The spring of our second year arrived with the particular authority of something that has been promised and kept.
Rose at six months was a person with opinions. This was the primary development of the spring, her rapid elaboration into someone with views about what was interesting and what was not, about who she wished to be held by at any given moment, about the optimal timing of sleep. She regarded the world with her mother’s eyes and held court from her developing perspective with a confidence that Mrs. Aldren attributed to nature and I attributed to environment and Damien attributed to both while appearing to agree with whichever of us was currently in the room.
Callum came in April.
He came with Petra, who had been to the estate once since the August introduction and was now presen
