"Is it time?" Tris asked from her spot on Tobas' lap.

He checked his watch. "Another thirty seconds," he said.

Tris stood up and stretched. Tobias stood and took her hand. Together they walked to Tris' dresser, where a pregnancy test sat waiting to change everything.

"It's… Is that…" Tris stammered.

"Negative," Tobias said.

"Are you sure?" Tris asked.

Tobias looked at the box, then looked back at the test.

"Negative," he repeated.

"What does that mean?" Tris asked. "I've been regular as clockwork since I was thirteen, and suddenly I don't get a period?"

"I don't know," Tobias said.

"Maybe it's too soon for the test to be able to tell," Tris suggested.

"Maybe," Tobias said. "I had Amar make you an appointment at the clinic. Maybe the doctor has a different test."

"Yeah," Tris agreed, and for a minute they just stood and stared at the little plastic stick.

"I'm not really sure how I feel," Tobias said. "When you called last night I was completely terrified - just ask Amar. I paced the airplane aisle all the way across the ocean - I practically walked here. I wanted to be strong for you, to help you calm down and make you feel safe, but I was scared. You know I want to have children with you, but… just… the timing. You know. And then there's Marcus, and... I just got scared. But standing here I realized that part of me wants this, too. I want to share this with you, and to have a reason to come back here more often. I… I mean… I have you, and that's a good reason to come back, of course, but I can't just fly back and forth every weekend. I'm… I'm rambling. I don't know what I'm trying to say. I guess just… If it happens, I'm here. And I love you."

"I'm sorry you dropped everything and spent all that money flying here overnight if it was for nothing," Tris said. "But I'm really glad you're here."

"I'm not sorry," Tobias said. "Even if you're not pregnant, I still get to spend the weekend with you. Although, if you're not pregnant I'm having Amar pick up some condoms. We should probably wait until at least Christmas break to try again."

"Tobias!" Tris laughed, swatting at his arm. "I do not want to be six months pregnant at our wedding! If I'm not already pregnant, we're not trying again until our honeymoon, maybe longer than that."

Tobias leaned down and kissed Tris on the cheek. "Deal," he said.

When Amar arrived an hour later to pick them up for Tris' clinic appointment, he greeted her with a long hug.

"Testi i shtatzënisë ishte negativ," (The pregnancy test was negative) Tobias said in Albanian so no one would overhear.

Tris saw the driver's face fall, briefly. "What do we do now?" he asked, reverting back to his professional demeanor.

"We keep the appointment," Tobias said. "We need to have them test, and if we get the same answer, then we need to find out what's going on."

"Of course," Amar said.

Tobias went around to get in on the other side, and Tris hugged Amar again. "I'm so sorry you had to get up in the middle of the night and that you flew all the way over here."

"I'm not," Amar said, returning her hug. "Tobias wants to be here for you like he wants air to breathe. I want to be here, too. George also wanted to come," he added conspiratorially. "He has a full schedule this weekend, so I talked him out of it. I probably shouldn't say this, but I think he's going to be disappointed if the results are negative. He's excited for you to come home to stay, and he loves babies."

Tris giggled a little, and Amar grinned. He felt good about getting her to relax. He opened the door for Tris, and she slid into the sedan beside her waiting fiance.

.

"Miss Prior, are you on any form of birth control?" the doctor asked.

Tris had been weighed, measured, had her vitals checked, and had given both blood and urine samples. They were in the exam room, and she was answering questions while they waited for results.

"Yes," she replied. "I was on the pill until mid-May, when I switched to the shot. We were also using condoms until recently. Once we discussed our sexual history and health status and I had been on the shot for over a month, we got lazy about it. We're engaged to be married in June, so we're in love and committed to each other. We just weren't planning this yet."

"The shot is only good for twelve to fifteen weeks," the doctor said. "Have you had a second dose?"

"Yes," Tris replied. "I had it in May, and again in late August."

"And your periods were regular during the first twelve weeks?"

"Yes," Tris said.

"Why did you switch from the pill to the shot?"

"My insurance only lets me get my pills one month at a time - they're stingy about prescriptions. I was going to be out of the country for the summer, so I switched to the shot. I thought it worked just fine, so I stuck with it when I got back."

