Daniel closes his eyes, and she allows him a moment to gather himself before continuing, this time with a shaky voice. “I’m sorry. I was so angry. I know I said some horrible things.”

“Danny.” Lynell’s voice cracks as she reaches for his hand. Thankfully, he lets her take it.

“Lyn.” He places his free hand against her face. “I didn’t think I’d be able to stay with you after, but I thought about you every day. When Zach told me he was going to Register you, the moment he told me your life was in danger, the grief and anger I’d felt because you . . .” His voice trails off. “The anger just disappeared. I couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing you again. No matter what you did, I never stopped loving you.”

Lynell sobs and curls into Daniel’s chest. He holds her close, rubbing her back. He kisses the top of her head, and she grips his shirt. “I’m so sorry,” she says through tears.

“I know. Me too.” He runs his hand over her hair. “But we’re here now.”

They stand in the kitchen, locked in each other’s arms. Daniel rests his chin on top of her head, and Lynell shakes with the relief of finally having him against her again. The smell of waffles surrounds them. Only when Daniel decides the waffles need to come out of the microwave does he let go of her. Lynell stands still when he turns and removes the plate, watching him move. He places it on the counter and turns back to her. They lock eyes and Daniel leans in, capturing her lips in another short kiss.

“Danny . . .” she whispers. Their lips brush with the word and she feels him smile slightly before stepping back.

“Yeah?” he says, dropping his hands.

“Her name is Anna.”

Daniel blinks. His voice is rough when he says, “What?”

She sniffs and nods. “Anna Elizabeth Carter.” She whispers the name, feels it in her mouth like a promise of grace, of a life she could have again.

Daniel’s hands clench into fists and Lynell watches him take three deep breaths, nod, and rub his eyes before he looks back up at her. “Anna.”

“Anna.”

His mouth opens, and he takes a step forward. “You named her after my mother?”

She nods. “Anna for your mom, and Elizabeth for mine. She was born two years ago at 3:02 a.m. on the fifth of February.”

Daniel gasps and drops into a squat. Lynell lowers herself to her knees and drapes her right arm around him. He buries his face into her chest.

“She weighed six pounds and three ounces,” Lynell continues. “She . . .” Lynell chokes over her words. “She has your eyes, Danny. She’s beautiful.”

It’s a punch when Daniel lets out the sob. He shakes and Lynell feels small as his tears splash onto her shirt. When he finally calms down enough to get a decent breath, he mutters, “I wish I’d been there.”