Family Ties (2010)

“Geography isn’t insurmountable, you know,” Annie reminded her, “for the right guy. If it ever got serious, maybe you could get a job at Italian Vogue.”

“That’s what he says,” Liz said thoughtfully, “but we’re a long way from there. I haven’t even slept with him yet. I didn’t want to get carried away with a guy I might never see again.” But she had to admit to herself, if not to Annie, that it had been hard to resist. He had kissed her when they walked through Central Park, and she nearly melted in his arms, and there had been a serious makeout session on her couch that night, but they had both managed to restrain themselves, and Liz was glad she had.

“It doesn’t sound very likely that you won’t see him again,” Annie commented with a smile. She’d never heard Liz sound like this about any man. But the men she had always gone out with were boys. Alessandro was a man. And she didn’t sound frightened this time. For the first time in her life, Liz was willing to risk her heart. Annie was happy for her, and relieved. Liz deserved a good man, and not the flakes she’d been going out with for years. And she wished Ted would find a nice girl too. That certainly wasn’t the case for the moment.

Ted had gone to a basketball game at NYU with one of his roommates on a Friday night, on a weekend when Pattie’s kids were with their father, and she had complained that she wanted Ted home with her. She said she had a headache, but he’d been gently insistent that he needed a break. He never saw his friends anymore, and she had insisted he be with her constantly ever since she told him she was pregnant. But for once he told her he was going out, and said he’d stay at his own apartment afterward, since he’d probably have too much to drink, and she didn’t like that either. He needed a little room to spread his wings.

But he didn’t drink as much as he thought he would at the game, their team lost, and he felt guilty on his way home, so he left his roommate and went back to Pattie’s apartment to surprise her. She was lying on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, watching a romantic comedy, and she was thrilled to see him when he walked through the door with his key.

“What are you doing here?” she asked with pleasure. She still looked the same. She hadn’t started to gain weight yet, but she was only two and a half months pregnant, and she was a tall, full-bodied woman and carried it well.

“I missed you,” he said simply, and smiled at her. In part it was true. He was used to her now. But he also knew that she’d find some way to punish him the next day for going to the game with his friends. She had none of her own. She was completely dependent on Ted for all her entertainment, emotional sustenance, and distraction. She never wanted to spend five minutes away from him, so it was easier to just go back to her apartment than listen to her complain about it later.

“Did you eat dinner?” she asked him as she lay on the couch. She wasn’t much of a cook, but she kept him fed. They lived mostly on pizza and Chinese takeout, which he paid for, and once in a blue moon she cooked. There was a bucket of KFC in the kitchen, and he helped himself to a piece.

“I had a hot dog and nachos at the game,” he said, and then finished a piece of chicken, cracked open a beer, and decided to go to the bathroom first. He closed the door and turned on the light and then stared at what he saw in the bowl. He didn’t understand it. It didn’t belong there, and there was no one in the apartment but her. It looked like an injured mouse, but it was a bloody tampon, and there was blood in the bowl. She had forgotten to flush. And she clearly wasn’t having a miscarriage or distressed about it. She was laughing loudly at the film she had seen a dozen times before, and she smiled as he came out of the bathroom.

His head was reeling, but he said nothing to her. He walked into the kitchen and stared out the window, trying to understand what he’d seen and what it meant. It didn’t seem possible that she would do that to him. But what if she had? What if it was all a lie and a hoax? His whole body was trembling as he stood there, and he had to know. He grabbed his coat, strode to the door, and said something vague to Pattie about being back in a few minutes.

“Where are you going?” She looked surprised that he was leaving.

“I’ll be back in five minutes,” he said, looking distressed, without further explanation, and then he was gone. She wasn’t worried. She knew he’d be back. He acted like a kid sometimes.

There was a Duane Reade two blocks away that stayed open all night. He bought a pregnancy kit with two tests in it, put it in his pocket, ran back to the apartment, and sprinted up the stairs. He was still shaking, and there was a look in his eyes she had never seen before. She reached out and touched his crotch, and he took her hand, and then pulled her firmly up from the couch. He still had his coat on, and there was a frightening look in his eyes.

“What are you doing?” She looked puzzled and confused, as he led her into the bathroom, and she followed. “What is this, Ted?” She had no idea what he had in mind or why he had gone out.

“You tell me,” he said in a shattered voice. She reached for him, thinking he wanted to have sex with her, but it was clear he didn’t, and he wouldn’t let her touch him. He reached into his pocket and handed her the pregnancy kit, and Pattie looked startled. “I don’t need that,” she said, laughing at him. “Don’t be silly.” She tried to make a game of it and stroked him through his jeans. He didn’t move an inch and opened the box for her and handed her the test, as her face went pale.

“Do it,” he said in a voice that sounded like someone else’s. He looked cold, and he was shaking. She had tried to destroy his life and had almost blackmailed him into marrying her over a baby he now suspected didn’t exist. He left the bathroom and waited just outside the door. She took a long time, and he could hear her crying. The game was over. And then she finally came out, without the test, and looked at him in despair.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, as tears poured down her cheeks. She looked panicked. They both knew that if she’d done it, the test would have shown she wasn’t pregnant. Now he understood why she had told him she had a headache that afternoon. For once, she was willing to forgo sex, because she didn’t want him to discover that she had her period. But the game was up now. He saw all the life go out of her as they both stood there.

“I love you, Ted,” she whispered through a sob. “I’m sorry.”

“How could you do that to me? Threaten me and tell me you would kill yourself and the baby, that I had to marry you now and not later? What were you going to do when you never got big—tell me you lost it? What a fucking fool I was, and what a bitch you are!” he said, still shaking with rage and relief. “Don’t ever come near me again. Never!” he said as he walked past her to the door, and she ran to him, sank to the floor, and clung to him.

“Don’t leave me,” she said, clutching at his legs. “I love you, Ted.” She was begging him not to go.

“You don’t know the meaning of the word,” he said as he opened the door and pulled away from her. He still had his coat on from when he’d gone to the store. There was nothing he wanted from the apartment. Whatever he had there, he never wanted to see again, and especially her. She had lied to him about being pregnant and tried to destroy his life. He looked down at her with disgust, left, and slammed the door behind him. He ran down the stairs, threw open the door that led to the street, and took big gulps of the cold air.

And then he ran all the way home. He felt like he had escaped from prison. He had broken out. He had gotten one lucky break with the bloody tampon she’d forgotten to flush down the toilet. He wanted to shout as he ran down the street. He didn’t love her. He hated her. She had tried to ruin his life, and he had tried to do the right thing. He had almost given up law school for her, and his life, and she had lied to him and manipulated him. She had used sex to control him and threats of suicide to hold him prisoner. His cell phone was ringing as he ran down the street, and he didn’t answer it. She had lied to him totally. There had never been a baby. Just Pattie with her hooks into him.

He let himself into his apartment and poured himself two stiff shots of tequila and downed them at one gulp as one of his roommates walked in.

“Are we having a party?” he said with a broad grin.

“I am,” Ted said. He already felt better than he had in weeks, even months. He was free.

He poured himself a third shot, and his roommate cautioned him. “Take it easy, buddy. You’ll feel like shit tomorrow.” But he felt incredible tonight. It was strange, suddenly hating someone he was supposed to love and had even promised to marry. But she was never the person she pretended to be. He sat on the couch, watched TV with the tequila bottle between his legs, poured himself shots, and stared into space, trying to absorb what had happened to him.

It was two in the morning when the emergency room at Downtown Hospital called his apartment. One of his roommates answered it and told Ted it was for him. He listened to what they said and made no comment.

“Will she be okay?” he finally asked in a dead voice. He was very drunk but not totally incoherent. He understood what the man had said. Pattie was in the emergency room and had had her stomach pumped. They said she had taken six sleeping pills, which wouldn’t have been enough to kill her, and had called 911 herself. They said she’d be fine tomorrow, although she was on a psychiatric hold for evaluation, since she admitted it was a suicide attempt, and she had told them to call him. It had been a feeble attempt.

“She’d like you to come in to see her,” the attendant told him.

“Tell her I’m too drunk. I’ll come by in the morning.” And with that, he hung up, took a last shot of tequila, and went to bed. He didn’t care about her suicide attempt. It was as fake as their baby that had never existed, and just another manipulation. He understood that now.

He woke up with a huge headache the next morning, but at nine-thirty he was at the hospital as he’d said he would be. He found her room easily, and she was lying on the bed looking sick. A nurse’s aide was sitting in the chair next to her, on suicide watch, and she offered to leave when Ted walked into the room, but he declined. He looked young and handsome and very hung over. But in spite of the excesses of the night before, he felt better than he had in months. Pattie looked considerably worse. They had decided to keep her for another day, until the psych resident saw her. And she didn’t look pleased to be there. She started to cry the minute she saw Ted, and held out her arms to him. Ted didn’t move toward her. He stood just inside the doorway where she couldn’t reach him, and he didn’t approach the bed.

“I’m done, Pattie. It’s over. Don’t threaten me anymore, don’t bother to kill yourself over me, or pretend to. Don’t tell me you love me or anything about our ‘baby.’ I’m done. Finished. I don’t care what you do. You never should have done this, any of it, or pretended you were pregnant.” The nurse’s aide was watching them with interest and Pattie lay facedown on the bed, sobbing. “Get out of my life. You are out of my life. And don’t call me. I’ll send you my papers for the contracts class, and I don’t give a flying fuck if you flunk me. Do whatever you want. What you did is disgusting.” And with that, he walked out of the room, and the door whooshed slowly closed behind him. He could hear her sobbing, but he didn’t care.

It was the icing on the cake when one of the nurses spoke to him on the way out and said how sorry she was that Pattie was back again. She said that after four such attempts, she would probably benefit from in-patient treatment this time. And she guessed correctly that Ted was one of her students. She said that her last two boyfriends had been too. It was indiscreet of her, and Ted’s stomach turned over as he listened. He wondered how many of his fellow students she had done this to, how many times she had pretended to be pregnant and faked suicide to keep them. The thought of what she’d done to him made him feel sick. Pattie was a desperate woman.

