“What do you want from me?” Eleanor asked finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Nothing,” Maya replied. “I don’t want anything. I just wanted our son to know where he came from, to know that he had a father who loved him, even if he’s not here now.”

Eleanor’s defenses began to crumble. She had spent years building walls, protecting herself from the pain of losing Jonathan. But now, faced with this unexpected connection to him, she wondered if perhaps it was time to let those walls down.

“May I… may I hold him?” Eleanor asked, the words surprising even her.