{"product_id":"her-daughters-mother-isbn-9780525539971","title":"Her Daughter's Mother","description":"\u003cb\u003eShe befriended the one woman she was never supposed to meet. Now she's the key suspect in her disappearance. For fans of \u003ci\u003eThe Perfect Mother\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Wife Between Us \u003c\/i\u003ecomes a gripping psychological suspense debut about two strangers, one incredible connection, and the steep price of obsession.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLana Stone has never considered herself a stalker--until the night she impulsively follows a familiar face through the streets of New York's Upper West Side. Her target? The \"anonymous\" egg donor she'd selected through an agency, the one who's making motherhood possible for her. Hungry to learn more about her, Lana plans only to watch her from a distance. But when circumstances bring them face-to-face, an unexpected friendship is born. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKatya, a student at Columbia, is the yin to Lana's yang, an impulsive free spirit who lives life at the edge. And for pragmatic Lana, she's a breath of fresh air and a welcome distraction from her painful breakup with her baby's father. Then, just as suddenly as Katya entered Lana's life, she disappears--and Lana might have been the last person to see her before she went missing. Determined to find out what became of the woman to whom she owes so much, Lana digs into Katya's past, even as the police grow suspicious of her motives. But she's unprepared for the secrets she unearths, and their power to change everything she thought she knew about those she loves best...\u003cb\u003eOne of...\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eO Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e's \"The 25 Best Beach Reads of the Year so Far\"\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e's\u003ci\u003e \"\u003c\/i\u003e25 Best Beach Reads of 2019 You Need to Pre-order Now\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePopsugar\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e’s “25 New Thrillers and Mysteries to Sink Your Teeth Into This Summer”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eInStyle\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e’s “12 Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTime Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e’s “5 Unexpected Summer Thrillers”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMore Praise for \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHer Daughter's Mother\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“If you’re a fan of thrillers like Girl on the Train or \u003ci\u003eThe Wife Between Us\u003c\/i\u003e, you’ll need to check out this new novel.”—NBCnews.com (“20 End-of-Summer Beach Reads for 2019”)\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e“A perceptive plot wrapped around how infertility can destroy a relationship fuels the emotional \u003ci\u003eHer Daughter’s Mother\u003c\/i\u003e…But Petrova delves deeper in her plot with intriguing twists making even the most benign action and supposed coincidences seem sinister and foreboding.”—Associated Press\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Beyond the beautiful cover, Daniela Petrova's debut novel is absolutely dreamy and suspenseful.”—\u003ci\u003eO\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Oprah Magazine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Part psychological thriller, part murder mystery, Daniela Petrova’s ambitious and exhilarating debut novel grapples with what it means to become a parent in a world with ever-expanding options for growing a family….This impressive debut novel…ups the ante with each plot twist. Despite this weightiness, like the best crime fiction, \u003ci\u003eHer Daughter’s Mother\u003c\/i\u003e still makes for a page-turning beach read.”\u003ci\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“If you read one thriller this month, make it \u003ci\u003eHer Daughter’s Mother.\u003c\/i\u003e”—HelloGiggles (“Best New Books to Read in June”)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“[An] impressive debut…burning questions will keep readers on the edge of their seats…a gripping tale of the consequences of obsession. Petrova is off to a promising start.”—\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Petrova has written a consummate page-turner that also manages incredible layers of emotional depth. This is one of the year’s most provocative and eye-opening novels.”—\u003ci\u003eCrime Reads\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“[\u003ci\u003eHer Daughter’s Mother\u003c\/i\u003e] is ultimately rewarding…its darkness and wild resolution will appeal to many readers.”—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] suspenseful, contemporary, and twisty  thriller.”—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I haven’t read a story that’s kept me guessing like this one has in a while...This is a unique page-turner that will have readers speculating how it’ll end from the beginning.”—\u003ci\u003eMs. Magazine \u003c\/i\u003e(“June 2019 Reads for the Rest of Us”)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A great choice for fans of \u003ci\u003eThe Girl On the Train\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Wife Between Us.\u003c\/i\u003e”—\u003ci\u003eThe Uniontown Herald Standard\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Whoa! Talk about a doozy of a debut. Daniela Petrova’s \u003ci\u003eHer Daughter’s Mother\u003c\/i\u003e is a suspense thriller with intricately drawn characters, wily plotting, and a topical storyline that draws from the deep well of complexities involving a woman’s desperate desire to give birth…By the time the last page is turned, readers might be tempted to start all over again— with heightened awareness—taking in the lies, the love, the desperation, and the mania that drives baby love.”