Ted called Annie as soon as he got home and told her what had happened.

“It was all a lie,” he told Annie in a dead voice. “She was never pregnant.”

“How did you find out?” she asked. She and Tom were at the breakfast table reading the paper. They had plans for the weekend.

“I just did. She was lying the whole time.” His voice choked as he said it, thinking of all the times she had cried and berated him and threatened to kill herself if he didn’t do what she wanted. He wasn’t even afraid of that now. He couldn’t imagine ever being afraid of anything again, or believing anyone. It was going to take him a long time to trust someone again. “It’s over,” he said quietly. And then he called Liz and told her.

He lay on his bed after that with a pounding head and a light heart, thinking about what had happened. He realized now that he had been addicted to her, she had wanted it that way, and she had used his addiction to control him. It was terrifying to think about it now. All he could think about was how lucky he was that he had found out, and how grateful he was to be free.

“What happened?” Tom asked Annie when she hung up. He could tell that it was something important.

“I don’t know. Ted discovered that Pattie wasn’t really pregnant. He said it was all a lie, a hoax. Apparently, he discovered it last night. He said it’s over. Thank God.” She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at Tom.

“Well, you can take that off your worry list,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her. “Sounds like he got a lucky break.” She smiled broadly and poured him a second cup of coffee. By then Ted was already sound asleep on his bed, with a smile on his face, sleeping off the tequila.

Chapter 20

When Katie and Paul got through the security line at JFK Airport, they turned and waved to her aunt and his parents, and then disappeared in the activity of the airport, and Katie felt a wave of excitement wash over her. They stopped and bought cappuccinos at Starbucks and knew that they were the last ones they’d have for a while. After this they would be swept into his family life in Tehran.

Paul hadn’t been back in nine years, since they moved to New York. His parents talked about going back, but they never had. They had settled into their American life, and after adjusting to new ways, they had never gone back to Iran. And time had drifted by. Paul’s father had originally come to work for a few years, became more successful than he expected, and stayed. Paul’s father’s family had always begged them to move back, but he had a successful business in New York and worked hard, and Paul’s mother enjoyed the emancipated life she had adapted to in the States. She no longer covered her head or followed many of the old traditions, and that would have been a problem if they moved back to Tehran. They loved being Americans now, and integrated into their new life. It was Paul who most wanted to return to visit their family in Iran, and he had fond memories of his boyhood there. He longed to see his homeland again, and all the places he had known and loved as a child, and to share his history and heritage with Kate. She was thrilled to be taking the trip with him.

Paul had described Persepolis to her, the countryside outside Tehran, and the exotic look and smells of the bazaar. He wanted to show it all to her now and was proud to be returning as a man, not a boy. His mother also hadn’t wanted him to go back until his exemption from military service had been resolved, which had finally been settled the year before. Otherwise, as an Iranian, he would have been expected to serve. He had had a minor heart murmur as a child, and they had acknowledged his exemption at last. Now he was free to visit without concern.

Despite his American citizenship, Paul still had his Iranian passport and was considered Iranian once back in Iran. Katie was carrying Xerox copies of both their American passports, in case they lost them or had a problem on the trip. She had obtained her visa from the Pakistani embassy, since there was no Iranian embassy in the States, and no American embassy in Iran. The U.S. State Department had told her to go to the Swiss embassy if she had any problem once in Tehran. It seemed highly unlikely to her and to Paul that she would ever need their help, but it was good to know. And sensibly, they had been told to stay away from political demonstrations and protests of all kinds, which would have been good advice in any country in the world. Especially since they were young. They didn’t want to get arrested by mistake for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Paul would be treated as an Iranian citizen if that was the case, and she could wind up in jail if she was mistaken for a dissident. But there was no reason for either of them to have a problem with the law in Tehran. Paul’s father had said as much to Annie as well. And his brother’s home was in a wealthy residential neighborhood in the city.

Katie was anxious to see the museums, the university, and the bazaar. Two of Paul’s male cousins attended the university, and his uncle taught there. And his oldest female cousin would be enrolled at the university the following year.

Paul and Katie had bought tickets on a flight to London, and from there they were flying Iran Airlines into Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran. His mother had given her the head scarf she would have to wear when she got off the plane, and the long gray billowing cotton overcoat that women wore if it was required. Katie already knew from what she’d read and Paul had told her, that Iranian women were fairly liberated, went to universities, were highly educated, and were allowed to vote and drive and hold public office.

They both watched movies on the flight to London and eventually fell asleep. They wandered around the shops in Heathrow Airport, then boarded the plane for the six-hour flight to Tehran. They took their seats in coach, and were offered tea, water, and fruit juices before takeoff. No alcohol was served on the flight or anywhere in Iran. As one of the smiling flight attendants handed her a glass of fruit juice, Katie smiled at Paul and already felt as though she had entered a different world.

Paul had written to his aunt and uncle, explaining that he was bringing a friend with him. He said she was a young woman he went to school with, who was interested in visiting Iran to further her studies. They had both decided that it was best for now to say that they were friends, and not that they were in love. Paul had mentioned no hint of romance between them in his letters, and he had warned Katie that they would have to behave themselves, even in his uncle’s home. He didn’t want to offend his family, and neither did Katie. And it was likely to be a surprise for them that Paul was involved with an American girl and not a Persian, so they had agreed to be discreet. And Katie also knew that public displays of affection were discouraged and were not acceptable between a Muslim man and Western woman, and Katie had assured Paul that she would follow the rules. She had no desire to upset anyone while she was there. They just wanted to see his family and enjoy the trip.

The meal that was served on the flight was traditional and according to Muslim dietary laws and restrictions. The food was plentiful, and they both fell asleep after they ate. There were films on the flight, but they slept most of the way. With the two flights, the trip from New York to Tehran took thirteen hours, and they were due to land in Tehran after another brief meal. And as she looked happily at Paul before they landed, she felt closer to him than ever. She was excited to be making the trip with him.

The neat, orderly airport was teeming with activity when they arrived. There was only one terminal, and all the international flights from everywhere, within and without the Arab world, came through there. It took them nearly an hour to get their luggage, as Katie looked around, her head scarf neatly in place. She had brought very little with her, some longer skirts, a few pairs of jeans, sweaters, and two dresses, all in sober colors. She had brought nothing low cut, too short or revealing, or too punky, since she didn’t want to offend his family with outrageous clothes. And for the first time since she was thirteen, she had taken all the earrings out of her ears. She didn’t want to shock his aunt and uncle, and she was planning to wear long-sleeved shirts and sweaters to cover her tattoos. Annie had noticed the absence of her earrings the night before she left and realized how much she loved Paul, to make so many adjustments for him. Katie was wise enough not to want to attract attention or censure and to remain appropriately discreet. Meeting Paul’s family was important to her.

He had told her about his family before the trip and on the flight. She knew that his two female cousins, Shirin and Soudabeh, were fourteen and eighteen, and that his male cousins were twenty-one and twenty-three. The cousin his age was studying to be a doctor at Tehran University, and the cousin her age was studying art history and wanted to work in a museum as a curator one day. She knew that the museum in Tehran was exceptionally good.

Once they got their luggage, they had to go through immigration. Katie presented her passport and was fingerprinted as part of the routine for all foreigners. They looked at her visa, stamped her passport, and she went through. Paul had to present his passport and his military exemption card, which were in good order. He was no longer considered American here. While still on the flight, he had put his American passport in a pocket in his backpack, and he would be unable to use it anywhere in Iran. He was an Iranian citizen for life, and if he one day had children born in the States, they would be considered Iranian too. And so would Katie, if they ever married.

Everyone was extremely helpful and polite to them as they came through customs and immigration, and Katie was careful not to stand too close to Paul. She didn’t touch him or smile at him too warmly. For these two weeks they were just friends and nothing more, even in his uncle’s home. Her head scarf was in place, and she had put the thin cotton coat in her backpack, and as they scanned the faces outside the gate at the airport, Katie recognized Paul’s family immediately.

His uncle looked exactly like his father, only shorter and older, and his aunt Jelveh was a small, warm, friendly-looking woman. And both of Paul’s male cousins bore a strong family resemblance to him—they looked like they could have been his brothers and were close to his age. Their sisters hadn’t come to the airport, and Paul instantly threw his arms around his cousins whom he hadn’t seen for so long, and then their parents embraced him and welcomed him home. There were tears of joy in their eyes as they hugged him, and Paul introduced Katie to them as his school friend from New York, as she shyly said hello.

And then she noticed that there was an older man standing just behind them, quietly observing the scene with a serious expression, and he looked at his son, as though confused about who Paul was. And then Paul’s aunt gently explained it to him, and he burst into tears and came to hug Paul. It was a touching moment, and Paul was crying too. He had changed so much in the last nine years that his grandfather didn’t recognize him. And as they walked outside to their van, his grandfather kept an arm around Paul’s shoulders. He acted as though Paul were the prodigal son returned. Once his grandfather got in the van, Paul explained to Kate that he had aged enormously in the last decade, and he seemed very frail to her too. He seemed somewhat disoriented, and Jelveh explained to Paul that his grandfather thought he had returned to Tehran for good. Hearing that tugged at his heart, and he was happier than ever to be back, even if only for two weeks. As soon as they landed, he was instantly reminded of how much he loved it there, and in many ways it was still home. He wondered if that was why his parents didn’t go back, because it would be too hard to leave again.

Everyone was very friendly to Katie as they got into the van, and one of Paul’s cousins carried her bag, as she got into the back row with Paul’s aunt, so the three cousins could sit together. She asked Katie if she was very tired from the long trip and promised her a good meal when they got home. She said that her daughters had stayed home to prepare it. Paul had told her that his aunt was a great cook.

