There were twenty one months until Charlie was three. That gave her a year to get pregnant by Kaleb's demands. What would he do if she didn't get pregnant? Divorce her? Would she really object to such a thing? Of course she would. AS often as Esperanza fantasized about running away and starting a new life with her children somewhere, she knew she would never be able to do it. She had removed Sioni from her life, and was not planning to involve him again. And if they got divorced, Kaleb would do everything he could to keep her children from her.

Things could look up in the next year though. One of his mistresses could have a son for him. He might like her better than he liked Esperanza. Espa did not think he particularly disliked her. They were just told they were going to be together. If the situation had been different or Espa had been less generally defiant when told what she could or could not do, she might have figured out how to love Kaleb. They might have gotten along and tolerated each other. She often wondered if she had not met Sioni would things between herself and Kaleb had been easier. If she had never been in love before meeting him, would she know that she was not in love with him?

"I am fine with that," she lied. "Charlie isn't even talking yet." Grace had started talking before six months. Charlie was over a year and had not said one word, but then Charlie had Grace to do all of the talking for her. "We should at least let her get in a few words before we make her a middle child." Grace had not exactly handled sharing her mother's affection with another person very well either. She was not so sure that Kaleb should be anxious to divide their attentions another time. "And theres nothing wrong with having children in your thirties. A lot of people do it now."