\u003ci\u003e—Mystery Scene\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eHer Daughter's Mother\u003c\/i\u003e is a tension-filled tale that reveals one layer of subterfuge after another as more and more of the story comes to light.\"\u003ci\u003e—BookReporter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[\u003ci\u003eHer Daughter’s Mother\u003c\/i\u003e] is a fun, unputdownable thriller…The premise is so clever and original, and Petrova totally delivers with juicy twists and characters with real emotional depth. It’s the kind of quick, smart read you’ll devour poolside.”\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eAndrea Bartz, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Night\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eHer Daughter's Mother\u003c\/i\u003e had me from the very first page. With a dazzling plot; complex, unforgettable characters; and gorgeous prose that mines the dangerous depths of obsession, Daniela Petrova's debut is undoubtedly going to be the book everyone will want to read this summer.”—Aimee Molloy, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Perfect Mother \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eHer Daughter's Mother\u003c\/i\u003e has all the hallmarks of great psychological suspense: a compelling mystery, a cast of intriguing and suspicious characters, and plenty of stunning surprises. But it is the journey of the novel's protagonists--each trying to find family, connection, and redemption--that makes this page-turner a tender, moving story you won't soon forget.”—Megan Collins, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Winter Sister\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Taut pacing, relatable characters, and a twisty, surprising plot combine in this tense and poignant thriller. Secrets and obsession leave their mark in this unputdownable story—a remarkable debut.”—Megan Miranda, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eAll the Missing Girls, The Perfect Stranger, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Last House Guest\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Captivating and powerful, \u003ci\u003eHer Daughter’s Mother\u003c\/i\u003e is both a thought-provoking story about the ethical gray area one woman stumbles into on her quest for motherhood, and a twisty thriller about another woman’s abrupt disappearance. Secrets, obsession, lies, betrayals big and small—they’re all here in this expertly paced novel that will keep readers guessing right up until the very last page.”—Kathleen Barber, author of \u003ci\u003eAre You Sleeping\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“This moving, heartfelt thriller surprised me again and again. Lana’s journey to becoming a mother is poignant and suspenseful, even without the added element of her egg donor’s disappearance. The turns of this story ratchet up the intrigue, making \u003ci\u003eHer Daughter’s Mother\u003c\/i\u003e one of the most gripping books I’ve read in years...A sure-footed, memorable debut.”—Erica Wright, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Blue Kingfisher\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eDaniela Petrova \u003c\/b\u003eis a recipient of an Artist Fellowship in Writing from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Her short stories, poems and essays have been published in \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSalon\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eMarie Claire\u003c\/i\u003e. Born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, Petrova currently lives in New York City.PROLOGUE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I watched her walk down the street. She had a fast, determined pace, knew where she was going. No hesitation, no window shopping as she passed boutiques and gourmet grocery stores. Not even cute dogs or babies distracted her. A woman on a mission.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A woman who didn’t bother glancing back. A woman easy to follow.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I kept my distance just in case.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The sidewalks were busy without being packed. Traffic moved slowly up and down Broadway. She went into the Starbucks at the corner, holding the door for two women who were coming out. I lingered by the AT\u0026amp;T shop next door. It would be a long wait. The line for espresso drinks was huge, I could see through the window. I knew she’d get a latte. She always got a tall latte. I liked that about her. None of that fancy Caramel-Double-Mocha-Frappuccino crap but not a plain Jane regular coffee either. My kind of woman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dark, fierce clouds were moving in from the west, pushing over the city’s rooftops and water towers. I could smell the rain in the air. A gust of wind swept up a plastic bag and it swirled past me, waist high.  I turned to watch it slap the windshield of a yellow cab before falling to the ground. Pieces of paper flew out of the overflowing trash bin at the corner. A storm was coming.\u003cbr\u003e She walked out with a tall Starbucks cup in her hand and a resolute expression on her face, ready to conquer the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I liked her. I liked her a lot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLANA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003enow\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI looked at the half-dozen women sitting around the table. I loved these women. They were my family, the only friends I had left. But tonight I couldn't stand being among them. I wanted to get the hell out of the fluorescent-lit room in the basement of the West Side YMCA I came to religiously every other Friday.