Helena felt the small, soft body in her arms, the warmth of the baby's body. Silycia took damp cloths and cleaned the newborn as best as she could, then returned her to Helena's arms. She gazed at the face with round, flushed cheeks, the small nose, and the mouth that sucked on her finger.

The eyes were the same as John's, and she was enchanted, unable to hold back her tears; after all the crying she had done, she didn’t know how she still had any left. She nursed the newborn for a ...