While they drank their tea and passed around the little cakes and biscuits Lekha had brought to the drawing room, the conversation remained more focused on lighter things—which meant steering it away from talk about Kat’s health. Amala and Paulina were encouraged to describe their travels, and Amala enjoyed the memories. She was also glad to hear that Paulina intended to stay at least until after the baby was born, declaring she didn’t want to miss such an event. Amala suspected that Paulina would likely stay and offer her gracious support to the family through whatever challenges they would face in regard to Kat’s illness. At least Amala hoped that was the case. She couldn’t imagine how she would ever get through this at all, but having Paulina around would inevitably make it easier. She was simply that kind of person.

That evening Kat came down to supper, apparently feeling fine and behaving very much like herself. Amala was relieved to note that it didn’t take much effort to settle into old habits of how it had been to be together as family prior to her leaving with Paulina, which made it fairly easy to pretend that everything was all right. In truth, Amala was glad to know they could share time together and talk and laugh with the prospect of creating good memories that would help carry them all through when Kat was no longer with them.

After supper Henry and Kat went for a walk in the garden, and Amala didn’t allow herself to even think about how it had been when she’d gone for long walks in the garden with this man she had once loved. She still loved him, but it had genuinely settled into a familial kind of love, and she felt no jealousy or regret—only sorrow to think of how brief Henry and Kat’s life together would be and to know how difficult all of this surely had to be for both of them.

With Henry and Kat gone, Amala was able to sit with Paulina and her parents and express her own shock and horror that hadn’t yet begun to settle in. She needed to talk about her feelings, and she was grateful for the support and compassion—and perfect empathy—of these people who loved her and cared for her more than anyone else.

Soon after Amala had gone to her room for the night, she answered a knock at her door to see Lekha standing there with beautiful, brightly colored fabrics draped over her arms. “Mr. Henry asked that I bring these to you. He hopes you will enjoy them.”

“Thank you,” Amala said and motioned Lekha into the room.