Mountains of Dawn

Feeling as if her heart would explode, Tanya burst into sobs. "Oh, Kevin…!" she said. She howled his name again, then put her head on the bed-her chest shaken by long, spasmodic contractions.

Malcolm entered the room, unnoticed. "Tanya," he said, resting his hand on her back. "You've been here for more than an hour. Perhaps you should get some rest."

Tanya rose slowly, her eyes red and swollen from tears. She unfastened the chain with the metal cross she always wore, slid it around Kevin's neck and closed the clasp. "This is a miraculous cross, Kevin. It protected me all of my life. Now it has to work for you." She kissed him on the forehead, lightly, as if afraid to wake him.