Joe woke up alone.
Sunlight filtered through the curtain, thin and pale, but he had no sense of how much time had passed. His head felt fuzzy, his mouth dry and sour. When he shifted, pain flared sharp enough to draw a groan from his throat.
A soft knock sounded at the door. Before he could answer, it opened, and Julie stepped inside with her familiar, warm smile.
He managed a small one in return. He had always liked Julie. She had never questioned why he spent so much time hovering around the gamma wing with Dustin. Never treated him like a problem to be solved. She had asked about his interests, his classes, his plans, as if he mattered.
She moved farther into the room, and only then did he notice the infant tucked carefully in her arms. A moment later, Kari followed her inside, also
