“If you say so,” Henry said and chuckled as Harry grunted and stretched his arms again, his little face contorting in a way that was adorably comical. Henry absorbed the moment into his spirit, taking the entire experience deep into himself, wanting to hold on to this memory forever. In that moment, life had never been more perfect. He only wished it could last.

Chapter Eleven

KATARINA’S WISH

Within a day it became evident how popular Harry would become in the household. His grandparents were beside themselves with joy, as was Paulina. The absence of children in her own life seemed to be soothed by her admission that she’d never felt such joy over being a part of this child’s life right from the beginning. It seemed likely that Harry might be the one to help soothe her wanderlust, and she was likely to spend a great deal more time at home in the future. The maids who had personal contact with Kat and the baby fussed over little Harry as if he were a prince, but it was Amala who took to him in a way that seemed to prove even further that she was a sister to Kat in any and every possible way. Everyone wanted to hold the baby, and he was rarely not in the arms of one family member or another, but it was Amala who instinctively seemed to know exactly what the baby needed. No one would ever have guessed at her lack of experience in caring for a baby. While Kat struggled with the pain and exhaustion of her recovery, Amala oversaw the care of both her sister and the baby with great finesse. The nanny they had carefully hired a couple of weeks earlier was on hand with solid knowledge and experience in caring for infants, but it was Amala who loved Kat and had a keen sense of her sister’s needs, and that sense had apparently flowed over into an uncanny awareness of the baby’s needs. Henry never felt unwelcome or pushed aside from being with Kat and Harry as much as time and practicality permitted, but he quickly came to depend on Amala to see that his wife and son were well cared for. They had servants aplenty at their disposal, but it was Amala who knew exactly what to ask for and when. And his gratitude for her place in their lives grew greater each day.

* * * *

The passing of weeks made it evident that Kat was not bouncing back from childbirth the way most women did. She remained pale and weak and barely able to get out of bed with assistance for a few minutes here and there. She insisted she was not in much pain, but Henry suspected she’d become accustomed to a certain degree of pain; either that or she was lying in an attempt to be brave. Dr. Cowell told Henry it was probably a little of both. While the cancerous growth had not visibly changed much in months, the doctor suspected more and more from her symptoms that it was likely spreading inside of her body where they couldn’t see it. They had been blessed to not have it adversely affect her pregnancy, and they were all keenly aware of the miracle of Harry’s existence. But bearing a child had taken its toll on Kat, and it seemed that in her weakened state the cancer was quickly taking over.