Henry hurried out of the room, barely muttering a thank-you to Amala over his shoulder before he fled down the hall and up the stairs, pausing a long moment outside the bedroom door to catch his breath and steady his composure. It was over, and Kat was still alive. For now, nothing else mattered.

Henry entered the room timidly, where Doctor Cowell greeted him with a smile, declaring in a soft voice, “Your wife is a brave, strong woman, Henry. She did remarkably well; childbirth is never easy, but you should be very proud of her.” His smile broadened as he added, “You have a son, and as far as I can see, he’s perfect.”

Henry only nodded in response, since he could feel his composure dissipating. The doctor motioned him toward the bed, and Henry crept tentatively closer. Kat was propped against pillows, looking so pale and still that for a moment he felt some strange presage to how it might be when she died. Her lips were the same unnatural whitish hue as her face. And even though she was apparently relaxed, the strain she’d endured was readily evident. She opened her eyes as he sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand, relieved at the evidence that she was very much alive.

“My darling,” he murmured and kissed her brow. “It’s over.”

She smiled as if she’d never been happier and slowly turned her head, drawing Henry’s attention to the infant at her side, wrapped tightly in a little blanket. “He’s so beautiful, Henry,” Kat said, her voice weak and raspy. “He’s so perfect. And he looks like you. I can see it already.”

Henry could see no sign of life from the baby until an impossibly tiny hand reached up out of the blanket as if to stretch, and at the same time he heard a silly grunting sound that increased his curiosity. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been exposed to an infant of any size, but he’d never seen a newborn, and he had no idea what to expect. He’d been so focused on Kat getting through this alive that he’d not allowed himself to ponder what this moment might be like.

“Pick him up, Henry,” Kat said. “He won’t break. Meet your son.”