At night when we lay in bed, he was careful of my comfort and asked me many times if I was eating right and resting enough. He kissed my stomach, which was just starting to develop a curve, and whispered tenderly to the baby, telling it all the things they’d do together—riding horses, practising archery, hunting in the forest. He was convinced it was a boy. ‘What if it’s a girl?’ I teased him. He looked a little taken aback. Then he rallied. ‘I guess I can do all the same things with her too.’
