(Ruby's POV)
The morning after the christening, I woke to the sound of rain.
It was a soft rain, gentle against the windows. The sky was gray, but not dark. The sea was calm, the waves barely a whisper. Elle was still asleep in her crib, her tiny chest rising and falling, her lips slightly parted.
Nicholas was already up. I could hear him in the bathroom, running water, humming something under his breath. I didn't recognize the tune. It might have been something his mother used to sing.
I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling. The plaster was old, cracked in places. Workers would fix it eventually. Everything would be fixed eventually.
I got up and walked to the crib.
Elle's eyes were open. She was staring at the mobile above her, the little birds circling slowly. Her gray eyes followed them, focused, curious. She looked so much like Nicholas it sometimes took my breath away.
"Good morning, baby."
She turned her head toward my voice.
