Year One by Nora Roberts

full-term single. Good job, Katie.”
    â€œShe’s watching me. I know that’s probably not true, but it’s like she’s looking at me. Like she knows me.”
    â€œSure she does.” Staring at the baby in his hands, Jonah felt … triumph, and a quiet, steady love.
    â€œI want to put Duncan in the warmer for a bit. I need your girl, too. I’m going to hunt you up something cold to drink,” he told Katie as he cleaned Antonia. “Some food if I can find it. And your girl weighs in at five pounds, ten ounces. Good for her.”
    â€œContraction.”
    â€œOkay, let’s get it all out. Nice and clean. Got a pail here. Just shove it out, champ.”
    When it was done, Katie lay back, said nothing while Jonah wiped the sweat from her face. Then she gripped his hand.
    â€œYou said you could see life, not death. Light, not dark. And when you did, when you said that … you were different. I could see something different.”
    â€œI was a little caught up in the moment.” He started to step back, but she tightened her grip, looked at him.
    â€œI’ve seen things in the last weeks. Things that don’t make sense, things out of books and fantasy movies. Are you one of them? One of what they’re calling the Uncanny?”
    â€œLook, you’re tired, and I’ve got to—”
    â€œYou brought my son and my daughter into the world. Yougave me a family again. You gave me…” Tears streamed out as her voice quavered. “You gave me a reason to go on living. I’ll be grateful to you every day for the rest of my life. Grateful every time I look at my children. I have children. If part of the reason I have them is you having something, being something, I’m grateful for that, too.”
    When his eyes teared, he found himself clinging to her hand like a lifeline. “I don’t know what I am. I don’t know. I can see death coming in someone, or injury. I can see how it’ll happen, and I can’t make it stop.”
    â€œYou saw life in my babies, and in me. You saw life. I know what you are. You’re my personal miracle.”
    He had to sit on the side of the bed, to gather himself. “I was going to kill myself.”
    â€œNo. No, Jonah.”
    â€œIf you’d driven up five minutes later, I’d be dead. I didn’t think I could take seeing any more death. Then you drove up, and I saw all that life. I guess you’re my personal miracle, too.”
    Katie eased herself up. “Can you hold on to me a minute?”
    â€œSure. Sure, I can.”
    She laid her head on his shoulder.
    He heard footsteps coming fast and brisk—heard Rachel call his name.
    â€œIn here. Doctor,” he told Katie. “Better late than never.”
    â€œWho needs a doctor?”
    Rachel came to the door, looked in at him, over at the warming units. “Well, look here. Did you do this?”
    â€œShe helped a little,” Jonah said.
    â€œIt looks like excellent teamwork. I’m Dr. Hopman,” she began, then Katie turned her head. “Katie? It’s Katie Parsoni, isn’t it?”
    â€œYes. Dr. Hopman.” Tears spilled faster now. Katie held out a hand even as she clung to Jonah. “You’re alive.”
    â€œYes, and so are you and your babies. I’m just going to take a look at them, and you.”
    â€œDuncan—six pounds, two ounces,” Jonah told her. “Antonia—five, ten. I forgot to get their lengths.”
    â€œYou did the important work. How are you feeling, Mom?” she asked as she went over to examine Duncan.
    â€œTired, hungry, grateful, sad, happy. I feel everything. Dr. Hopman was with me when my mother died. She took care of my mother. My father, too.”
    â€œJonah brought them to the hospital,” Rachel said, glancing back at him. “Ross and Angela MacLeod.”
    â€œMacLeod.” Chicken soup on the stove. The