As they drove toward the city, with Paul’s uncle at the wheel of the van, Jelveh admitted to Katie that she had never been out of Iran, and New York seemed so far away. And even to Katie it certainly did right now. And Jelveh complimented her on her interest in Iran to complete her studies. Katie didn’t explain to her that the genesis of her interest was not academic but romantic, and that she was in love with her nephew. The charade of their friendship had begun, and would have to last for the entire two weeks they were there. It seemed too soon to tell them that theirs was a serious romance, or that they were involved at all. Paul wanted them to get to know Katie first.

The traffic around the airport was heavy, and the roads into the city were choked with cars. It took them an hour and a half to get there, and their house was in the Pasdaran district of the opulent northern part of the city. Katie looked around in fascination as they drove into town, and she spoke very little. She was too busy watching everything and trying to absorb it all, as the whole family chatted animatedly in Farsi around her. But all of them spoke excellent English whenever they talked to Kate.

Tehran looked like a modern city, with mosques dotting the landscape; there were tall buildings, and short ones. There was a financial district, and she was dying to see the bazaar that Paul had described to her so vividly. She wanted to buy something for Annie there. Paul pointed out the university to her, and the Azadi Tower as they drove home. And Paul realized as he looked around that the city had grown since he left. It was even busier and more crowded than it had been then, with fifteen million people living there now. Katie realized with amazement that it was busier and seemed even more crowded than New York. But even in a city as metropolitan as this, Katie had a sense of being in an exotic place. She loved being there with him and felt comfortable with his family, who all seemed like nice people to her and treated her with kindness and respect.

She noticed too that his grandfather in the front seat spoke very little and seemed lost in thought as he looked out the window. And every now and then he would turn to look at Paul, seated in the row behind him, and as soon as he did, tears of emotion sprang to his eyes again, and once or twice he leaned back and patted Paul’s hand, as though to be sure that he was real and not simply an illusion. And then he would say something quietly to his son in Farsi. Paul and his cousins were chatting and laughing, and Jelveh continued to point out important landmarks to Katie as they drove home.

And when they finally pulled up in front of their home, it looked like a sprawling family house, no different than the ones she had seen in the suburbs of New York. This one was only a little larger and had beautiful arches over the doors and windows. Both of Paul’s female cousins were waiting for them on the front lawn, and they threw their arms around Paul as soon as he emerged from the van. It was a shock for him to see them since they had been five and nine years old when he last saw them. And now they were beautiful young women, with velvety brown eyes, the same honey-colored skin as his own, and Katie suspected they had dark, almost jet-black hair like their brothers, under their head scarves. They had stayed home to prepare an enormous lunch for Paul and Katie. The two girls and their mother had been hustling around the kitchen since dawn.

They all left their shoes at the front door, and the moment they walked into the house, with all the young people chattering loudly, Jelveh hurried into the kitchen to finish cooking the lavish meal. The house was filled with the delicious smell of cinnamon and oranges and lamb, which sparked familiar memories for Paul, as Kate wandered into the kitchen and offered to help Jelveh. She introduced Kate to Shirin and Soudabeh and commented proudly that Soudabeh was going to be getting married later that year. The four women worked together with the help of three young girls who worked for them.

“She has been betrothed to her future husband since she was thirteen,” Jelveh said happily as Soudabeh beamed. “We arranged a marriage for Shirin last year. Once her older sister is married, Shirin can get married too, next year.” Kate realized it meant that the younger one would be getting married at fifteen, which wasn’t uncommon here, and Paul had told her that in traditional families, marriages were often arranged. Both girls spoke excellent English and giggled when they talked about getting married.

Once the meal was properly organized, Jelveh offered to take Katie to her room. The men went outside to talk and catch up. They were thrilled to have Paul home. What Katie had seen so far was no different than any family scene in the States.

Shirin and Soudabeh led Katie upstairs, to a room on the second floor, near their own. It was a small cubicle with a narrow bed and a dresser for her things, and a small window high up on the wall that she couldn’t see out of, but it shed sunlight into the room. The room was sparsely decorated, and Katie saw as she walked by them that the two girls had similar rooms. Shirin commented that the boys had larger bedrooms, on the upper floor, and Soudabeh said that their parents’ bedroom was at the opposite side of the house, and their grandfather had a suite of rooms downstairs. He had come to live with them after Paul had left, and they said he had been sick.

Katie put her bag down in her room and left her passport in her backpack, with her credit card and traveler’s checks. She had the money in rials that she had exchanged in her pocket, with some dollars. She had been told not to bring her computer to Iran, when she got her visa. They had told her that there were Internet cafés everywhere where she could get Internet access. And she had a BlackBerry in her pocket.

As soon as she had put her things down, the girls beckoned her back down the stairs to the kitchen, where Jelveh and the girls put the lavish meal on platters, and the three servants helped take the food to the dining room.

The family was not fabulously rich, but it was obvious that this was a wealthy household. Jelveh was wearing a sober-looking black dress and a very nice diamond watch, and Kate noticed that the two girls were wearing gold bracelets, and the men in the family wore large gold watches, even Paul’s cousins.

And just as Jelveh was preparing the meal, Katie heard the adhan for the first time. It was the midday call to prayer, announced on loudspeakers all over the city, as the muezzin made the same haunting sound that they heard five times a day. And everything instantly stopped. There was no sound in the household as each member of the family listened to the seven verses in the call to prayer. Katie was mesmerized by the sound. Paul had told her she would hear it at dawn, midday, midafternoon, just after sunset, and for the last time two hours after sunset. It was the reminder to the faithful to stop and pray five times a day.

When the muezzin’s call ended, the house sprang to life again.

The food that Jelveh had prepared with the girls’ help was delicately scented with saffron, fruit, and cinnamon blended in. There were chicken and lamb and fish, and it all smelled delicious to Katie as the men came in from outside and Katie realized how hungry she was after the long trip, although she had eaten two meals on each flight. She had no idea what time it was in New York, but she felt as though it was in another world, on another planet, a million miles from here. She had only been in Tehran for two hours, but Paul’s family was making her feel completely at home.

Everyone took their places at the table, and Katie sat down between Shirin and Soudabeh, while the three serving girls passed the platters and the whole family chattered excitedly at once. Paul’s homecoming was a major celebration for them all. The men were speaking animatedly to each other in Farsi and laughed a lot. Paul seemed completely at ease with them, as though he had never left, and Shirin and Soudabeh were busy asking Katie questions about fashions in New York, just like girls their age anywhere in the world. And every now and then Paul smiled at Kate reassuringly, and she realized it was going to be a long two weeks without physical contact, or being affectionate with each other. But it was a small price to pay in exchange for the experience of coming to Tehran. She was glad that she had come.

“Are you all right?” Paul asked her across the table at one point, and she smiled at him and answered, “Fine.” He knew this was very different for her, especially not speaking the language, and he wanted her to feel at home. His aunt, uncle, and cousins had done a great job so far of welcoming her. And Katie loved the food as well. She helped herself from several platters and enjoyed the pungent food and delicate spices.

The boys talked to her about going to visit the university the next day, and Katie said she wanted to see it and the bazaar most of all. They promised to show her all the sights while she was there. And Katie couldn’t help thinking that they were making every effort to make her feel at ease with them. Paul’s grandfather spoke up then in Farsi, with a puzzled look. He asked Paul a question, to which Paul said no.

“What did he ask you?” Katie asked with interest. She had the feeling that his grandfather had asked about her, since he had glanced at her several times.

“He asked if you were my girlfriend,” Paul said quietly. “I said no.” It was the agreement Paul and Katie had made before they came, and Katie nodded. It was best if they didn’t know. If they did, it would only complicate things for Paul.

After lunch Jelveh suggested that all three girls go upstairs and rest. Katie followed them to the floor above, and both of Paul’s girl cousins joined her in her room, where she unpacked her bags, and they admired her clothes. Shirin held all of it up in front of her and would have loved to try it on, but didn’t dare ask, as Katie put her belongings in the chest and closet and rapidly unpacked.

She then decided to put her money and BlackBerry away—it seemed silly to carry them in the house. She reached in to tuck them in the pocket of her backpack, with her passport, but as soon as she unzipped the pocket, she saw that her credit card, traveler’s checks, and passport were gone. The pocket was empty. Someone had removed them during lunch, since she had checked her backpack just before. Katie felt a wave of panic rush over her. It was a strange feeling being without them. She wondered if maybe Paul or one of his cousins was playing a trick on her and hoped that was the case.

But when Paul showed up a few minutes later and she mentioned it to him in an undervoice with a look of concern, he looked surprised too. He went to tell his uncle about it immediately. All he said in response was that Kate did not need any of it during her stay with them, and he thought it was safer to keep them locked up. They didn’t intend to let her pay for anything so she didn’t need her credit card or traveler’s checks, and he pointed out that Katie didn’t need her passport until she left. Paul had no idea who had gone through the backpack and didn’t want to ask. His uncle was the authority here, and when he explained it to Katie a short time later, she still looked upset. Paul had gone to check his own room by then and found that both of his passports and money were gone too. Kate was grateful that she’d had her money and phone on her at lunch when Paul told her what his uncle had said about her passport and credit card being safer if locked up.

“Can you ask him to give them back? I’d feel better hanging on to them myself,” Kate asked Paul as they conferred about it in whispers in the upstairs hall. “I’m really not comfortable without my passport.” And she was glad she had made Xerox copies of his and her own, which were still in the bottom of the backpack.

“Neither am I,” he assured her. It was the first hiccup of the trip. “I’ll talk to my uncle about it again.” But when he did, his uncle told him that neither of them needed to have their passports. Paul didn’t want to argue with him and be disrespectful, and his uncle was very firm about keeping them in his possession for safekeeping. Kate looked like she was going to cry when Paul told her.

