Soon he was telling bedtime stories, wiping sandy feet, and learning how much toast two restless boys could consume before dawn.

One evening, under the silver wash of a full moon, Dominic took Isolde’s hands and whispered, “I love you. I love your sons. I love the life we have made here.”

She trembled, torn between hope and fear. “What if this is only temporary? What if one day you wake up and remember you belong to another world?”

He shook his head. “The only day that mattered was when little Mathis first called me father. And tonight, when you told me you love me too.”

Her tears glistened in the starlight. “Dominic, I do. With all my heart.”

He drew a breath and said the words before caution