At twenty-one, when Paige finished college, she applied to ten medical schools and was accepted by all of them. She chose a school in Boston.
It took two days to reach Alfred by telephone in Zaire, where he was working part-time with a WHO unit.
When Paige told him the news, he said, “That’s wonderful, darling. I’m nearly finished with my medical courses. I’ll stay with WHO for a while, but in a few years we’ll be practicing together.”
Together. The magical word.
“Paige, I’m desperate to see you. If I can get out for a few days, could you meet me in Hawaii?”
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation. “Yes.”
And they had both managed it. Later, Paige could only imagine how difficult it must have been for Alfred to make the long journey, but he never mentioned it.
They spent three incredible days at a small hotel in Hawaii, called Sunny Cove, and it was as though they had never been apart. Paige wanted so much to ask Alfred to go back to Boston with her, but she knew how selfish that would have been. The work that he was doing was far more important.
On their last day together, as they were getting dressed, Paige asked, “Where will they be sending you, Alfred?”
“Gambia, or maybe Bangladesh.”
To save lives, to help those who so desperately need him. She held him tightly and closed her eyes. She never wanted to let him go.
As though reading her thoughts, he said, “I’ll never let you get away.”
Paige started medical school, and she and Alfred corresponded regularly. No matter in what part of the world he was, Alfred managed to telephone Paige on her birthday and at Christmas. Just before New Year’s Eve, when Paige was in her second year of school, Alfred telephoned.
“Paige?”
“Darling! Where are you?”
“I’m in Senegal. I figured out it’s only eighty-eight hundred miles from the Sunny Cove hotel.”
It took a minute for it to sink in.
“Do you mean …?”
“Can you meet me in Hawaii for New Year’s Eve?”
“Oh, yes! Yes!”
Alfred traveled nearly halfway around the world to meet her, and this time the magic was even stronger. Time had stood still for both of them.
“Next year I’ll be in charge of my own cadre at WHO,” Alfred said. “When you finish school, I want us to get married …”
They were able to get together once more, and when they weren’t able to meet, their letters spanned time and space.
All those years he had worked as a doctor in Third World countries, like his father and Paige’s father, doing the wonderful work that they did. And no, at last, he was coming home to her.
As Paige read Alfred’s telegram for the fifth time, she thought, He’s coming to San Francisco!
Kat and Honey were in their bedrooms, asleep. Paige shook them awake. “Alfred’s coming! He’s coming! He’ll be here Sunday!”
“Wonderful,” Kat mumbled. “Why don’t you wake me up Sunday? I just got to bed.”
Honey was more responsive. She sat up and said, “That’s great! I’m dying to meet him. How long since you’ve seen him?”
“Two years,” Paige said, “but we’ve always stayed in touch.”
“You’re a lucky girl,” Kat sighed. “Well, we’re all awake now. I’ll put on some coffee.”
The three of them sat around the kitchen table.
“Why don’t we give Alfred a party?” Honey suggested. “Kind of a ‘Welcome to the Groom’ party.”
“That’s a good idea,” Kat agreed.
“We’ll make it a real celebration—a cake, balloons—the works!”
“We’ll cook dinner for him here,” Honey said.
Kat shook her head. “I’ve tasted your cooking. Let’s send out for food.”
Sunday was four days away, and they spent all their spare time discussing Alfred’s arrival. By some miracle, the three of them were off duty on Sunday.
Saturday, Paige managed to get to a beauty salon. She went shopping and splurged on a new dress.
“Do I look all right? Do you think he’ll like it?”
“You look sensational!” Honey assured her. “I hope he deserves you.”
Paige smiled. “I hope I deserve him. You’ll love him. He’s fantastic!”
On The Sunday, an elaborate lunch they had ordered was laid out on the dining-room table, with a bottle of iced champagne. The women stood around, nervously waiting for Alfred’s arrival.
At two o’clock, the doorbell rang, and Paige ran to the door to open it. There was Alfred. A bit tired-looking, a little thinner. But he was her Alfred. Standing next to him was a brunette who appeared to be in her thirties.
“Paige!” Alfred exclaimed.
Paige threw her arms around him. Then she turned to Honey and Kat and said proudly, “This is Alfred Turner. Alfred, these are my roommates, Honey Taft and Kat Hunter.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Alfred said. He turned to the woman at his side. “And this is Karen Turner. My wife.”
The three women stood there, frozen.
Paige said slowly, “Your wife?”
“Yes.” He frowned. “Didn’t … didn’t you get my letter?”
“Letter?”
“Yes. I sent it several weeks ago.”
“No …”
“Oh. I … I’m terribly sorry. I explained it all in my … but of course, if you didn’t get the …” His voice trailed off … “I’m really sorry, Paige. You and I have been apart so long, that I … and then I met Karen … and you know how it is …”
“I know how it is,” Paige said numbly. She turned to Karen and forced a smile. “I … I hope you and Alfred will be very happy.”
“Thank you.”
There was an awkward silence.
Karen said, “I think we had better go, darling.”
“Yes. I think you had,” Kat said.
Alfred ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m really sorry, Paige. I … well … goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Alfred.”
The three women stood there, watching the departing newlyweds.
“That bastard!” Kat said. “What a lousy thing to do.”
Paige’s eyes were brimming with tears. “I … he didn’t mean to … I mean … he must have explained everything in his letter.”
Honey put her arms around Paige. “There ought to be a law that all men should be castrated.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Kat said.
“Excuse me,” Paige said. She hurried to her bedroom and closed the door behind her.
She did not come out for the rest of the day.