**Valentina**

The next morning, I wasn’t entirely surprised when I heard a knock at the front door. Alphonse was right on time, but this time, Elizabeth wasn’t by his side. “She has her weekly antenatal appointment,” he had explained, stepping inside with an easy nod. I could sense a bit of disappointment at her absence—he had a way of looking for her even when she wasn’t around, almost like he could will her into being next to him if he just tried hard enough.

I led him upstairs, ...