"Still in the nursery. The nurses tried sending her to rest, but she said to wait a bit longer—worried the baby might cry again during the day."
I turned, walking fast toward the nursery.
The hallway was long, sunlight cutting through windows, casting grid shadows on the floor. My shoes clicked loud and quick on marble.
The nursery door was half-open.
I pushed it wider.
Bianca stood at the window, back to the door. She was still wearing yesterday's pale suit—hadn't changed it, worn straightthrough a full day and full night. Her hair was loose, dark strands falling from the updo, framing her neck.
Sunlight poured in from outside, landing on her. The image was warm. Like a painting.
Everything was warm.
I stood in that warmth but saw another face—pale, gaunt, screaming at me in the delivery room.
What was she doing now?
"Ezio?"
I refocused. Walked over. Juliet lay in the cradle, eyes shut, sleeping soundly. Her small face was flushed, breathing steady.
Bianca looked up. The sunlight caught her clearly—dark circles deep under her eyes, face paler than yesterday, lips dry. Hair messy, strands scattered across her face.
She'd never looked this disheveled.
At least not that I'd seen.
"Elsa said you stayed the night."
She looked back down at the baby, then back at me. "She was crying badly. Nothing helped. The nurses were exhausted, so I had them rest."
"What about you?" I said. "Don't you need sleep?"
She smiled slightly. "No big deal. Used to do this watching my cousins. Little kids—they're all like this. Got used to it."
Her voice carried that rough quality—one night's worth of rough.
I studied her face.
"Go rest," I said.
"No need." She shook her head. "I'll watch her a bit longer. If she wakes up, I'm right here."
Her eyes stayed on Juliet, soft.
"She was crying hard last night," she said quietly. "Holding her, I could feel her whole body shaking."
She turned to look at me.
"She was looking for her mom, wasn't she?"
I didn't answer.
"Newborns remember their mother's scent, her heartbeat," Biancacontinued. "That's all they knew in the womb. Now suddenly it's gone, they get scared, anxious."
She paused.