“That really makes me nervous,” she said, wishing she could hug him then. She needed the reassurance. Losing control of her passport was frightening for her. It made Kate feel completely helpless. She realized then that she hadn’t texted Annie when they arrived, and she wasn’t sure if it would work here. She decided to try, and sent a short text that said only, “Safely arrived. I love you,” and then she decided to turn it off to save her battery, in case they wouldn’t let her have that either.

She was sure they meant well in keeping her passport, but it still made her uncomfortable to have lost possession of it. She put the BlackBerry in a sock and hid it far under her mattress, where she knew it was safe. It was her only means of communication with the outside world, and she didn’t want it running down, or taken. She didn’t like being without her passport at all, nor the traveler’s checks and credit card, all of which were tangible signs of her freedom and independence. It was a shock to have them taken away, however benevolent their motives. It made her feel like a child instead of an adult. And Paul was unhappy as well. His uncle had pointed out to him that only his Iranian passport mattered here, and his American one was useless to him in Tehran anyway. But Paul didn’t want to lose possession of his passports, and Katie only had one. But there was nothing they could do about it. Paul’s uncle was the head of the family, and he made the decisions for all of them, even for Katie while she stayed with them.

After that, Paul and his male cousins went out to drive around old familiar places. The women stayed home, and Shirin and Soudabeh played cards with Kate. She would have liked to go out with Paul and the boys too, and see more of the city, but she didn’t want to be rude to the girls, who were so excited to have her there.

The boys came back three hours later in high spirits. Paul said he had seen his old school and visited one of his boyhood friends. He had been surprised to discover that his friend was the man betrothed to Soudabeh and would be marrying her that summer. It felt strange to think of his own friends getting married, but he knew that people got married younger here. As much as he loved Katie, he didn’t feel ready for that himself. He loved being back in Tehran, seeing family and friends and all the familiar sights and places, and enjoying the sounds and smells that he had missed for so long.

He went out with the men again that night. This time Paul’s uncle went with them, and they were meeting other friends on the way. Paul looked apologetically at Kate as they left. His uncle wanted her to stay home with Jelveh and the girls. The men wanted to go out on their own, which was customary here.

That evening, Kate, Shirin, and Soudabeh lay on her bed and talked about fashion again, and movie stars. They didn’t know them all, although they knew some, and were fascinated by everything Kate had to say. They treated her like a visiting dignitary in their midst. And Katie knew that Annie would have been relieved to see what a close-knit, wholesome family they were, and how well taken care of she was. And she didn’t mind Paul’s boys’ night out. She was understanding about it and wanted him to enjoy the company of his male relatives too after so long away.

The three girls laughed and giggled a lot that night, and Soudabeh asked Katie if she had a boyfriend. She gasped with excitement when Kate said she did. And Kate laughed out loud at the irony that it was their cousin, which she couldn’t tell them. The fact that she was not Muslim, at least not yet, made it unwise for her and Paul to admit to their relationship here.

The girls went to bed long before the boys came home, and Kate wondered what they were doing. In spite of herself and her good intentions, as it got late, she felt left out. And she didn’t see Paul again until breakfast the next morning, and he was very solicitous over breakfast. He apologized again for not taking her out the night before.

“Did you sleep okay?” Paul asked her, wishing he could put his arms around her, but certainly not here.

“Fine.” She smiled at him. “What time did you come in?”

“Around two,” he said, and a little while later his cousins all came downstairs, and they discussed their visit that day to the university. All three boys were going and Soudabeh and Kate. They were all in high spirits when they left in the van right after breakfast.

Kate was impressed by how enormous the university was, and they were there all day, while the boys showed them around. They stopped several times to chat with friends, and Paul’s cousins introduced him to several young women students.

The university was even bigger than NYU, where Ted went to law school, and way, way bigger than Pratt, where she and Paul studied design.

Excited by their visit to the university, Kate tried to suggest they go to a museum afterward, but no one wanted to go with her, and Paul promised he’d try to arrange it. And she was also anxious to see the bazaar that she had heard so much about.

She turned her BlackBerry on briefly when she went to bed that night and saw that she had a text from Annie. “Take care, I love you” was all it said, and after reading the message, she turned it off. It still had plenty of power, and she was glad it did, because the power cord and transformer she’d bought had both disappeared from her backpack. Neither Soudabeh nor Shirin had cell phones and said their father didn’t like them, but both had iPods they listened to constantly.

At breakfast with Kate the next day, both girls talked about their weddings. They were excited about them, and Shirin didn’t mind at all being betrothed to a man five years older than she was. She thought he was very good looking. And both girls wanted to have babies soon. It was a culture where everyone started young. Jelveh had told Kate that she had gotten married at fourteen and had her first son at fifteen, and her husband was considerably older than she was. Kate realized when she said it that Jelveh was three or four years younger than Annie, which seemed amazing to her, and had a twenty-three-year-old son. She explained to her then about her aunt raising them, and her parents dying when she was five. Jelveh was shocked to learn that Annie wasn’t married and didn’t have children of her own. “How sad,” she said, looking sympathetic, and Kate realized that maybe it was, but Annie didn’t seem to mind. She had them.

True to his promise, Paul organized a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art that day. And this time both girls went with them. It had one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary art Kate had ever seen, and much to her delight, they stayed for hours and explored the sculpture garden afterward.

At the end of the week, Kate, Paul and the others went to the enormous bazaar, and she bought a beautiful silver necklace for Annie. The sights and sounds and smells of the bazaar seemed dizzying to Katie. There were miles of stalls, selling every kind of wares. People crowded around, and serious negotiations were being engaged in. The bazaar was far bigger than she had imagined, it was full of people, and Kate had a terrific time.

Their first week in Tehran had been wonderful, but at the end of it, Paul and Kate admitted to each other that they were getting homesick for New York and their lives there. The time had been so full that they felt like they’d been gone for longer. And Kate missed Annie. She was enjoying Paul’s family but she suddenly felt far away and missed her own.

Kate decided that day to send Annie an e-mail. Instead of using up the dwindling power in her BlackBerry, she asked one of Paul’s cousins to take her to an Internet café after school, and he was nice enough to do it. In the e-mail she told Annie what they’d been doing, that it was very interesting, and that she missed her. And she assured her she was fine. She sent short ones to Ted and Lizzie too. And after writing to them, she missed home even more. Despite the wonders she was discovering in Tehran, she was beginning to get seriously homesick, and when she got back to the house, she looked a little glum. Paul felt sorry for her when he saw it and admired her for being a good sport about everything so far. She had fit into everything they were doing. It had been an action-packed week, and Paul had the feeling at times that his family were subtly trying to convince him to move back to Tehran, and to remind him of how much happier he’d be here, where he belonged. He loved being back in Tehran, but he also realized that it was no longer home for him, and he missed his parents, friends, and familiar life in New York. His grandfather reminded him at every opportunity that he was Iranian, not American, and his uncle and cousins had echoed the same thought. He still felt totally at ease in Tehran, but he was ready to go back to New York. A week had been enough. Two was beginning to seem too long.

Katie felt that way too, and was tired of the charade that they were only friends. She missed cuddling with him and kissing him whenever she wanted. And sometimes she found it exhausting trying to absorb a whole new culture, and to understand all their customs. Paul was glad they had come, and particularly to have shared the experience with Katie. Contrary to all of Annie’s dire warnings, there was nothing either of them regretted about the trip so far. On the contrary they had both loved it. And they were hoping to take a trip to Persepolis before they left. Paul had shown her everything he wanted to and that Kate had been hoping to see before they arrived.

It was the day of their second visit to the bazaar to buy a bracelet for Liz and a belt for Ted that Katie began to feel strange at dinner. She got very pale, said she was a little dizzy, and then broke out in a sweat. Jelveh looked instantly worried, felt her head, and said she had a fever. And looking embarrassed, Kate left the table, went upstairs, and got violently sick two minutes later. She looked considerably worse when Paul went upstairs to check on her after dinner. He helped Katie into bed and went downstairs to tell his aunt that he thought Katie needed a doctor. She went upstairs to see for herself, and by then Katie was shaking violently with chills and had a raging fever. Katie was crying, said she had terrible stomach pains, and Paul was worried sick about her. She insisted she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything at the bazaar, and Jelveh said it looked like a very bad flu they’d all had earlier that winter. Katie said she’d never felt so sick in her life, and Paul bent down to kiss her forehead, just as Jelveh came back into the room to check on Kate again, and saw him do it. She looked at Paul with strong disapproval.

“You can’t do that here, Paul, and you know it. And if you kiss Kate in public, it will cause you both a great deal of trouble. It’s not proper behavior, and even more so since she’s not a Muslim. If your grandfather saw you do that, it would break his heart.” And then she looked searchingly at both of them. “Is she your girlfriend?” she asked her nephew in a whisper, so no one else would hear her. Kate watched him with wide eyes as he paused before he answered, then nodded. He didn’t want to lie to his aunt, and he trusted her to be discreet about it. He knew she liked Kate a lot although not necessarily for him, since she was Christian.

“Yes, she is,” he answered simply.

“Do your parents know?” She looked shocked, as he nodded again.

“Yes, they do. They like Kate, although they’re worried about how it would work out in the future. But it’s different for us. We live in New York, not Tehran.” Jelveh didn’t say anything for a long moment as she thought about it.

“It’s not different for you,” Jelveh said quietly. “You’re still a Muslim, even in New York. And Kate isn’t. I think you’ve been away from home for too long. It’s time for you to come back here and remember who and what you are.” She was very clear on that.

“I can’t do that,” he said quietly. “I have a life in New York, and my parents are there.”

“Your parents were wrong to take you away when you were so young.” And then she took his breath away with what she said next. “We want you to stay here now. You can study here with your cousins. You can live with us.” Her heart was in her eyes as she said it. She meant well, but Paul didn’t want to stay. He was ready to go back. Kate was listening with wide eyes.

“I can’t do that, Jelveh,” Paul said, with a sound of panic in his voice. “My parents would be upset if I didn’t come back. And so would I. I love it here, but it’s not my home anymore.”

