ELENA
Nicholas says it's the light.
Babies sometimes take on the features of the people around them. It's too early to tell.
He was too careful with his answer. Too much effort.
I look at him for a moment. Then I look back at Nikola through the incubator glass.
I nodded but I don't believe him.
**
He wheels me back to my room and neither of us speaks.
The nurse helps me back into bed then I close my eyes.
The exhaustion of the NICU settles into my bones.
Seeing her but not being able to touch her was hard.
When I open my eyes, Nicholas is on the chair beside me. He was holding his phone but not looking at it.
Screen was dark.
I felt sleepy and maybe it's the medications they were giving me.
**
I wake to Liam's voice.
The chair Nicholas was in is empty.
It's evenin