They were interrupted by a tap on the door of the exam room. A nurse came in and handed some papers to the doctor, who looked them over. "Your tests have all come back negative," the doctor informed them. "Everything looks normal and healthy. Irregular periods are a common side effect of the shot, especially in the first few months."

"Really?" Tris asked. "That's it? I'm late because the shot can do that? I'm tired because this cold sucks? I got all worked up, and he flew here from Albania over nothing?!"

"You flew here from Albania?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," Tobias said confidently. "But there's more to that story."

"I feel like such an idiot," Tris said.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," the doctor replied as she stood and headed toward the door of the exam room.

"May we have a moment?" Tobias asked.

"Sure," the doctor replied. "Just don't… don't have sex in my exam room."

Tris' cheeks flushed, but Tobias looked insulted. "We wouldn't do that," he said firmly. "We just need a moment of privacy."

"You'd be surprised the strange things people try to get away with," the doctor said on her way out.

The second they were alone, Tobias pulled Tris onto his lap. "I still can't believe you're here," she said, snuggling into his chest.

Tobias wrapped his arms around his fiancee. "Is it wrong that I want to have sex in here now?"

"Tobias!" Tris scolded, her cheeks flaring again.

He chuckled. "I'm kidding. I just wanted a minute to tell you that I'm not sorry I'm here. I wanted to be here with you if you found out we're expecting or if you found out we're not. I want to be by your side for everything - big news and small scares. I love you."

"I love you too," Tris said.

"Let's go get lunch somewhere, then go back to the hotel for a nap," Tobias suggested.

"A nap, or a nap?" Tris asked, trailing her fingers down the front of Tobias' shirt.

"Mmm," Tobias growled. "How about both?"

.

Tobias spent the rest of Saturday spoiling Tris. He made love to her in his hotel suite, then held her while they napped. He took her for a couple's massage in the late afternoon, then met her friends for dinner.

"So what's with the surprise visit?" Christina asked Tobias when everyone arrived at dinner. The couple hadn't told their friends about the pregnancy scare.

"I missed her," Tobias said, pulling Tris close. "I couldn't stand it anymore."

"The perks of being rich," Uriah teased.

Tobias shrugged. "There's nothing I'd rather spend money on than being with Tris," he said.

"Aww," Marlene and Christina cooed in unison.

"You're making the rest of us look bad," Will joked, and Uri high-fived him.

"You guys don't know how lucky you are," Tobias said. "You get to spend every day with the girl you love. If you want an impromptu pizza date, you go. If one of you has a bad day, you're there for each other. Love isn't all big, expensive gestures; it's doing life together. Tris and I are looking forward to having that."

.

On Sunday the couple did some sightseeing in Chicago, and Tobias even got Tris to do a little shopping. Before she left Albania, Amar had introduced Tris to an Albanian-speaking fashion designer from the neighboring country of Kosovo. Impressed by the designer's work, especially in formal gowns, Tris had arranged for him to handle her wedding gown and reception dress, as well as a beautiful pink and silver dress for the mother of the bride.

According to the wedding planner, Tris needed three more dresses for the wedding festivities. First, she would need a dress to arrive in. The groom and his family coming to get the bride was a big part of Albanian weddings. Tris knew that the festivities began the moment the plane landed in Tirana and Tobias came to meet her with a literal parade of cars.

The only thing he had requested was that she "come home to him" wearing pink. Tris had the perfect dress picked out already. She found it online one night and ordered it. It was by Dolce and Gabbana. The design house that made her beloved pink leather jacket was quickly becoming her favorite. The dress was a sleeveless, knee-length sheath made of rose pink lace.

Once Tris was brought to the Eaton estate, she would be expected to change into something bridal white for the pre-wedding groom's night party. That event was open to the public, and signified the local community welcoming the bride. Tris needed a white cocktail dress for that event. Fortunately they found just the thing in Chicago, another sleeveless sheath dress. But this dress, by the designer Carolina Herrera, had a pretty twist at the waist that created a drape detail in the front that made it unique.

The drape of fabric on Tris' right hip also coordinated well with the reception dress that Valdrin Sahiti, the wedding dress designer, was making for her. That dress was strapless, floor-length, and looked like something an actress would wear to the Oscars. It had the same gather and drape detail as the cocktail dress, and Tris liked the connection.

