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going to be tense enough without her breezing in five minutes behind. Frank would use it as another reason she was not ready to return to the force, and Matt, his cohort, would agree. Today would be a harder test for Lena than her first day in uniform. Just like then, everyone would be looking at her to fail. Thedifference was that now they would feel sorry for her if she fucked up, whereas before they would have cheered. If she was honest with herself, Lena would rather have their cheers than their pity. If this did not work out today, she did not know what she would do. Move, probably. Maybe they were hiring in Alaska.
    She told Ethan, “I’ll probably have to work late tonight.”
    â€œI don’t mind,” he told her, relaxed by the implication that she would see him later. “Why don’t you come over?”
    â€œBecause your dorm smells like puke and piss.”
    â€œI could come over there.”
    â€œYeah, that’d be great. With my dead sister’s gay lover in the next room? No thanks.”
    â€œCome on, baby. I want to see you.”
    â€œI don’t know how late I’ll be,” she told him. “I’ll probably be tired.”
    â€œThen we can just sleep,” he offered. “I don’t care. I want to see you.”
    His voice was soothing now, but Lena knew if she kept resisting he would turn nasty. Ethan was only twenty-three, almost ten years younger than Lena, and he had yet to figure out that a night spent apart was not the end of their relationship. Though, sometimes, Lena wished it could be that easy to make the break from him. Maybe now that she had a job again, something more demanding to occupy her brain than the daytime TV schedule, she could finally get away.
    â€œLena?” Ethan said, as if a sixth sense told him she was thinking about leaving. “I love you so much,baby.” His voice grew even softer. “Come see me tonight. I’ll make us dinner, maybe get some wine . . . ?”
    â€œI missed my period last month.”
    He sucked in air and her only regret was that she could not see his expression.
    â€œThat’s not funny.”
    â€œYou think I’m joking?” she asked. “I’m three weeks late.”
    Finally, he came up with “Stress can do that, right?”
    â€œSo can sperm.”
    He was quiet, his breathing the only noise on the line.
    She forced something that sounded like a laugh. “Still love me, baby?”
    His voice was tight and controlled. “Don’t be like that.”
    â€œLookit,” she said, wishing that she had never even mentioned it to him. “Don’t worry, okay? I’ll take care of it.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œIt means what it means, Ethan. If I’m . . .” She couldn’t even say the word. “If something’s happened, I’ll take care of it.”
    â€œYou can’t—”
    The phone beeped, and Lena had never been so thankful for call-waiting in her life. “I’ve got to get this. I’ll see you around.” She clicked the phone to the other call before Ethan could say anything else.
    â€œLee?” a raspy voice said. Lena suppressed a groan, thinking she would have been better off sticking with Ethan.
    â€œHey, Hank.”
    â€œHappy birthday, girl!”
    She smiled before she caught herself.
    â€œDidja get my card?”
    â€œYeah,” she told her uncle. “Thanks.”
    â€œYou get yourself something nice?”
    â€œYeah,” Lena repeated, tugging the jacket back into place. Hank’s two hundred dollars could have been better spent on groceries or her car payment, but Lena had splurged for once. Today was an important day. She was a cop again.
    Her cell phone rang, and she saw from the caller ID that it was Ethan, calling on his cell phone. He was still holding on call-waiting.
    Hank said, “You need to get that?”
    â€œNo,” she told him,