, glancing at Sue for direction. “Should I …?”
“Owwwwww!”
Evan bit Tommy. Then Tommy hit Evan.
“Boys!” Sue pushed to her feet and dragged them down the hall, depositing the toddler in her bedroom and the four-year-old in the bathroom.“Nobiting.Nohitting. Donotcome out until I get you.”
Evan wailed from the bedroom.
“No crying!” Sue called over her shoulder.
She slumped into her chair, looking far less healthy than she had just a minute earlier.
“Tough age,” Beatrix murmured.
Sue stared at the floor. “I only wantedone.”
What could you say to that?
“It’s not that I don’t love them all.” Sue wrapped her arms around herself. “I do. I honestly do. But three is … I’m barely managing, Beatrix. Soon I’ll have four, and you know it won’t stop there. I wish there was something I coulddo.” Color crept into her still-pale cheeks. “Besides the obvious, which wouldn’t be fair to Daniel.”
“There ought to be something,” Beatrix said, frowning. “It’s criminal that there isn’t.”
They sat in silence for a moment, Beatrix’s outrage about the situation and zeal to tackle it rising by the second. There had to be a way.
“Well,” Sue said heavily, “I’d better make the boys lunch.”
Beatrix rose from the couch with her, grasping her hand and squeezing it. “Don’t lose hope,” she murmured.
She chewed over the problem on the walk back, and the moment she finished her work for the day, she ran up to Ella on the second floor, ideas pouring out. A brew. Something to interrupt ovulation.
Ella frowned.
“I don’t think we ought to go down that road, Beatrix. It’s a good idea, agreatidea,” she said, holding up her hands, “but it would take ages to work out. And we’d need—what, hundreds of lab animals to test on? Thousands? Not to mention that neither of us are medical researchers.”
Beatrix sighed.
“We have to focus on the plan for now,” Ella said.