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe were members of a club nobody wants to join-the Barren Women's Club. We weren't called that, of course. Officially, it was a support group for couples struggling with infertility. But mostly it was only the women who came.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday, it was just a few of us. You had to be really desperate to show up on Good Friday.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was a particularly hard night for me, and the rich chili smell wafting through the room, courtesy of the skinny woman on the other side of the table who was wolfing spoonfuls of it from a paper cup, didn't help. We all came after work (except for Robin, who showed up in Jimmy Choos on her way to one glamorous event or another). But if you had to bring food to this windowless, pain-soaked room, couldn't you at least pick something less odorous? I usually had a bottle of water or juice. On the rare occasions I needed a boost, I'd pick up a latte at the Starbucks across the street.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe went around the table, sharing our stories and catching up with each other's progress. When my turn came, I took a deep breath and settled my gaze on Angie, a petite woman with a mane of brown hair and a big laugh, who was sitting across from me. Her warm fuzzy personality endeared to her you instantaneously, making you feel at once cozy and invigorated, like a good cup of coffee. The two of us had been coming here the longest-nearly four years. Our odds had been much better back then. She was thirty-nine now and I had just turned thirty-eight. Angie was my hero. She was single, trying on her own with donor sperm. On her latest IVF round last month, she'd finally gotten pregnant and was about to graduate from Group.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI quickly went over my long history of failures for those who were joining us for the first time tonight and explained that my partner, Tyler, and I had finally moved on to a donor egg cycle. It was a huge emotional and financial plunge, but we'd exhausted all other options. The whole point of using a young woman's eggs was that they would be better than my own. But my doctor had called me in the afternoon with the bad news that only two had fertilized. That meant we would have no embryos left to freeze and use in the future should this cycle fail.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"My transfer is on Monday,\" I said. \"And I'm terrified. This is my last chance.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Don't say that.\" Robin smiled at me from across the table, fiddling with the big rock on her finger. \"You can always try again.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNext to her, Angie mimed a gun to her head.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI considered ignoring Robin-I was sure she meant well-and, on any other occasion, I would have. But I was not myself tonight. \"You know, Robin,\" I said, trying to keep my voice even, \"some of us can barely afford it once.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe flushed and looked away and I sat back, grimly satisfied at having shut her up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e=\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Can you believe the bitch?\" Angie said as soon as we walked out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBitter wind blew in our faces and we zipped up our jackets, dug our hands into the pockets. It was unusually cold. If it weren't for the daffodils, tulips, and azaleas blooming all over Manhattan, you'd think it was February, not April.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"To hell with Robin,\" I said as we headed to the subway. \"All I can think of is my transfer on Monday.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAngie squeezed my shoulder. \"I know, hon. Try not to worry too much.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat was why I loved Angie. She knew better than to say something stupid like, Don't worry! Because of course I would worry. I'd have to be made of stone not to worry after three miscarriages and eight IVFs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAngie and I boarded the train at Lincoln Center and sat down across from a woman with a stroller. I waved to the toddler girl, who leaned over the bar to check us out. Her hair was braided and pulled up in a fluffy bun, fastened with a pink ribbon. \"She's adorable,\" I said to her mother, before turning back to Angie.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Why don't we go get a drink?\" she said. \"My doc told me a glass of wine doesn't hurt and can help you relax.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I can't. Tyler's waiting for me. And I still have work to do.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe little girl was getting fussy, kicking her chunky legs. Her mother unbuckled her and sat her down on her lap. She had on a pink dress and matching shoes. I smiled, waved at her again. She stared at me with her big brown eyes before finally giving me a grin. My whole body seemed to relax, all the tension draining away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"How's he dealing with the bad news?\" Angie asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI frowned. \"I haven't even told him yet.