"Nathan's surgery is tomorrow," he said, keeping his voice easy and matter-of-fact, the same tone he would use once he had his footing back. "The doctors are carrying out some tests tonight to make sure everything is ready."
He was still holding the boys, one on each arm, their legs dangling, both of them remarkably content with this arrangement, as though being carried by their father was something they had been doing their whole lives and had simply been waiting for the opportunity to resume.
Ruby nodded.
And then her face did something quiet and enormous all at once. Her eyes moved to Nathan, to her son's small face, to the medical gown still slightly too large on his shoulders, to the boy who had declared on a smartwatch not three hours ago that he wasn't even scared of the long needle, and the tears came without announcement.