“Tehran will always be your home,” she said firmly. And as she said it, Kate ran to the bathroom again, and they could hear her retching through the door. “I’ll call the doctor,” Jelveh said calmly. “We can talk about this later.” But the way she said it made him nervous. They had both his passports, and he couldn’t leave Tehran without at least one of them. And Jelveh made it sound like they were determined to keep him in Tehran.

He didn’t have time to discuss it with her further. The doctor came half an hour later, and by then Katie had a 103-degree fever and was even sicker than before. The doctor examined Katie and thought she had a virus of some kind, or a bacterial infection. He thought about putting her in the hospital, but after discussing it with Jelveh, he decided to leave her at their home.

The fever raged on for three days, while Jelveh nursed her, and Paul visited her every chance he got. And he was grateful that Jelveh hadn’t told anyone in the family that Katie was his girlfriend, but the sicker she got, the more obvious it was. He was out of his head with worry for her. And Katie looked like a skeleton when the fever broke after four days, two days before they were due to go home. She was deathly pale and had dark circles under her eyes, and she hadn’t contacted Annie because she didn’t want to upset her. They were going home soon anyway. When the fever broke finally, Paul told Katie she had been very brave. He patted her hand as he said it but made no move to kiss her again. He knew full well from Jelveh what a scandal that would cause.

The doctor declared that she would be well enough to return to New York on schedule, and Katie looked relieved. She didn’t want to get stuck here. She was still feeling sick and wanted to go home to Annie and her own bed. She had felt like a five-year-old when she was sick. But Jelveh had taken good care of her, almost as good as Annie, although with different remedies. But she had been an excellent nurse, and very motherly to her.

Paul reconfirmed their airplane tickets that day and went to see his uncle about reclaiming their passports. His uncle listened to him, nodded, unlocked a drawer in his desk, and handed him Kate’s, but neither of Paul’s. He handed him Katie’s credit card and traveler’s checks too, but nothing of Paul’s.

“I need mine too,” Paul said quietly, as his uncle shook his head.

“I don’t think you do. Your aunt and I would like you to stay here. This is where you belong,” he said firmly.

“No, it isn’t,” Paul said hoarsely, as a shiver of fear ran down his spine. “You can’t keep me here, uncle. Sooner or later, I’ll find a way to leave. My home is in New York.”

“You don’t belong in New York, Paul. Iran is your country. Tehran is your home.”

“America is my country now too. And New York is my home, not Tehran. I love it here, but this is history for me. My future and life are in the States.”

“That was a foolish mistake your father made years ago. He got lured away by the money he could make in the States. There are more important things than that, like family and traditions. You can correct that now by staying here.”

“I won’t,” Paul said, looking frightened. “And I have to get Kate home. She’s sick, and it’s time for us to go.”

“She can fly alone,” his uncle insisted calmly, as Paul felt like he was talking to a wall.

“Are you telling me you won’t give me my passports?” Paul asked, looking stunned.

“Yes, I am,” his uncle said with a look of iron, as Paul stared at him in disbelief. “I think you need to spend time here. And you need to send Katie home.”

“I’m not letting her fly home alone,” Paul said firmly, as his uncle said nothing and quietly left the room, without another word to Paul.

Paul was in Katie’s room two minutes later with a look of deep concern.

“What’s wrong? You look like someone died,” Katie said only half-joking.

“Someone did. Both my passports. My uncle won’t give them back to me.”

“Are you serious?” Katie looked horrified as he nodded and handed hers to her.

“They want me to stay,” he said solemnly.

“For how long?”

“Forever, it sounds like. As far as they’re concerned, I’m Iranian, and I belong here.” It was the only thing that had worried his mother when they left—the possibility that someone would try to keep him there. As it turned out, she hadn’t been wrong. “You’re going to have to fly back alone. I don’t want you to stay here. You’re sick. You need to go home.”

“I’m not leaving you here,” she said with a look of panic. “What if we ask the Swiss embassy to help?”

“There’s nothing they can do. I’m considered an Iranian citizen here.”

“Your uncle can’t do this to you,” Katie said, starting to cry.

“Yes, he can. He’s the head of the family. He says it will kill my grandfather if I leave again.” Paul looked devastated as he said it. “And it will kill my parents if I don’t. He thinks they should come back too.”

“I’m not leaving Tehran without you,” Katie said firmly, clutching her passport in her hand.

“Your aunt will go nuts. And your visa expires in two weeks. I want you to go back.” And she still looked very sick. The virus she had caught had hit her hard.

“I’m not leaving you here,” Katie said in tears.

“We have no choice,” he said as he put his arms around her and hoped no one would see them. And this time no one did.

“I’ll send a message to my aunt,” Katie said with a look of defiance.

“There’s nothing she can do,” Paul said, looking defeated. His uncle made the rules and was calling the shots. And he wanted him in Tehran.

“You don’t know Annie,” Katie said, as she reached under her mattress and pulled out her BlackBerry and was relieved to see that the battery still had power. She texted Annie as Paul watched her. Her message to her aunt was succinct: “I caught bad flu. Paul’s uncle won’t give his passports back. I have mine. I won’t leave without him. I’m sick. Paul is stuck. What do we do? Can you help us? I love you. K.” She put the BlackBerry back under her mattress again, after turning it off, as Paul looked at her with a sad smile. He had the feeling that he would never get back to New York. He felt desperately sorry for his parents. And now he was sorry that he had come to Tehran with Kate. He was trapped, and in two weeks, when her visa ran out, she would have to go back. Annie and his mother had been right. The trip had been a mistake.

Chapter 21

Tom and Annie had spent a perfect weekend together. They’d gone to Da Silvano for dinner on Friday night. They went shopping on Saturday, and Tom had done some repairs for her around the apartment. They cooked dinner on Saturday night and made love by candlelight afterward, and on Sunday afternoon, after reading The New York Times, they went to a movie.

They’d had brunch at the Mercer with Ted and celebrated his liberation from Pattie. He had turned in his papers, dropped her class, and didn’t mind getting an incomplete—all he wanted was to never see her again. When he took his withdrawal slip to his adviser’s office, Pattie had seen him in the hallway and said not a word. She had played all her cards and lost and knew it. He felt like a new man, and he had decided to get his own apartment. He was tired of roommates. All he wanted now was to get back to his studies. He felt free and alive again.

Ted commented at lunch that he’d been trying to reach Liz all weekend.

“She’s in London,” Annie said cryptically.

“What’s she doing there?”

“Meeting a friend,” Annie said with a mysterious smile. She and Alessandro had agreed to meet there for the weekend, and Annie had encouraged her to go.

“Have you heard anything from Kate?” Ted inquired.

“I got an e-mail from her. She sounds like she’s having fun. I guess I was wrong to be so worried,” Annie said, sounding relieved. Tom was happy about it too.

“So did I. She sent me an e-mail. But it was so short, it didn’t say much except hi, bye, and she loves me. When is she coming home?”

“In a few days,” Annie said, happy that it was going well for her. Whitney had been right. She needed to let them fly on their own. Ted had gotten out of his nightmarish situation with Pattie, Liz had gotten rid of Jean-Louis, and Kate seemed to be doing fine in Iran. All was well in their world.

“I still think she was wrong to go,” Ted said, sounding like a disapproving older brother. But he had never been as adventurous as Katie, even as a young boy.

“Maybe not,” Annie said generously. “If it goes well, it’s a great adventure for her. And she’ll feel very competent and able to take care of herself when she gets home.”

“Paul’s a great guy, but she doesn’t know him well enough to go so far away,” Ted commented, “and his culture is a whole other world.” Annie didn’t disagree, but she was happy that Kate seemed to be having fun. She and Tom went to the movies after that. She turned off her phone, and they cuddled and ate popcorn and enjoyed the movie, and then they went home. They were cooking dinner when she remembered to turn on her phone. It sprang to life instantly and told her she had a text message. It said that it was from Katie, and her heart nearly stopped when she read it, and she soundlessly handed it to Tom.

“What do I do?” she said with a look of panic. The fact that Katie was sick was bad enough, but she was refusing to leave Tehran without Paul, and he was stuck without either of his passports and couldn’t leave.

“It doesn’t sound good,” Tom said with a frown. “Why don’t you call Paul’s parents and see what they think? They know the circumstances and the family in Tehran better than we do. Maybe Paul’s uncle is just bluffing and trying to get him to stay.” Annie called them immediately, and was grateful to find his mother at home. She read Paul’s mother the text message from Katie and asked her what she thought. She was instantly as worried as Annie. Her husband was out, and she was candid with Annie.

“The family have wanted us to come back for years, and they think Paul should be there and not in the States. My brother-in-law is a very stubborn man. He could keep Paul there forever.” She started crying as she said it. “That’s why I didn’t want him to go. They won’t do him any harm. They love him and they think they’re doing the right thing for him. They’re trying to correct our ‘mistake’ of bringing him to the States. And I’m so sorry about Katie. I hope she’s all right. My sister-in-law is a very sweet woman, and I’m sure she got a doctor for Katie and took good care of her.”

“And now Kate is refusing to leave Tehran without Paul,” Annie explained. It was a mess, and a difficult situation to resolve. She promised to call Paul’s mother back, who said she would call the family in Tehran and try to get more information, and as soon as Annie hung up, she turned to Tom.

“How do I get to Tehran?” Annie looked at him with wide eyes. She had no idea where to start, but she knew he did.

