“I’ll go get coffees,” Maggie says. “Does everyone want coffee from the cafeteria?”

“They have an espresso cart not too far from here,” Stasia says. “I drank a lot of coffee from it. I would come help, but—”

“No, you sit,” Maggie says. She takes orders for three other coffees and then sets off in search of caffeine.

“Maggie needs to have a task,” Da says. “She’s a doer. If there’s ever a crisis, she’s the one bustling about.”

“I knew something wasn’t right,” Maeve says softly. “I had a hunch that it wasn’t just a tweaked shoulder, but she kept insisting that she was fine. That stubborn woman.”

“None of us knew,” I remind her. “It’s not your fault.”

“It’s my fault,” Da says. “For not making her go to the damn doctor.”

“It’s nobody’s fault,” Izzy repeats and rubs Da’s arm. She holds my hand tightly with her other hand.

Anastasia shifts the baby and then frowns at her husband. “Would you please take him for a minute? He’s only eight pounds, but he starts to get heavy.”

“Of course, love.”

“May I hold him?” Izzy asks. “I’ve meant to come see you, but something always comes up.”

“You’re more than welcome to hold him,” Kane says as he brings the baby to Izzy and gently lays him in her arms. “He’s been a little fussy today, so if you need his binky, we have it ready.”

“Aww, are you fussy, little love?” She kisses Thomas’s head and smiles down at him. “He’s already changed so much in such a short period of time.”

“I swear, he changes every day,” Stasia agrees. “Yesterday, I thought he looked more like me. This morning, he smiled just like Kane. And about an hour ago, he looked like an alien.”

“He’s too little to smile,” Kane insists. “It was probably gas.”

We laugh a little, the mood lightening a bit with talk of the baby.

“No, you don’t look like an alien,” Izzy says. The baby is awake now and watching Izzy talk to him. “You’re an amazing little man. Yes, you are.”

He opens his mouth as if searching for a snack. “I think he’s hungry.”

“I don’t think I can help you with that.” Izzy kisses his forehead again.

“Here.” Kane pulls a bottle out of the baby bag and shakes up some formula. “You can help.”

He passes her the bottle, along with a spit rag.

“I do breastfeed, as well, but I wasn’t producing enough, so we had to supplement with formula.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Izzy says, watching the baby as she feeds him.

My stomach felt tight when I saw her holding him at the hospital before, and it’s even more so now. But before I can say anything, Maggie returns with the coffee orders.