At some point Seraphina appeared in the room without being called. Jessica acknowledged her presence with a glance and kept working. Seraphina positioned herself at the room's edge — not intervening, present. The specific quality of someone whose presence was its own resource.
Satou was outside.
Not because he'd been asked to leave. Because Lyra had said, in the early weeks of the pregnancy, that she wanted Jessica's space during the birth. That she needed to focus completely. That having him in the room would give her attention somewhere to go that wasn't the thing she needed all of her attention for.
He'd understood.
He was in the corridor.
Jessica could hear him through the wall — not clearly, just presence. The specific quality of someone staying very still.
She kept working.
At five forty-seven in the morning, everything changed.
===
He stood in the corridor for two hours and forty-seven minutes.
