"What is it?" She grabs a cardigan from a hanger and wraps it around herself before rejoining me. I secure my arm around her waist and lead her into the hallway, pausing at the room right next to mine.

"This room is connected to mine," I explain as I open the door. "You can enter through the passage behind the dresser, which I'll show you later. But I thought this would be a starting point for a nursery."

She pauses inside, eyes roaming over the space. There are already a few gift bags and a rocking chair inside, gifts from Antonia. It appears she has been planning for this day as well.

"This room is beautiful," Ivy whispers. “And huge.”

"I assumed you'd like to decorate the space."

"I think I'd like that very much," she agrees.

"Here." I leave her to pick up the box on top of the empty chest of drawers. "I have something for you."

When I hand it to her, Ivy looks at me as if I've had a personality transplant, and I suppose I have. But the doctor told me how important it was that she was not under any stress, and I’m trying my best to make that a reality, though I can’t tell if I am.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Open it."

She rolls her eyes at my command but does as I request, removing the baby book first. When she looks up at me, I recite the information from the pregnancy book I've been reading.

"It's for keeping track of milestones. At least that’s what we’re supposed to do with it."

She stifles a laugh, and I don't know why. She seems to be enjoying a joke at my expense, but it doesn’t bother me like it normally would.

“That’s exactly what it’s for.”

“There’s something else.” I gesture to the box, and her smile fades when she removes the necklace. I watch her closely as her fingers move over the white gold rose encrusted with diamonds. I don't think she likes it, but I can't be certain.

I shift uncomfortably. "This one is for you to wear when you want," I say. "I just assumed women like jewelry, but if you don’t approve—"

"It's beautiful, Santiago." She smiles up at me with glassy eyes. "Thank you."

10

Ivy

Santiago has done a one-eighty. And as happy as I am, something is still niggling at me. Maybe it’s the fact he won’t yet take me to see my father. Or maybe it’s that he won’t allow me to have a cell phone. I don’t know.

I could chalk all these things up to him being overprotective. Considering all that’s happened, I understand. We almost lost the baby. No. We didn’t almost lose it. It was almost taken away from us. By my brother who is still out there somewhere.

That worries me too.