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTyler hadn't been happy about spending the last of our savings on a donor egg cycle that cost more than half my annual salary. We did okay between the two of us-he as an associate philosophy professor at Columbia and I as an associate curator at the Met-or rather, we would have been doing okay if we weren't pouring it all into fertility treatments.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"He's been weird lately,\" I continued. \"Going through the motions as if he doesn't care about the cycle. He's been irritable, too. We fight about the smallest, stupidest things.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Men don't know how to deal with stress. Make him give you a massage tonight,\" Angie said with a wink. I shrugged, distracted by the little doll in a pink dress across from me. I put my hand in front of my face and mouthed, Peekaboo, as I pulled it away. She stared at me, then lifted her hand, imitating me. I turned to Angie. \"Do you think her mother would let me hold her?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Are you crazy?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Don't you just want to hug her?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yeah, but mothers usually don't hand their babies to strangers.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It's not like I'd bolt with her at the next stop.\" I looked at the girl, then back at Angie. \"On second thought . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You're a freak!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I just want to breathe in that sweet baby smell.\" Angie shook her head. \"Who knows,\" I continued, \"maybe it'll bring me good luck on Monday.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Right.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Why not? Women's cycles sync when they live together. Maybe motherhood's contagious, too.\" I gave Angie a nudge with my elbow. \"Why do you think I've been hanging out with you so much since you got pregnant?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Freak,\" she said again, and hugged me good-bye before getting off at 86th Street. We didn't wish each other a happy Easter. Family holidays were hard on us, especially those that revolved around children.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI got off three stops later, at 110th Street. I loved living in Morningside Heights, near the Columbia campus. I'd come for graduate school and never left. The area pulsated with life. Students, faculty, visiting scholars from all over the world. You could overhear passionate conversations about gender politics, the rise of populism, or poetry on the streets, in the cafŽs, even in the grocery stores. The neighborhood was at once steeped in the past and forward-looking into the future. It was like its own island within the island of Manhattan.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe buckets of tulips lined up outside the corner store on 111th Street caught my eye. A bit of color might brighten my mood. It was important to stay positive, my fertility acupuncturist insisted. It hadn't helped me before but it couldn't hurt, I thought, and grabbed a bouquet of the orange ones. A Reiki woman I'd seen years ago had told me it was the color of the reproductive chakra.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInside, I hesitated in front of the ice cream freezer. I'd been avoiding dairy and gluten for the past two months, since some believed it affected fertility. But a pint of Ben \u0026amp; Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie couldn't possibly make a difference.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI'd just pulled a tub out when my mother called. The woman had a sixth sense. I shouldn't have picked up and I certainly shouldn't have told her that I was buying ice cream.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Oh, honey,\" she said, \"all these sweets are ruining your figure.\" My mother had been worrying about my figure since I was five.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Mom, I have my transfer on Monday and I'm really not in the mood-\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I keep telling you, Lana. You need to stop stressing out. You won't get pregnant until you relax.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOf course, it was all my fault that I couldn't have a child. I loved my mother but she had a gift for making me feel like shit even when she meant well. She'd never said outright what a huge disappointment I was, but she'd made me feel it in more ways than I wished to remember. And this wasn't like failing at ballet or the piano or not being good enough to get into Harvard. Even the stupidest, least deserving people could make a baby. Often without trying to. I shook my head, wished her good night, and put my phone back in my purse.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUpstairs, I stood in front of the door for a moment before pulling out my keys. Something didn't feel right. On Group nights, I usually returned home to Tyler blasting his favorite punk bands-the Clash or the Pogues or Gogol Bordello-while preparing dinner. He'd meet me at the door, hand me a glass of wine, and sit me down at the kitchen table with a bowl of olives and a plate of crackers while he finished making the meal. Tall, with long limbs, he clumsily navigated our tiny kitchen, the wooden spoons looking like toys in his enormous hands. Watching him hum to himself as he sliced and chopped and stirred was my favorite part of those evenings. But tonight the apartment was eerily quiet. I unlocked the door and pushed it open.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore I even walked in I saw Tyler's extra-large roller duffle bag standing in the corner by the coat rack, stuffed to the gills. The last time I'd seen it was eight years ago when he'd moved in.