“You need a visa, which takes a couple of weeks to get, or longer.” He looked pensive, then leaned down to kiss her. He felt sorry for her. Annie looked worried sick. “Let me see what I can do. I’ve got some friends in the State Department. Maybe one of them can help.” He spent the next three hours on the phone, calling different people, and two of them promised to see what they could arrange the next day. They had to get the visa at the Pakistani embassy, just as Kate had, but Tom had explained the situation to them. He said she was a young American girl who was sick in Tehran, and her Iranian traveling companion was without a passport and unable to leave as a result. It wasn’t a life-threatening situation, but it was extremely unpleasant for Katie and Paul, and they were stuck. He explained that her aunt needed to go over and bring her back, and Kate wasn’t able to travel alone and needed medical attention as soon as possible in the States. He didn’t know if it was true but hoped it would work as a compelling reason to get a visa immediately. He also explained that Katie’s traveling companion was her Iranian boyfriend, who held American citizenship as well, and had parents in New York, who were also citizens. So this wasn’t a romance that Katie had gotten involved with in Tehran. They had gone over for a visit to his family, and then Katie had gotten sick. And now his family was refusing to let him leave.

He knew that Katie wouldn’t have asked for Annie’s help unless she absolutely had to and had no other way out. Otherwise she would have figured it out for herself. She was a very independent girl. And they had no idea how sick she really was, or what she had, which worried him too. And there was nothing more they could do until morning. Annie lay awake all night and sent Katie a text message: “Working on it. Hang in. Be there as soon as I can. love, A.” She had tried to call Paul’s uncle, but the phone didn’t answer, which upset Annie too.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the phone rang at seven o’clock the next morning. One of Tom’s friends had called the Pakistani ambassador in Washington and told him that this was a personal favor for a major journalist, and they needed two visas for Iran. Tom hadn’t said anything to Annie yet, but he had made up his mind the day before and had asked for two visas instead of one. He wanted to go with her. He knew the area, the country, and the customs, and he knew she would have a hard time alone there. She would do better with a man traveling with her, and he wanted to help. And he had the time.

The ambassador had agreed to give them both visas at nine o’clock that morning. All they had to do was pick them up at the Pakistani consulate in New York, and she could fly out on the next plane to London. They had to follow the same path that Katie and Paul had. The Pakistani ambassador had admitted to the middleman that the last thing anyone would want to deal with was a sick American girl, stuck in Tehran, with one of the most important American journalists begging for help on her behalf. It was a plea for assistance that they couldn’t ignore, it was noninflammatory, nonpolitical, and a situation they wanted to resolve.

When Tom told her he was going with her, Annie looked embarrassed and guilty.

“You can’t just drop everything and leave,” Annie pointed out to Tom. “I can manage on my own.” She was trying to be brave and not take advantage of him or even his connections, except to get her a visa and a flight. But she was deeply grateful for his help.

“Let’s not be stupid,” Tom said firmly. “I was bureau chief in that part of the world for two years. You can’t do this alone. I’m coming with you. I’ll call the network. You call the airline.” He made it seem so simple, and it was certainly easier than trying to work it out alone. “We can pick up the visas on the way to the airport, and be on a noon flight to London, if they have one.” Annie was praying they did. She wanted to get to Tehran as soon as possible. She had no idea how sick Katie was.

Tom called the network and told them he needed a personal leave of absence for three or four days, and Annie booked two seats on a one o’clock flight to London. She called her office after that and then she called Ted and told him what was going on. He was upset to hear it, and hopeful that Katie wasn’t too sick, which was Annie’s hope as well. Paul’s mother called at that point. She had spoken to her sister-in-law, who said that Katie had had a high fever and severe dysentery, but she was better. And Jelveh had said they were keeping Paul with them because he should be in Iran, not the States. She said they were trying to make up for his parents’ failures, which upset Paul’s mother even more. She was crying when she told Annie that they refused to let Paul leave.

After that Annie packed a small bag that she could carry on the plane. She put in several scarves for her head. And an hour later they were on their way to the Pakistani consulate. Paul’s father had called and given Tom all the details about where to find them. He had also given Tom both of Paul’s passport numbers, and his brother’s phone numbers again, where Paul and Katie were staying. They had everything they needed. There was nothing more that Tom and Annie could do now, except get there and find out how things really were. They were both sure that Katie would never have contacted Annie if she could have handled things herself. And Annie was infinitely grateful that Tom had come to help.

It was a long, agonizing flight to London, followed by a longer one to Tehran. The two of them spoke quietly and tried to guess what was going on. They were both worried that Paul’s family might have discovered that Katie was more than just a friend, and that they were involved in a serious romance. Annie was worried too that while she was on the plane, she couldn’t get text messages from Kate, since her phone was turned off. She tried not to panic on the two flights. And there was no text message while they waited in Heathrow before boarding the flight to Tehran. Annie had sent a text that said, “We’re on our way. I love you. A.” And there still was no response.

They were fingerprinted at immigration at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran, like everyone else, and they cleared customs easily. Tom had booked two rooms at a hotel. He had assumed they might be there for several days and had organized everything for them. He had even booked a room for Katie, just in case.

He was thinking about going to the police, but he didn’t want to make things worse, and they had no legitimate claim to help Paul. His uncle had the right to keep his passport. And as soon as they cleared customs, they took a cab to the address that Paul’s father had given them. They had no idea what they’d find there, nor what the attitude of Paul’s family would be toward them, hostile or friendly. Clearly, something was wrong, since Paul couldn’t leave Tehran. And Annie was increasingly worried that there had been no further messages from Kate. She was terrified that she might be sicker than they said. What if she had something potentially fatal like meningitis? Or had already succumbed? Tears sprang to her eyes every time the thought came to her mind.

When Katie had turned her BlackBerry on again, the battery was dead. She didn’t know that Annie was on her way. And she lay in her bed, thinking about their situation, with Paul without a passport, and no ability to leave Iran.

Jelveh was still taking care of her and being motherly and kind, offering her tea, and small meals and rice, and herbs that she said would help her and give her strength, and Katie was feeling better. But she had no idea how to get Paul out of Tehran and back to the States, and neither did he. He came to her room constantly to check on her. And she told him there had been no further word from her aunt, since her own phone was now dead.

As Katie rested in her room, she heard the adhan that came right after sunset, as the muezzin called out the prayer. The adhan was a familiar sound now, since she’d arrived. She heard the last one of the day two hours later. Whenever Katie saw Paul, when he came to visit her, he looked seriously depressed. He was trapped.

* * *

It took Tom and Annie an hour and a half to get to the house from the airport. The traffic was terrible, and Annie looked tense as she sat in the backseat with Tom, wearing one of the scarves she’d brought with her. She had put it on in the plane before they landed, when the flight attendant gently reminded her to do so. All she could do was pray that Katie was okay and hadn’t caught anything too serious or even fatal. She hoped they hadn’t let her get dehydrated from the fever. She was worried sick about her.

The cab stopped finally in front of a large rambling house, and both of them got out. Annie wasn’t even jet-lagged, she was so wound up, and she hadn’t slept for the entire trip. Tom whispered to her as they got out of the taxi and reminded her to appear calm, patient, and strong, and not accuse them of anything, no matter how upset she was about Katie and Paul. Tom wanted to move with caution, and be as friendly and civil as possible until they knew what was going on.

Tom rang the bell, and a servant opened the door. He asked for Paul’s uncle by name in a clear voice that exuded confidence and strength. It took a few minutes, and then Jelveh came to the door to greet them, looking gentle and sympathetic.

“I’m Annie Ferguson,” Annie introduced herself. “I’m Katie’s aunt, and I’ve come for my niece,” Annie said, looking her right in the eye with a stern expression. But she met no hostility from Jelveh, who smiled at her. “She sent me a message that she’s sick,” Annie said, backing down a little. She turned to Tom then. “And this is Tom Jefferson. He’s an American journalist. I’d like to see Paul and Kate.” She wanted to see them immediately, but Jelveh appeared to be in no hurry. It had been almost two days since Annie had gotten Kate’s text. She was so jangled, all she could do was pray she was still alive. If it was meningitis, she might not be. The thought made Annie shiver.

“Of course.” Jelveh smiled at her. “She has told me all about you.” And then, she asked them to wait for a moment. She disappeared and her husband came back to the door instead. He looked at the two Americans, nodded, and invited them inside. He took them into the living room and asked if they would like something to drink. He was extremely polite and seemed hospitable, and looked just like Paul’s father, and Annie wanted to scream at them to take her to the two young people, but she remembered Tom’s warning to be civil, calm, and patient. She was on their turf, on their terms.

“Your brother said you would help me,” Annie said directly to him, wanting him to hurry, but he wouldn’t. They had declined the offer of anything to drink. “I know my niece has been sick and I’m sure you’ve been very kind to her. But I was told that you took Paul’s passport. His parents are very upset about it. I expect you to let both of them leave with me,” she said firmly, hoping to convince him without a fight.

“Paul and Katie are both here,” he said calmly. “And your niece is improving daily. She caught a very bad virus of some kind, but she’s much better now. My wife has been taking care of her, and of course we will return her to you. We only kept her passport for safekeeping so she wouldn’t lose it.” Annie didn’t comment but doubted that was true. “My nephew is a different story. This is his home, his heritage. He belongs here, not in New York. It was foolish and wrong of my brother to move away and leave Iran years ago. His son needs to be here, with our family. Paul will have a better life here. We want him to stay.” Annie and Tom’s hearts sank at the words. They could both tell that Paul’s uncle was sincere and truly believed he was doing the right thing for him. It wasn’t malicious or malevolent, only misguided, particularly since Paul had a life and parents in New York. But his uncle looked totally convinced of what he’d said. They didn’t argue with him, and all Annie wanted now was to see Kate.

“Where’s Katie?” Annie asked quietly. She wanted to see Kate immediately, but she wanted to get Paul out too.

“She’s upstairs in her room.” He looked anxious about Tom as he said it. He had the sense that Tom was an important person, possibly even a dangerous one, and he wasn’t wrong. Tom was watching the scene in minute detail and hadn’t spoken yet.

“Is she alive?” Annie asked with a look of terror. What if she had died while they were on the plane? Meningitis was her greatest fear, as it killed young people so quickly. But surely the uncle would have told her when they arrived if she was dead. Fear was clouding Annie’s mind and jangling her nerves. They had said she was better, but was it true?

