I stared at Alexis in shock. His alabaster skin was now pink like a newborn's. The skin on his hands was mottled and gnarled in a way my own hands had been. His eyelids were so scarred I could only see his beautiful eyes through slits.

He stood as I watched him in horror. There were more scars on him than had been on me.

He looked at his hands and smiled. "This, I can feel. Thank you, my love, for giving me so much to feel."

"But you have many more scars than I ...