That afternoon Damian Ellery arrived at the hospital with our firm’s chief legal counsel, both of them visibly anxious about the contracts I had walked out on.

“Alexander, you need to be very careful before you put your name on anything,” Damian cautioned, gesturing at the birth registry forms on the table.

“We should verify everything legally before you take on obligations that could affect the firm.”

I looked through the glass at Christopher, asleep in his incubator.

“My name belongs on that document,” I said, “because he’s my son.”

“You at least need a formal paternity confirmation first,” Damian argued.