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ONE MONTH LATER
I examined the tomato, turning it over in my hand to make sure it wasn’t bruised. The sun shone on the tiny vegetable market, in a tiny island off the coast of Portugal. I’d chosen it because it was out of the way. There were no major international headquarters anywhere nearby. And Portugal was friendly enough that the United States barely paid any attention.
I’d brushed up on my Portuguese, taking some classes at a local church. As far as my neighbors knew, I was an artist from New York City who’d had enough of the crime and the greed. I explained to anyone who cared that I wanted somewhere quiet to raise my child.
At that point, I was showing, and while my stomach wasn’t gigantic, it was clear to everyone that I was expecting. I had a little apartment above a shoe shop, and I was learning to cook and make toys out of wood. My knife skills came in handy when I was whittling, and I’d managed to make a little train for the baby to play with when it was older.
Z and Lukas helped me get settled. After securing a new passport with a visa, I faked my death by putting my name on a list of passengers who’d died in a small airplane crash. They were just a bunch of rich businessmen, and it was easy enough for Z to hack the manifest. All she had to do was add my name to the roster and poof, I was dead.
I flew out the next day under my assumed name and reestablished myself in Portugal. While I suffered from a bit of loneliness, the new scenery did me good. I walked down to the beach almost every day to gaze out at the ocean. The sun and the salt were like a balm for my soul. I put a hand on my belly and practiced gratitude.
Glancing up, I thought I saw a ghost. Theo stood about twelve yards away, between two vendors with boxes of leafy greens. I blinked, expecting him to vanish like he did every other time. Or maybe it was just someone who looked like Theo but wasn’t really him.
The phantom continued to stare at me, giving me chills. I took a step toward it, wondering if I was imagining him. But then he broke into a smile and rushed toward me, proving once and for all that he was alive.
I dropped my basket, wrapping my arms around his neck. He felt so good, so warm and whole. My memories of his body were distant, and the reality of him stole my breath away. He pulled back to kiss me, and I felt all the pain and loneliness I had been carrying for so long just melt into a puddle at my feet.
“Theo,” I gasped, running my fingertips down the sides of his jaw. I could feel stubble, though he had recently shaved. It was yet another indication that he was really in front of me. “You’re alive?”
“I’m so glad I found you,” he responded, placing both hands on the back of my head. He crushed me to his chest so that I could hear his heart beating. But the pressure was a little too much for my belly. I eased back, putting a hand over my midsection.
Theo gasped, his gaze following mine to the protrusion. I gave him a smile, letting him connect the dots on his own. “It’s been five months,” I said.
“Is it mine?” he asked.
I slapped him hard on the arm, letting my anger answer the question. “Of course it is.”
He relaxed, a brilliant smile playing across his face. I fell in love with him all over again, realizing that I wasn’t going to have to spend the rest of my life alone. I watched as he placed a hand over mine, feeling the dimensions of the infant growing inside me.
I glanced over at one of the shop owners. She was watching us with romantic stars in her eyes. I appreciated the sentiment but didn’t want to make a scene. I took Theo by the hand, leading him back to my apartment.
He walked up the stairs with me, never taking his eyes off my stomach. I could tell he was thinking all the same things that I had been obsessed with when I’d first learned. The miracle of life and the promise of future grandchildren were all encapsulated in the yet-to-be-born baby. Not only did we have the rest of our lives to spend together, but we were going to start a family.
Letting Theo in through my front door, I gave him a quick tour. “Here’s the main bedroom and the baby’s room.” I had already gathered a few things for the nursery, including a crib and a changing table. I was working on a rocking chair, but it was slow going. I had the two rockers already cut and sanded down, but the rest of the chair was still in pieces.
“Are you making this yourself?” Theo asked.
“I have to have something to keep me busy,” I replied. Scooping the little train up off the floor, I handed it to him. “I made this.”
“You’re a carpenter,” he marveled.
“I’m a hobbyist,” I corrected him.
“And here I thought I would find you at a book club with a bunch of other old ladies,” he teased, setting the train down and placing his hands on my hips.
“You didn’t,” I accused. “How did you find me?”
“Lukas told me where to look,” Theo said.
“And where were you all this time?” I asked. “And don’t say it was a Russian prison or a CIA safehouse.”
“That’s a long story,” he said, gazing out the window.
“I have time,” I responded, pulling him into the living room where we could sit down.
“Do you have a beer?” he wondered.
“Nope,” I replied. “I’ve got apple juice.”
Theo laughed. “May I have a glass?”
“Sure,” I said, getting to my feet. It was becoming difficult to move from a seated position to a standing position. I had to lean forward and use my legs like some heavyweight wrestler. I waddled to the kitchen to pour him a glass, returning expectantly. “The story,” I demanded.
“I discovered that Ashcroft had built a self-destruct sequence into the computers in the event of capture. All I had to do was take a New Dawn agent hostage and force him to show me the code. After that, I barely managed to escape before the whole compound blew.”
“Why didn’t you come find me immediately?” I asked.
“I couldn’t risk drawing attention to you,” he answered. “New Dawn was on me heavily at first. It seemed like the operative I’d taken hostage managed to put the word out that I was responsible before initiating the detonation. I spent the next few months in hiding, searching out the last of the New Dawn troops before they could get to me.”
I nodded, accepting his explanation. I would have done the same thing if our roles had been reversed. I had to appreciate how difficult it must have been for him to stay underground when he knew that I was mourning him.
I got up from my seat and wandered over to him, easing myself down on his lap.
