Dropping to her knees, Essie brushed a stray hair out of Isaac's eyes. It felt like habit, but she knew she'd never done it before. Everything felt doubled these days, sleeping felt wrong because there wasn't a body that had never been there before. Waking up felt alone because this little boy who didn't live with her wasn't bouncing on her bed to wake her up. She didn't even know what to say, Bach was angry? She was furious. And miserable.

"Joel's really nice isn't he? You know he's going to have a little baby here soon, that's why we're all here. To celebrate that."

Looking up at Bach, she shook her head. She couldn't speak to him, not yet, but wanted him to back off Isaac. He wasn't to blame for any of this and she wasn't going to cut him out.