I mumble, looking down at the drawing in my hands. No more math equations or inquisitive sketches of the tunnel. I’ve been reduced to this. “No, Emily, you have to draw the swirl in the middle!” Suzanne is coaching me in a game of ‘Mash,’ which will – through the divine powers of pencil, paper, and chance – tell me whether Chris likes me or not. “Don’t count as you swirl!” Michelle admonishes, watching my pencil. I loop the point around until I fill up the center box, then pull away so the girls can count up my results. “She did eight swirls – start counting, Suzanne.” Their small fingers trace around the outside of my box, crossing out different possibilities between me and Chris. Fortunately, we’re not supposed to live in a shack. Sadly, we’re going to miss out on the mansion as well. “And you’re going to have twelve kids!” Suzanne says excitedly, working on the paper again.
