Chapter 23

The ward door clicked shut behind Lena. After that, Micah sat frozen on the bed, staring at the chair she'd left empty. "I'm sorry," he whispered to the silent room. He slid off the ring he'd worn since their wedding, tears spilling down his face. Laris was right. Caleb was right. Lena, above all, was right. He'd brought this on himself. … When Micah's wounds healed, he returned to his house in his home country. The house felt hollow, with every corner heavy with memories of Lena. Each memory twisted the knife in his heart. In the nursery upstairs, he traced his fingers over the things they'd chosen together. "Micah, do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?" Lena had asked, her eyes sparkling with hope. He'd wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I'll love them regardless." "What color should we get for their clothes?" she'd wondered aloud. He'd kissed her cheek and grinned at her indecision. "If you want to know the gender, I can ask the doctor." She shook her head. "No,