The last dress Tris needed was something to wear the day after the wedding, for the sendoff when they left on their honeymoon. Again, their shopping in Chicago yielded a solution, this time in the form of a white tube dress with a criss-cross halter neckline.

Tris felt relieved that everything was back on track and progressing in the direction of their original plans. Tobias was disappointed, and surprised by how he felt. When Tris had called him in tears because she thought she was pregnant, he was completely freaked out. But by the time they landed in Chicago, he had made peace with the idea of a baby. He was even excited, imagining Tris growing round with his child. He wanted a son, of course - Tobias the fifth - to take over the family business. But he was also enamored of the idea of a daughter, especially if she looked like Tris. Though a daughter would not be his namesake, she could also be the one to take over the businesses of Eaton Holdings.

Tris could sense Tobias' disappointment when they said goodbye on Sunday. "Soon," she said as they held each other one last time. "Soon we'll be married, then we can start trying for a baby."

"I know," he sighed. "It's just hard to go home without you."

.

Into September Tris started her new year of Albanian lessons with Rebekah. While their earlier sessions had been about basic phrases and cultural information, the new school year was far more serious. Tris wasn't just visiting Albania with her English-speaking boyfriend, she was moving there to stay. Rebekah, a natural teacher, soon had her conjugating verbs, and even gave her homework. It was obvious that she put a lot of time and care into preparing her lessons for Tris.

One Saturday morning after her lesson, Tris got an idea, and fired off a text to Tobias.

T: Are you still thinking about hiring an assistant/translator for me when we get married?

4: Yes. I think you need someone so you don't feel stuck at home.

T: I don't know if she would even be interested, but what about Rebekah?

4: Is she also graduating this year? I thought she had more school left?

T: No, she is also a senior.

4: If she were willing, I think it would be good. You already get along. She has lived in America, so she knows where you're coming from culturally. Amar was impressed with her, too, when he hired her to teach you Albanian.

T: I can talk to her about it, but what do I say? What are we offering?

4: I love when you say 'we'. It takes my breath away every time you mention our future together. I can't wait to have you by my side as my partner.

T: It makes me feel presumptuous.

4: That's a big, ugly word, college girl. Everything I have is yours.

T: Ours

4: Say it again, you're turning me on

T: Tobias! Be serious

4: I am serious. I love when you talk about OUR future.

T: I think I should talk to Amar about hiring, he's less distracting.

4: I should hope so. You're not his type.

T: And he's not my type. I have very particular taste. You're the only one that qualifies.

4: Good, because the feeling is mutual.

.

Tris did contact Amar about hiring Rebekah. Tobias' assistant explained the salary package, including free housing in the apartment near Roza's, a cell phone, and a number of other perks. He also laid out the hours and duties. Tris' assistant and 'cultural attache' would be expected to travel with Tris (with and without Tobias and Amar), both domestically and internationally. She would provide Tris with regular Albanian language and cultural lessons, arrange appointments, and keep her calendar. She would also run occasional errands, and communicate with the other staff on Tris' behalf.

Tris found the whole idea a bit overwhelming. She understood the need for a tutor/translator, but with a whole household of staff already handling the kind of everyday things she was used to doing for herself, she struggled to see why she would also need an assistant.

With some trepidation, Tris broached the subject with Rebekah in October. "What are you planning to do after graduation?" Tris asked cautiously.

The tutor visibly slumped. "Ideally, I would like to go back to Albania," she said. "I can't go home, but I'm planning to look for a position teaching English, maybe in a larger city, like Tirana. I'm really fortunate that Amar and Mr. Eaton offered me this job so I can afford to fly back."

"I'd say that I'm the fortunate one," Tris argued. "Albanian is not a common language. I'm grateful that I found you to teach me. And don't worry about buying a ticket home. Tobias is sending his jet to pick me up with everyone going to the wedding. I made sure you were on the list."

Rebekah's eyes filled with tears. "I get to go home," she said.

