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Rosemary’s neck grew hot. Was there something she should know about Kal, something he’d done or been suspected of doing? She felt woozy and disoriented, the memory of her conduct on the airplane branded into her skin. How long did one spend after surviving a tragedy before one regained the capacity to make rational adult decisions?
What if Beatrice was right, and Rosemary hadn’t made a single rational adult decision since the divorce?
God. Enough of that. She couldn’t begin doubting herself now, there’d be no end of it.
“Are you aware that the British government has flagged your passport?”
“Pardon?”
“There’s a system for notifying border authorities to watch out for certain persons. Your government put your name on it because you didn’t check in with your embassy after the avalanche. You’re officially listed as missing.”
It took Rosemary several long seconds to understand this. “They think I’m dead?”
“It looks that way.”
Oh, Beatrice. Winston. She hadn’t phoned them, had been assured by Kal that her name was on the lists of survivors, but now Rosemary understood how callow she’d been. She’d never known shame could turn her stomach, could weight down her limbs and swell her heart with such a terrible sense of responsibility. “As you can see, I’m right here,” she said quietly.
“Yes. So what we have to do is clear this notice, which means we have to put you in touch with your embassy. They’ll send someone over to talk to you who’s going to want to confirm who you are, and they’ll tell us we can take the notice off. Then you’ll be free to go.”
“That sounds like it will take an age.”
Patience finally smiled. “I’m not going to lie to you, it’ll take some time. Do you need something to drink or eat? I’m going to have to go report all this to my supervisor, and she’ll call your embassy.”
“No, thank you, I’m fine. I’m very sorry for the inconvenience. I did speak with the Nepalese authorities in Lukla after I was evacuated by helicopter. I’d assumed that was all I had to do. I apologize that I was so remiss.”
“That’s all right, ma’am. Did you get to the top?”
“Pardon?”
“Of the mountain?”
“Oh. No. I was at the highest camp, but the avalanche made it so we had to evacuate.”
“Well, at least you made it through safely.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be back in a while when I have some news.”
“Thank you.”
She left Rosemary alone in a beige cell, with nothing to do and no one to talk to.
Rosemary folded her arms on the table, put her head down, and cried.
—
Four and a half hours later, with a fresh stamp in her passport and a printed sheet of phone numbers from the kind woman sent over by the consulate, Rosemary carried her backpack into the arrivals hall of Terminal Four.
She felt as though she’d stepped off an ocean liner after weeks at sea. Her hands shook, and she shoved them into the pockets of her hiking pants, scanning past the drivers with their printed signs and whiteboards for a familiar face.
Kal had probably given up on her by now. She’d wanted to ask about him in the interview room, whether he’d
been detained, whether he knew what had happened to her. But every time, she hadn’t been able to think what to say.
The gentleman I was traveling with—I have no way to contact him.
There’s an exceedingly slim chance I’m pregnant with his child.
