Page 70 of Lucky Night

What’s Caroline like? she asks.

Are you serious right now, Jenny?

So, you want us to be united, she says. A team. But it’s your team. You’re the captain, and you decide how the game is played. That’s the idea?

He’s about to respond, but instead, he gives in. Throws his hands up with a look like,Fine, have atit.

She persuaded him. She won! With an argument about fairness. That’s what’s effective.

She needs to remember that.

We’ll take turns, she says. We’ll each say one thing we love about our spouse and one thing we can’t stand.

This taking turns thing, he says. It’s big with you.

I have two boys. If taking turns didn’t exist, we’d all be dead. You go first. What’s something you love about Caroline?

He thinks it over. Well, obviously…

And she can tell by the look on his face exactly what he’s going to say.

Jesus, Nick!

I’m sorry, but she’s beautiful! It’s not a knock against you, you know I think you’re—

Stop! She covers her ears. I’m not fishing for compliments!

I’m just saying you shouldn’t be jealous. You’re—

Stop! And of course I’m jealous. Who wouldn’t want to look like her? But the fact that it’s the first nice thing you have to say? That’s a little messedup.

Kind of you to be defending my wife right now, he remarks. She’d be so grateful.

If she remembered my name, she says.

He raises his glass to her. Touché.

She glances at the television. The two anchors appear to be discussing corruption in Albany. She sighs. Caroline really is beautiful.

I know, he says. Not that it does me much good anymore. We don’t, he clears his throat, I mean, we do, have sex, occasionally, but—

Uh-huh, she says. So she can check that question off the old list. They still sleep together. That’s good. It would be awful if he only got some once or twice a month, with her. Though the way he has at her sometimes you’d think he just escaped from a monastery.

So yes. Good for him. For them. Why should she care? She doesn’t. But she always assumed…that is, she didn’t expect…

Oh, hell. What does it matter?

Tell me something real about her, she says. Why is she so great that you hate the thought of losing her?

While he mulls that over, she goes to the nightstand and checks his phone. The fire is on the CNN homepage now. @firechieftim is in the middle of a thread about how smoke spreads through zoned mechanical exhaust systems. The fire nerds are on high alert tonight, man. This is pyro Christmas.

But it’s fine, because of the meticulous processes. Because the FDNY has a plan.

She refreshes theTimeswebsite. No updates. She googles:arguments in favor of free will.The first result is a page titled:Why You Probably Don’t Have Free Will.

Awesome. Thanks.

She sets his phone down. She’s not going to look at it for a while. The television is on, the fire department knows Nick and his vowelless Slavic princess are here. If something important happens, they’ll hear aboutit.

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