“I’m so glad to see you. Did…did he say good-bye to you?”

“He wasn’t sentimental that way,” said Mrs. Delphiki. “But yes, he called us. And sent us nice letters. I think it hit Nikolai harder than us, because he knew Julian better. From Battle School, you know. But Nikolai is married now, did you know? So pretty soon, maybe another grandchild. Not that we have a shortage. You and Julian did very well by us.”

“If I’m very quiet and don’t wake them, can I go see them?”

“We divided them into two rooms. Andrew shares one room with Bella, because he never sleeps, but she can sleep through anything. Julian and Petra and Ramón are in the other room. They need it dimmer. But if you wake them, it’s not a problem. All their cribs have the sides down because they climb out anyway.”

“They’re walking?”

“Running. Climbing. Falling off things. They’re more than a year old, Petra! They’re normal children!”

It almost set her off, because it reminded her of the children who weren’t normal. But that wasn’t what Mrs. Delphiki meant, and there was no reason to punish her for a chance remark by bursting into tears.

So the two who bore the names of the children she grieved for most were sharing a room. She had courage enough to face this. She went there first.

Nothing about these babies reminded her of the ones who were gone. They were so big. Toddlers, not babies now. And, true to reputation, Andrew’s eyes were already open. He turned to look at her.

She smiled at him.

He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Well, let him retreat and decide what he thinks of me. I’m not going to demand that they love me when they don’t even know me.

She walked to Bella’s crib. She was sleeping hard, her black curls tight and wet against her head. The Delphiki genetic heritage was so complicated. Bella really showed Bean’s African roots. Whereas Andrew looked Armenian, period.

She touched one of Bella’s curls and the girl didn’t stir. Her cheek was hot and damp.

She’s mine, thought Petra.

She turned and saw that Andrew was sitting up in bed, regarding her soberly. “Hello, Mama,” he said.

It took her breath away.

“How did you know me?”

“Picture,” he said.

“Do you want to get up?”

He looked at the clock on the top of the dresser. “Not time.”

These were normal children?

How would Mrs. Delphiki know what normal was, anyway? Nikolai wasn’t exactly stupid.

Though they weren’t so brilliant. They were both wearing diapers.

Petra walked over to Andrew and held out her hand. What do I think he is, a dog that I give my hand to sniff?

Andrew took hold of a couple of her fingers, just for a moment, as if to make sure she was real. “Hello, Mama.”

“May I kiss you?”

He lifted his face and puckered up. She leaned down and kissed him.