FEBRUARY 23, 2006

Lilly had given birth to Nova three days ago.

Theo Majestic stood in a home he didn't own, holding Nova. Moonlight glowed against the closed blinds near the windows.

A man sat on the blue sofa. A woman remained beside him. Theo had decided this married couple should raise his second child. The baby was wrapped in a blue blanket. Nova watched her father with blue eyes. He had delivered her older brother, and he had delivered her. The Supreme High had helped make the baby girl, but he wouldn't raise her.

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Because of Land Preachman, Lilly believed Nova would be safer away from her biological family. Perhaps Theo's darling wife was right.

Because of him, a certain friend of his had graduated from his Watcher academy early, not on the first of June. Lilly's younger brother was a great person.

"Please," Theo said. Tears fled his blue eyes. "Please, be good to Nova. You have to give her a new name. And you have to promise me that you will be good to her."

"I promise," the seated man told Theo. "We will love her forever, my High."

"I promise," the seated woman said. "We'll be good to her."

"We won't disappoint you."

"Choose a new name for her," Theo said.

The married couple discussed what Nova's new name should be, then her adoptive father looked at Theo.

"Reese."