In the next two days as she reads the novel Mary finds out that the character Jason Straub wants his wife Bethany to give him a son. She’s then reminded – among other reminders caused by this book Love Gives -about her ex husband Michael who expected the same thing from her, a son.

As she reads from chapter to chapter it is like she could predict what would happen next. At night when Joe is asleep next to her Mary would read the book on the pillow (but not after sex because she’d be too tired). Day in, Day out, night after night, Love Gives is seldom out of Mary’s sight. There is a part she wants to read, to confirm something. And when she finds that part, one night in Thursday, she exclaims so loud Joe gets awake. “What’s up?” he rubs his eyes, getting up on the pillow. “What’s up?” He asks again.

“Look!” She shows him the page she’s on.

“You still reading that?” Joe’s voice is tired.

Mary points her manicured nail on the sentence. But Joe’s eyes are so sleepy he struggles to keep them open. He ends up looking away. So Mary clears her throat to read him the extract, loud enough for him to hear as if she’s reading a bible verse in church for all the brethren. She reads: “There was a nervous feel in the air of the room. Dr. Henzel looked at the two and sighed. He touched his chin for a while, sensing the impatience in Jason he quickly opened the file on the desk. “As you know, tests were performed on the two of you and the results show that Mrs. Straub’s eggs are not fully developed hence they cannot be fertilized.

“What?” Jason said, leaning forward.

“I’m afraid that is so Mr. Straub. She cannot conceive,” the doctor said it like he didn’t want to, his voice showed.” Mary reads. When she looks over at Joe she finds him asleep.

Next morning he is in on the book as well. Too many similarities. They read it together. “It cannot be a coincidence,” Mary tells Joe. “It can’t be. His family resents her because she can’t have kids. Michael’s family did the same thing to me when they found out I’m infertile.”

The last three words don’t sound right to Joe; old wounds are reopened. Too many times he told her there’s nothing wrong with being infertile but the assurance was amiss. Why, because most of her friends have babies while she can’t even have one.”If it’s not a coincidence then what is it?” He asks.

“I don’t know,” she says. She continues to read the novel: Jason Straub opts for a surrogacy via the Indian woman, Amyra. Michael did the same thing, surrogate mother for a son; an Indian woman Velorie

Next week on a Tuesday after work. Mary is on the last chapter of Love Gives. Only 215 pages long it is the book she has ever read the fastest and by the time she knocks off from work, Mary is done with the novel.”It felt like I was reading an autobiography of my own failed marriage,” she tells him.

“What happened?’ Joe asks.

“Everything that happened with me and Michael,” she says, “is what happens in this book. EVERYTHING!”

“Calm down, babe,” Joe says. She’s on tears now; old wounds have not been reopened but they are rubbed with some salt.

He holds her in a tight hug, as she speaks on his shoulder: “The character Bethany Jacobs is me. In the book she does things I would’ve done. She thinks like me. Amyra is Velorie, Jason straub is Michael. Derrick is you.”

“Derrick?” Joe looks down at her wet face. He hasn’t read to the part where Bethany finds new love in the form of a new man, Derrick.

“Derrick. That’s the character Bethany falls in love with at the end and they marry,” Mary says.

Strange enough Joe himself plans for him and Mary to get married; the ring has been ordered and and their table at the French restuarant has been reserved.