months passed.
Then six.
Leo became a cheerful baby with a talent for waking five minutes before my alarm.
Dad became the sort of grandfather who bought educational toys designed for children three years older.
“Dad, he can’t solve a wooden maze.”
“He’ll grow.”
“He’s five months old.”
“Then he has time.”
Selina became unexpectedly good at respecting boundaries.
Not perfectly.
But noticeably.
She called before visiting.
She asked before buying Leo anything enormous.
When Rowan told her he had accepted the new job, she started to say:
“But the
