There were two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. It … still looked like a baby, yes it did. There was a stiffening at Uriel’s words.

Tired like a new father. He could see it now: chained, literally, to Sofia Carrington- no. Sofia Meijer. Holding her new baby, emaciated, while Uriel heartily slapped his shoulder and proclaimed fatherhood great.

“Good for you-” he started to snap, shook his head, then sighed and put a hand on Uriel’s arm. “I mean it.”

He stepped in, glanced up at the roof, then back to Uriel.

“I could have helped, you know.”

God. He had gotten to the point that he had started fixing the actually broken furniture around the cottage. And now he had gone and stuck his foot in his mouth.

“It… looks like you have this handled,” he added, reluctantly but curiously. “Show me around.”