After a few moments, Athos noticed that he was holding his breath, and that his heart broke further with every new sob coming out of Anne. He knelt more comfortably on the rug and rested his chin over her head, feeling how his own voice was but a feeble little thing and his eyes stung with every memory of a life that had never been.

"We would have seen our son grow up," he murmured, forcing the words out as he controlled his breathing. "We would have grown old together. We promised that."