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They just do.” There was conviction in his voice. He had to at least try to maintain this stance, both for them and for himself: No marriage is easy. All couples go through difficult times. “She’ll come back soon. Someone will find her. She’ll be totally and completely fine.”
    Janine did not take her eyes off him. She studied him as he reached for the felt bag of letters, as he pulled out three and set them in the little plastic holder and said, “Janine, your turn.”
    She picked up a brownie. “I’m going to sit out this round,” she said at last.

Chapter 5
    H annah was late bringing Ethan to school. Sarah, one of the teaching assistants, waited alone for him by the red double doors. She ushered Ethan inside and glanced back to wave at Hannah, who was standing against her car at the curb. Sarah had blond hair cut in a matronly style and wore a blondish sweater and loose tan pants. She was pretty and pleasant. Hannah waved back at Sarah and thought to ask her whether she needed any help today, but in less than a moment the two had disappeared inside.
    The sun shone fiercely and the sky was cloudless, the sidewalk black, newly paved. Not one other person could be seen. Children everywhere were in school. Hannah looked at her watch—she had two and a half hours before she was due at work. She rushed up the concrete stairs and inside the school to catch up with Sarah and Ethan.
    â€œForget something?” Sarah asked.
    â€œI’ve got some time before I have to be at work. Do you guys need any help this morning with snack or recess?” Ethan looked at his feet.
    â€œThanks, but I think we’re all set.” Sarah enunciated and spoke a half beat too slowly, in the way that women who worked with small children did. “We have a full day planned. We’re making volcanoes. Papier-mâché.”
    â€œOh. Good, that sounds fun.”
    Sarah smiled. “Messy fun.”
    Hannah’s face prickled with heat. “Then I’ll go enjoy this time to myself and leave you guys to it.” She started back down the hallway.
    The other week, after volunteering in Ethan’s class, she had seen a kindergartner seated against the wall outside a classroom, his arms around his knees. The boy had an older brother in Ethan’s grade, and Hannah had heard that the father had just left their family. “You all right?” Hannah had asked, and he shrugged, his tangled black hair nearly covering his face.
    Hannah glanced around. “You want some company? Are you in time-out or something?”
    He was silent, but he revealed enough of his face for Hannah to see that he was crying.
    â€œI could sit with—”
    â€œGo away.”
    â€œOkay,” Hannah said. She buttoned up her coat and hurried off, and when she had reached the front doors of the school, she called Lovell at work and told him about the boy.
    â€œJust let it be,” he said.
    â€œI guess. You don’t think I should tell the teacher what’s going on in their house? She might not know yet. You should have seen this kid. He looked awful. He’s so little.”
    â€œI don’t know. I guess you could tell her.”
    She heard him begin to type, and said, “Forget it.”
    â€œHe’ll be fine,” Lovell said vacantly.
    â€œI was thinking about Tunis the other day,” she said. Just the mention of the place where they had gone for their honeymoon always drew him back.
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œDo you remember that woman singing? And her husband, that doctor, called her a cow or something like that? And that creepy basement! God, that was scary.”
    â€œGiven our situation, I wasn’t paying much attention.”
    â€œAnd then sleeping in that Bedouin tent in the desert.”
    â€œAh. That was much better.”
    â€œOur nomad? What was his name?”
    â€œDhia? Daly? I don’t remember.”
    â€œHe wasn’t hard on