She didn’t respond. Her eyes were filling, and I wondered dimly why the idea of bringing me into the world was so much more poignant to her than the fact that I was standing in front of her now.

“Please,” she whispered, tremulous. “Don’t.”

“Why didn’t you just replace me?” I demanded.

“Because . . .” Tears slid from her eyes. “I couldn’t.”

I wasn’t moved. “Couldn’t?”

“I . . . I can’t have . . .”

The tiger slid out of my belly. Fenn...