The desperate homesickness in her voice made Tris' eyes well up, too. She reached across the table to squeeze the other woman's hand. "I have something else to talk to you about," Tris said. "Tobias wants to hire a live-in translator to act as my assistant, teacher, and cultural go-between when we get married. Do you think you would be interested? The pay is pretty good, and you'd have your own apartment right in the big house. There is already a head housekeeper who also does the cooking, maids who do the laundry and cleaning, drivers, groundskeepers, plus Amar. You wouldn't have to wait on me or clean up after me or anything like that. I just need a teacher-translator who understands the culture, and can help me manage my schedule. You'd get to travel with me, like Amar does with Tobias.

"To be honest, the whole 'staff' thing is weird to me. All the women I know work, raise kids, clean their own houses, and do their own laundry. But this is my new life - or at least it's going to be. I don't know much about Albania, so I don't have answers for anyone, but Tobias wants to use his companies and his money to help others. He wants my help with that, but I'm going to need help, too. I promise I'll be more of a friend than a boss. You don't have to call me Mrs. Eaton or anything like that. I won't ask you to wear a uniform."

Tris bit her bottom lip nervously and waited for Rebekah to say something. After a minute without so much as a blink from the other woman, Tris began to backpedal. "It's okay to say no," she said in a rush. "We can keep going just how we are. You still have a spot on our flight back to Albania. Amar and Tobias can find someone else. I just thought I'd offer, since I already know you, and we get along, and I know you've wanted to go back, and -"

"Mr. Eaton really wants to use his companies and money for good?" Rebekah interrupted.

"Um, yeah," Tris said.

"Did you know his father?" Rebekah asked.

When Tris shook her head, Rebekah continued. "Marcus Eaton had a reputation. He was known to be stingy and short-tempered. His companies paid little, used up resources, and polluted. It was well-known that he was corrupt. He bribed officials, and hid the truth. There were rumors about him. People said he was... lewd... to his secretaries - that he cheated on his wife. People even said that he was... abusive."

Tris sighed. She knew that Tobias wouldn't mind if she shared with Rebekah, but she was protective of her fiance and his privacy. I'm asking her to join the household, Tris thought to herself, and I trust her.

"If I tell you some things, can you keep it between us?" Tris asked. "Not that I think you would gossip or talk to the press - who probably wouldn't care anyway..."

"Tris," Rebekah interrupted, her face a mask of concern. "Amar had me sign a non-disclosure agreement when he hired me as your tutor. I'm not allowed to talk to anyone. I'm only worried about you."

"Oh Rebekah!" Tris exclaimed. "I am the safest and happiest person in the world! Tobias is nothing like his horrible father. I just didn't want you to treat him any different after I tell you what he has been through.

"I never met Marcus Eaton. My first encounter with Tobias was four years ago. I was seventeen, and he was in grad school in England. I had an internship that summer with a foundation that raised money to fight child abuse, and one day I got an email from a stranger in Albania who called himself 'Four'."

Tris smiled, a sad but fond expression, as she continued. "This 'Four' said that he was in an abusive situation, but that his father was rich and powerful, so he had no way of getting free. He asked for money so he could run away. I shouldn't have done it, but I sent him a little money, and a note. For years my friends gave me a hard time about falling for an email scam. Then last winter he showed up at my door."

Tris' smile widened as she thought about her first meeting with Tobias, and how she had yelled at him. "I thought my friends were pranking me," she told Rebekah. "He thought I was going to be a little old lady. We were both surprised."

The two women laughed, and Tris continued her story. "Tobias was in America for business. After Marcus died and he inherited the businesses, he decided to change things. Tobias is a kind person. He saw how generations before him wasted their lives amassing wealth while stepping on people to get it. He doesn't want to be like that. He wants to have real relationships and take care of his employees. He wants to do the right thing, even when it cuts into his profit margins."

"That makes me so happy," Rebekah said. "I'll think about the job. There's a lot to like about it, but I don't want to make any decisions until I have all the details and a chance to pray. Speaking of that, how comfortable are you and Tobias with my faith?"

"Tobias has several Muslims on his staff. The head groundskeeper and his wife, one of the housekeeping girls, and the assistant groundskeeper are all practicing Muslims. The housekeeper and Amar both grew up Muslim but no longer practice. Tobias is nominally Catholic, and my family is protestant. We believe that each person should be free to practice what they believe - or nothing at all if that's what they want. You just have to be open with us if there are things you need."

"Thank you," Rebekah said sincerely.