The soft cocoon of sleep was shattered by the sound of Amalia’s cries in the darkness of the night. I began to stir, my instinct to comfort her overriding my own tiredness. But just as I was about to swing my legs out of bed, a hand gently pressed against my shoulder, and I turned to see Alex beside me.

“Go back to sleep,” he whispered, his voice a mix of reassurance and determination. “I’ll check up on her.”

I hesitated for a moment. I had already made a few trips to the nursery that night. “You’ve already gone to check on her twice,” Alex continued, as if reading my...