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I'm sorry but I can't take it anymore,\" Tyler said. I stood there, my hand clutching the tulips, the plastic bag with the ice cream cutting into the skin on my wrist. He was wearing the oxford shirt I'd given him for Christmas, the one I liked so much because it brought out the blue in his eyes. My gaze locked on an ink stain right above the pocket, where he usually kept a pen. The source of many ruined shirts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"All that pain is killing us, Lana. We need to take a break.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A break? But . . .\" My throat was so dry, the words came out hoarse, rusty. \"But our transfer is on Monday.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I know.\" He looked down. \"I'm sorry. I can't go through with it right now.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI stared at the ink mark on his shirt, my eyes cloudy with tears. My ears began buzzing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"We need some distance,\" I heard him say as if from afar. \"To figure things out.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy mind was racing. I thought of the texts he'd been getting lately at all hours of the day. Of how distracted, even cross he'd become over the past few months. \"Is there another woman?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Christ, Lana! This is about you and me.\" He shook his head. \"I'll move out for a month or two. Just to give us both some space.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore I had a chance to respond, to tell him that I didn't need any goddamn space, he leaned over and hugged me, holding me tight the way he'd done after each miscarriage. At five seven, I was by no means petite but in his big arms, I felt like a dainty porcelain doll. If he squeezed any harder, I'd break.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen, just as abruptly, he let go of me, took his duffle bag, and, without looking back, he left.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA cold breeze ruffled the curtains. The beeping of a truck backing up down the street, then quiet but for the distant noises of the city. Only when I heard the ice cream tub crash on the floor did I realize my hand had dropped the bag and flowers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLANA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003enow\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was 9:00 a.m. on Monday and I was still in my pajamas. I should have gone to work but I'd already told my boss I was taking a sick day. Might as well stay home. I was an art curator. If I missed a day, the world wouldn't stop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSlumped on the couch, I stared at the phone in my hand. Finally, I sighed and pressed the number on the screen. \"Fertility clinic,\" a female voice answered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy throat tightened. The words felt like lead on my tongue.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hello,\" the woman said, her voice rising. \"Can you hear me?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hello?\" she said again, waited, then hung up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI threw the phone on the floor. What would I have told her anyway? My partner left me? He decided he no longer wanted a baby?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wondered if anyone had ever canceled their transfer before. After all the hormones, the ludicrous amount of money, the shrink evaluation, the daily doctor visits, the endless pages to initial, the papers to sign, had anyone ever really called to say, Never mind?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe phone buzzed on the floor. I brushed the tears away with the back of my hand and got up to get it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA text from Angie: Good luck today! I'll be thinking of you. xo \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e=\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Is your husband at work, too?\" the woman sitting next to me asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI looked up from the Vanity Fair I'd been leafing through. She had perfectly blow-dried hair, trendy highlights, and a flawless manicure that seemed out of place with the blue, giant-size hospital gown she was wearing. I scanned the clinic's pre-op waiting room. Furnished with pastel armchairs and sofas, it looked more like the reception area of a law firm than a hospital. About a dozen women were having their transfers today. All of them were sitting with their men except for the two of us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI considered her question. A few days earlier I would have said, \"My partner is at work,\" stressing partner just enough to give it an accusatory quality. For years, I'd passionately defended my right to have a family without the formality of a signature, without the sanction of the church and government. I would explain at length that marriage was an inherently patriarchal institution that subordinated women to men. That the term wife meant I was someone's property, whereas partner suggested equality. One thing I'd never considered was how easily a partnership could dissolve.","brand":"G.P. Putnam's Sons","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46301072031973,"sku":"NP9780525539971","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780525539971.jpg?v=1767728942","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/her-daughters-mother-isbn-9780525539971","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}