“Of course she’s alive,” he reassured her instantly.

“I want to see her,” Annie said, fighting back tears of exhaustion and relief, and Tom stepped in. It was a tense scene. And Tom was wondering if there was more to the story than Katie had said in her brief text. Maybe they had figured out the romance between Paul and Kate and were upset and wanted to end it by keeping him in Iran.

“Have they committed a crime?” Tom asked bluntly.

“Not publicly, certainly,” he reassured them, although his wife had told him that they were more than just “friends” as soon as she had discovered that herself. She kept no secrets from her husband. “Although they seem to be closer to each other than they admitted when they arrived. For a Muslim man involved with a Western woman of another faith, the punishment can be very serious here.” Annie felt faint as she heard his words, and she squeezed Tom’s hand. “For that reason, Paul was wrong to bring Katie here and pretend that they were friends. But they’re foolish and young.” He smiled at them both. “But an alliance between them would not be wise. For that reason also Paul should stay here. There will be no further danger when Katie leaves. I returned her passport, credit card, and traveler’s checks to her. She is free to go. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.” Annie and Tom looked immensely relieved by what he’d said. He had no reason to keep Katie there, nor did he want to. She was not a hostage, she was a guest, and they had treated her as one. “My nephew belongs here in his own country. He will not be leaving with Kate.”

Tom looked angry when he said it. “That’s a terrible thing to do to your brother and his wife. Paul is their only child,” he reminded him. “It would break their hearts.”

“Perhaps it will convince them to return,” he said softly. It was his fondest hope.

“That’s not realistic, and you know it. They have a life there now, and a business. It would not be easy for them to come back.” Paul’s uncle nodded. “And I’m prepared to make an enormous fuss if you don’t turn both young people over to me now, with both of Paul’s passports. His parents want him back in New York and have asked me to bring him.” It was a show of bravado but their only hope. Paul’s uncle had every right to refuse Tom.

“I’m not sure he even wants to leave. He has strong ties to his homeland, and to us. To my wife and me, his cousins, his grandfather.” His parents meant more to him, but Tom didn’t say it. And Paul’s uncle stood up. “I will take you to Kate,” he said warmly, as though they were honored guests, and so was Kate.

A moment later all three of them were upstairs, and Paul’s uncle knocked and opened the door. They saw Katie sitting up in bed, with Paul in a chair beside her. They were talking quietly and looking worried, and they looked stunned when Tom and Annie walked into the room. She had asked for Annie’s help but didn’t expect her to come. Katie let out a yell and leaped into her aunt’s arms, as Paul smiled gratefully at Tom, who met his uncle’s eyes with a look of ice.

“I want his passports now too,” Tom said clearly. “Now. You can’t keep him here against his will. I’m a journalist, and I’m prepared to see this through.” There was a long, long hesitation, and then Paul’s uncle left the room without a word. He was back five minutes later, with both of Paul’s passports in his hand. He wanted him to stay, but he didn’t want to cause his country embarrassment if Tom was going to create a scandal in the press, and he looked like he would. His love and respect for his country were greater than his desire to force his nephew to stay. The battle for Paul had been lost. And won by Tom. Paul’s uncle handed him Paul’s passports without a word, and with a look of sadness and defeat.

“Thank you,” Tom said quietly, took them, and slipped them into his jacket pocket, as the young people watched the scene in awe.

Tom told them both to pack immediately. He didn’t want to give Paul’s uncle time to change his mind. Annie stayed to help Katie, and Paul went to his room to get his things. Tom had the passports and would not let them out of his possession now. Paul’s freedom was in his hands.

Ten minutes later they were both downstairs with their bags. Katie looked shaky and wan and very pale. Jelveh had come into the hall by then, and she and her husband both looked grief stricken that their nephew was leaving. Paul’s grandfather was out, so he couldn’t say goodbye to him. And his cousins were in school. The girls had been sent to their rooms and did not emerge. Paul was not going to have a chance to say goodbye to anyone and looked sad.

Annie thanked them both for taking care of Kate, and so did Katie, and Jelveh was crying as she looked at Paul. She knew she would not see him again, and she hugged him as they left. His uncle had tears in his eyes as he turned away and refused to say goodbye, as the four Americans left the house. And Tom was touched to see that Paul was crying too when he got into the cab. He was thinking of the grandfather he would never see again. He looked longingly back at his uncle’s house as they drove away. He was truly torn between his two cultures and two lives. He loved it here, and he loved his family. It had meant a lot to him to come back, and in some ways he would have liked to stay. But he knew he couldn’t. It would kill his parents if he did. And Katie saw the agony on his face too. He was torn between his two worlds, and the people he loved in both. And whichever life he chose, he would be betraying the people who loved him on the other side of that decision.

He cried silently all the way back to the hotel. And no one said a word in the cab. The scene of his visible suffering was too poignant and too hard. Tom almost wondered if he had done the right thing by forcing his uncle’s hand and making Paul leave with them. Maybe he wanted to stay. But Paul followed them into the hotel when they arrived. And he thanked Tom for helping him get his passports back and rescuing them both. Katie had really needed to go home, and she still didn’t look or feel well, although she was better now. And although he hated leaving Tehran, he wanted to go back to his parents in New York and was grateful for Tom’s help.

The hotel booked them on a flight to London three hours later. They didn’t want to stay any longer. Tom and Annie’s bags had gone to the hotel when they arrived. They had just enough time to collect them, leave again, and return to the airport. It had all gone much more smoothly than Annie and Tom had expected, because Paul’s uncle had been reasonable. Annie was haunted now by the devastated look on Paul’s uncle’s face. They clearly loved Paul and would have liked him to stay. But his parents in New York would have been even more devastated if he had.

They called Paul’s parents from the airport, and they were immensely relieved that he was coming home, and grateful that Tom had helped him. They knew that Paul might not have been able to get out otherwise on his own, and his uncle was a daunting figure for a boy his age. It would have been hard to prevail against him, and even Tom barely had. And they had played on Paul’s uncle’s love for his country and loyalty to Iran, not to create a public scandal in the press by refusing to let Paul leave.

Katie and Paul said nothing to each other on the flight to London. They were both looking pensive and shaken, and as the plane took off from Tehran, Paul sat staring at the city that he loved and was so sad to leave. And after a while they both fell asleep, without saying a word. Annie covered them both with blankets and then went back to her seat and kissed Tom and thanked him again. It had been a strange odyssey, for all of them.

They were all exhausted during the brief layover in London. Katie still looked sick, and they all looked emotionally drained. This time on the flight to New York, they watched movies and ate dinner, and Paul and Katie chatted quietly for a while. It was the first time that Katie realized how torn Paul was about his two lives. She had wondered before they left Tehran if Paul was going to bolt and stay after all. He clearly felt far more Iranian than she had realized. In truth, he felt both. He had strong feelings of loyalty to both America and Iran, and it was tearing him apart.

His parents were waiting for him at the airport when they arrived, and his mother burst into tears when she saw him, and clung to him for a moment before she turned to thank Tom and Annie. The two young people were looking at each other sadly. Something had happened to them that day. They had been catapulted into adulthood and had seen how different their cultures were and how important to each of them. Katie was entirely American in every way, and Paul had a foot in two worlds. The situation they’d been in had been frightening for both of them, and far more than they could handle on their own. They were both grateful that Tom and Annie had come. And all each of them wanted now was to be with their families, in their own homes.

Katie kissed Paul lightly on the cheek before they left the airport. It was the first time they had kissed since the trip began, and neither of them was sure now if the kiss was hello or goodbye. They both looked sad as they left, and Annie could hear the sound of breaking hearts as they said goodbye.

Chapter 22

They were all exhausted when they got back to Annie’s apartment. Ted was waiting for them, and he cried in relief when he hugged his sister. Annie put her to bed a few minutes later. Katie was asleep before she left the room. It had been an endless day, particularly for Katie, who had been so sick.

Tom stretched out on the couch as Annie and Ted talked quietly in the kitchen and looked for something to eat. Tom wasn’t hungry, and he was too tired to think as he turned on the TV. He was watching the news on his own network, when they interrupted normal programming to announce a terrorist attack in Belgium. A bomb had gone off right outside the NATO building in Brussels, and fifty-six people had been killed.

“Oh shit,” Tom said out loud as he called the network, and reported in.

“Where are you?” his producer asked him. They’d been calling him for hours. “I’m in New York. I got back two hours ago. I was in Tehran this morning,” he said in an exhausted voice.

“Sorry, Tom. We need you.”

“I figured when I saw the news.” He sat up, guessing that he’d be in Brussels soon.

“Can you be on the midnight flight to Paris? We can get you a helicopter from Charles de Gaulle to Brussels, if that works for you.”

“Sure.” This was his life and what he did. He walked into the kitchen to tell Annie. “I’m leaving,” he said, looking tired, but he smiled at her.

“Don’t you want to stay here tonight?” She thought he meant that he was going back to his apartment.

“Very much. I’ve got to go to work. I have to catch the red-eye to Paris. There was a terrorist attack in Brussels.”

“You’re going now?” She looked stunned. She could hardly move. She couldn’t imagine how he could do it after the day they just had traveling from Tehran to New York on two flights. “Can’t you take a day off or something?”

“No, not when there’s a breaking story like that one. I can sleep on the plane.” Annie looked sorry for him as she followed him into the bedroom so he could grab some fresh clothes and pack a bag. She handed him an empty suitcase, and he filled it with on-air shirts and three suits, some jeans, and sweaters. He didn’t know how long he’d be gone. “I’m sorry to leave you so soon,” he apologized, and she smiled at him.

“After what you did for us, how can you apologize to me?” Her eyes were full of everything she felt for him, and he kissed her.

“My ex-wife hated this stuff. Every time I try to make plans or try to do something, I wind up on a plane flying halfway around the world in this business. My ex-wife said I was never there when it counted.”

