“She was terrified,” I added.

I stood up and went back to the crib.

Leo was awake now, his blue eyes bright and curious in the dim light.

He didn’t cry.

He just looked up at me, reaching his small hands into the air.

I lifted him gently, cradling his warm body against my chest.

He felt heavier now, stronger, his little heart beating steady against my own.

“We need to feed him,” I said.

“I will get the bottle,” Lorenzo said.

He walked out of the room, his footsteps quiet on the carpet.

I carried Leo to the window and looked out at the night.

The wind was still blowing through the trees, but the storm had passed.

The stars were beginning to show through the clouds over the Long Island Sound.

For the first time in a very long time, I did not feel the cold.

I looked down at the little boy in my arms.

“You are safe now, Leo,” I whispered to him.

“We are both safe,” I said.

He pressed his face against my shoulder, his small breath warm against my neck.