“You just were,” Annie told him as she put her arms around him and held him. “You went all the way to Tehran to bring two kids home. I’d never have gotten Paul out without you. His uncle wouldn’t have listened to me. I’d say that’s being there when it counts. Wouldn’t you?” He smiled at her, grateful for the praise. In his marriage, he’d always been made to feel guilty. Annie made him feel like a hero, and he was to her.

After he packed, he took a shower and changed. And she made him a sandwich. He leaned close to her and kissed her, as Ted and Katie drifted into the room.

“Where are you going?” Ted asked him when he saw the suitcase.

“Brussels, on a story. No rest for the wicked.” Ted smiled and looked at him in amazement.

“I don’t know how you do it.”

“You get used to it,” Tom said as he stood up and put an arm around Annie, although the last two days had not been normal fare, even for him. He hadn’t been sure how it would turn out for Katie and Paul, although he didn’t show it. But he was tired too. He’d been on four international flights in two days. “I’ll call you,” he said to Annie as he kissed her again, and they walked out of the room together. He picked up his suitcase and smiled at her. And then he laughed with a rueful look. “You know, that broken arm I got playing squash is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.”

“So was my ankle.” She smiled back at him. “Take care of yourself. I’ll see you on TV.”

He saluted her and then was gone, and she walked back into the apartment and smiled at Ted. It had been an incredible few days, and Ted was happy for her and happy to have his sister home safe and sound. And it had all worked out because of Tom. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind. He was an amazing guy.

The apartment was quiet an hour later. They were all in their rooms, falling asleep. Annie glanced at the clock and realized that Tom was taking off at that moment. It felt good to know that somewhere in the world, he was there, and he’d be back soon. She couldn’t imagine a life without him anymore. And she no longer wondered if there was room for him in her life. He was part of the landscape now. He was one of them. And there was just as much room for the kids as there was for Tom and Annie. It was their turn now.

Katie woke up feeling better the next morning. The trip to Tehran felt like a dream. It seemed so unreal and far away. She called Paul when she got up, and he sounded sad when he talked about leaving his family in Tehran, even though he was happy to see his parents again too and be back in New York. And he had been frightened when he thought of being trapped in Tehran against his will. He promised to come and visit Katie that afternoon. Katie could hear something different in his voice. He sounded quiet and distant.

It felt strange when he came to visit her at the apartment. The trip to Tehran had been exciting and fun, but his almost getting stuck there had shaken both of them. Katie had a sense now that she was in over her head, in a relationship that she wasn’t ready for yet. They had talked about marriage as though it would be simple and easy. Now she realized how different their lives were and how much more complicated his was, torn between two families and two worlds, the old and the new. They both needed time to recover from the discoveries they’d made on the trip. It was a lot to digest, and she realized that neither of them was ready to be fully adults yet, and they both needed a break. Paul thought so too. It was too soon for either of them to make decisions about the rest of their lives. They needed time to just be kids, and things had gotten too intense for both of them. They needed time with their own families and friends in their own familiar worlds. Paul kissed her when he left, and they both knew that they needed time to grow up and just breathe. And Katie looked sad as she closed the door behind him.

They had taken a big bite out of life in the past few weeks and found it too much to chew. Life had turned out to be much more complicated than they thought, and they were both grateful to be home and just be kids again. Neither of them was ready to be a grown-up yet, and they were happy not to be. The dream of blending their two different worlds had turned out to be harder than they thought, no matter what their origins or religions. They had gotten much too serious much too fast and way ahead of themselves.

Liz came back from London two days later. And she couldn’t believe all that had happened while she was away. She had dinner with them at the apartment. Ted was staying with Annie for a while until he found a new place, and Katie had told Annie that morning that she was going back to school as soon as the next term started. She had already given notice at the tattoo parlor. She was done there. She just wanted to enjoy being home with them. And she needed time to get over the virus she had caught in Tehran. Annie had taken her to the doctor and he confirmed that she was out of danger, but she still felt weak.

“How was London?” Annie asked Liz when she came to visit, and the look on her face said it all.

“It was wonderful. Alessandro is coming here next month, and I want you to meet him. He’s a grown-up. It’s so nice to be with a man who’s not a kid. He’s a man, and he acts like one. I love him, Annie.” For the first time in her life, she knew it was true. She wasn’t afraid to love him, no matter what the risk.

“That’s what I always wanted for you,” Annie said with a smile. Liz was a woman now. She wasn’t a child anymore. “Do I hear wedding bells in your future?” Annie asked her. She hoped so, but she didn’t want to push.

“Maybe. We’re in no rush. If everything works out, I might apply for a job with Italian Vogue. But not yet. We want to see how it goes. I might help him open a store in New York.”

“That all sounds good.” Annie felt as though she had gotten Liz safely home. It had taken sixteen years. And she noticed that Liz had even gained some weight. She looked happy. She didn’t look like she was running scared anymore. She wasn’t afraid to lose him, or to love him. She was willing to take the risk. And Katie had figured out that she didn’t have to take quite so many risks. Ted was enjoying being free again. They had all grown up. And so had Annie. They had each come through their rites of passage and grown as a result.

And what about you?” Lizzie asked her. “Where’s Tom?”

“He’s in Brussels. The poor guy had to fly over two hours after we got home. He didn’t seem to mind. I guess he’s used to it. That’s how he lives. Running around the world, chasing the news.” And she had the best of all worlds now. The kids she had raised, and a man she loved and wanted to be with. There was room for all of them in her life. And Tom knew it too. They were part of his life now, not just hers. They were all swimming in the same direction with quiet, steady strokes.

Tom called Annie that night, just after Liz left, and told her he was coming home. The story in Brussels had been covered. It was morning for him in Belgium, and he said he was leaving in a few minutes.

“What are we doing this weekend?” he asked her.

“Nothing that I know of. Why?”

“I was thinking that it might be nice to spend a couple of days in the Turks and Caicos again. I could use a little rest.” It was a major understatement after the past week.

“Yeah, me too,” she said, thinking of how wonderful it had been the first time they’d been there and how far they’d come since.

“Do you think the kids can survive without you for a few days?” he asked hopefully.

“I think so. Everyone seems to be back on track and relatively sane for the moment.” And she felt that way too. She had never felt saner or stronger, and she was ready for a life with him.

“It’s your turn now, Annie,” he reminded her gently, and she thought about it and nodded.

“I guess it is.” And then she corrected him with a slow smile. “It’s our turn.” She had given them sixteen years of her full attention, and now she wanted to share that with him. She was still there for her sister’s children, and she always would be, but she had the time now to give him. The kids were grown up. They were taking over their own lives. They had made mistakes, and corrected them. And they had learned from it and survived. And so had she. He had come at the right time in her life, neither too late, nor too soon.

“I’ll see you tonight,” he said, sounding peaceful and happy. He couldn’t wait to come home to her. He had something to come home to now. A woman, and a family. He was ready for that too. He never had been before.

Annie had just gotten back from the office and was making herself a cup of tea when he walked in.

“How was your flight?” she asked him as he kissed her. It seemed so normal for him to be there, as though he always had been.

“Long and boring. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Katie was out, and Ted had gone back to his apartment for a few days to pack up and move. Tom and Annie were alone, and it was peaceful. She finished her tea, and he followed her into the bedroom, and he was smiling when she turned around. “What are you smiling at?” she said as she sat down on the bed and kicked off her shoes and looked at him.

“I was thinking about how happy you make me,” he said as he sat down next to her. “I remember when I thought there wasn’t room for me in your life. I’m not worried anymore,” he said comfortably, and lay back on the bed and pulled her down next to him. “This is where I want to be.”

“Me too,” she whispered, and he kissed her. She didn’t feel pulled in ten directions. The kids had grown up, and so had she.

He drew her into his arms then and knew he was home. Finally. She was the woman he loved, and this was his home now, with her. And it had only taken a broken arm, a sprained ankle, and a lifetime for them to get here, and it suddenly all seemed so easy and just the way it was meant to be.

Annie had to give sixteen years of her life to her sister’s children in order to be ready for him. Lizzie had to make her way through countless Jean-Louis in order to be brave enough to love Alessandro. Ted had to live through the insanity of Pattie to find out who he was and what mattered to him. And Katie had to defy everything and everyone and risk it all in order to find her freedom. They had each come through their growing pains and challenges, and so had Tom. He needed to be married to the wrong woman in order to recognize the right one, even if she didn’t come packaged quite as he had expected and looked too busy for him when he got there. She didn’t know it, but she’d been waiting for him.

The lessons they had all learned had been valuable and hard but well worth it. And the rite of passage, for each of them, had been the lesson they each needed to learn. There was a perfect symmetry to it, Annie realized, as she smiled into Tom’s eyes. Even the sprained ankle and the broken arm had been part of a divine order that led them to each other. None of it had been an accident or a mistake. It hadn’t been easy, but the rewards had been so great, for all of them. Annie was so grateful for how it had turned out. It could have been so different if they had faltered or refused the challenge—they would never have gotten here. But they had all been very brave. She smiled knowingly as Tom kissed her again. The circle was complete.

About the Author

DANIELLE STEEL has been hailed as one of the world’s most popular authors, with over 590 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Big Girl, Southern Lights, Matters of the Heart, One Day at a Time, A Good Woman, Rogue, Honor Thyself, Amazing Grace, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina’s life and death. Visit the Danielle Steel Web Site at www.daniellesteel.com.

Family Ties is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2010 by Danielle Steel

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Delacorte Press,

an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group,

a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

DELACORTE PRESS is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Steel, Danielle.

Family ties : a novel / Danielle Steel.

p. cm.

eISBN: 978-0-440-33916-8

1. Women architects—Fiction. 2. Single women—Fiction. 3. Orphans—Fiction. 4. Parenting—Fiction. 5. Parent and adult child—Fiction. 6. Domestic fiction. I. Title.

PS3569.T33828F36 2010

813′.54—dc22

2010001938

www.bantamdell.com

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