Published January 10, 2021

Dear readers, especially those in the United States: I would feel remiss if I did not acknowledge the events of January 6 in Washington, D.C. I won't vent my own emotions here, but I want to say that I feel for my fellow Americans and all who love America. But that was part of why I wanted to publish this chapter now, at such a troubled time—not merely to distract myself or you readers from our current reality, but to share some light, joy, and hope during a dark time. The solution for how the climax should go—something I'd been struggling with for a long time—actually came to me when I couldn't sleep the night after January 6. If you're a person of faith, please join me in praying for peace, justice, healing, and unity in the United States. Once you have done that, I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

"Sacrifice"

To make certain-sure of her life
I'll manfully die in her place,
and drawing her safe from the pit
present her alive to your face.

~ St. John of the Cross, "Ballad VII: Of the Incarnation," translated by John Frederick Nims

Rey was surprised by the sheer size of the party that formed on the beach. Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and Maz were waiting there as Rey, Ben, BB-8, and between one and two dozen porgs arrived. Some patrons from the castle were carrying away the bodies of a couple Knights of Ren and leading others who had been shackled.

"Ben! You found her!" Han was happy and relieved.

Chewie whined, Are we sure this is the real Rey? He may or may not have been joking.

"I'm sure," Ben assured them, but then he paused. "How do we know you're not the Knights of Ren?"

Because all of them have been killed or captured, Chewie replied.

"Rey, child, are you alright?" Maz asked.

She answered the question carefully, reservedly. "I'm … better now." She smiled slightly, remembering an old conversation. "You were right Maz. Someone did come back for me." She tightened her arm around Ben's back and smiled at him. He tried to return it, but his smile felt more like a grimace.

"I sensed Snoke's arrival," Luke said. "We thought he might be looking for you."

"We spoke," Ben said shortly.

"So what's the plan?" Han asked.

Ben and Rey exchanged glances. For all that they had discussed, they had not actually formed a strategy that would ensure Rey's humanity and Snoke's defeat. What they had done was rule out options, not select one.

"We've been talking," Ben said slowly. "Dad … a few days ago, you told me I'd have to respect Rey's decisions, even if they aren't what I want. I didn't understand then, but I think I do now. I'm … I can't say I'm prepared, but I'm—willing—to brave the worst."

Rey smiled gratefully and squeezed his hand. "I don't have much time left," she said, facing the elder humans and aliens, "but I wanted to see you all again."

Chewbacca whined in protest, then strode forward and hugged her. Ben reluctantly let go of her and stepped back to allow them space—he knew there was nothing in the world like a Wookiee hug.

"Thank you, Chewie," Rey murmured, patting his arm in return. When he released her, she turned to face the others. "Maz, Han, Luke—thank you for everything. You've been more than kind."

Luke's words were few, but sincere. "It's been a privilege to know you, Rey."

The only person who was not solemn or emotional was Han, who seemed incredulous at the scene taking place. "So that's it? We're just—resigning ourselves to the inevitable? And you, of all people!" He glared at Luke with something akin to disgust. "You Jedi are always saying 'May the Force be with you.' Well if the Force is with you, what chance does anyone have against you?"

"There's truth to what you're saying," Luke conceded. "But that doesn't guarantee a happy fate for the individual."

"Well, there's gotta be something—some Force trick, or a loophole or something."

"Snoke isn't the kind of being you can outsmart, or outgun," Rey said.

"So there's no hope?"

"There is always hope," Maz said quietly.

That word brought Leia's words back to Ben's mind. "I named you after my only hope." With his new knowledge of Obi-Wan Kenobi's history, he was not sure whether he thought the man more of a hero or more of a failure. Obi-Wan had failed to prevent the fall of Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi. But he had still held on to hope, and fought to the end to protect Anakin's children and their allies.

"Maz is right," Ben said. "Uncle Luke, is there any other way to stop the transformation—or delay it, at least?"

"I suppose it's possible," Luke said, thoughtful but dubious.

"Our main problem is the lack of time," Maz said. "Sunrise is in just a few minutes, and Snoke might be here sooner than that."

An odd expression crossed Ben's face then as an idea occurred to him. He looked around the circle of friends and allies, his eyes lingering on Rey before they came to rest on Han and Luke. "Dad, Uncle—could I have a word?"

"What is it?" Rey asked.

"Just give us a minute," Ben said, squeezing her shoulder. Then he let her go and went further down the beach. Luke and Han exchanged glances but followed him.

The men went just far enough, and kept their voices just low enough, that Rey, Maz, and Chewbacca could not hear what they said. But in the predawn light, they could see the men gesticulating—they seemed to be arguing. Han appeared more upset than the other two, and Ben seemed to be appealing to him even more than to Luke.

BB-8 extended his antenna in their direction, and caught a few scattered lines of their conversation.

"Father, please, let me do this."

"Luke, back me up here!"

"I think it has to be him."

Finally, they seemed to deflate, nodding in agreement, though they did not appear happy with whatever they had decided. Han put his hand on Ben's shoulder and said something to him; then, all at once, they hugged each other tightly. Rey suspected that they did not do that often, and she wondered at what it meant.

Finally, the three men came back. Their expressions were oddly blank, as though trying to appear calm and resolved.

"What are you scoundrels conspiring?" Maz asked.

"We—ah—" Han glanced between his son and his brother-in-law, seeming lost.

"Ben?" The way Rey spoke his name conveyed an entire question without words.

Ben came up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. His eyes held more emotions than she could recognize. "Rey, do you trust me?"

The question caught her off guard, but she answered, "Yes."

"Do you trust me to do the right thing?"

"Yes," she said with more conviction.

There was something in his eyes that seemed to plead with her—a kind of desperation. "If there's a way I could save you without hurting anyone else, would you want me to do it?"

Rey blinked at him, now feeling uneasy, as though this was a test. But she answered, "Of course."

Ben took her hands in his own. "Then let me try something."

"What—"

"There's not enough time to explain. Please, let me do this for you. You don't have to do anything, just trust me."

Rey squeezed his hands in return and nodded. "I do. I will."

With that assurance, Ben pulled her gently down so they were both kneeling, hands still clasped. Luke stood next to them and placed one hand on Ben's shoulder and the other on Rey's. Ben bowed his head, but Rey's eyes flickered between the two of them before she mirrored his posture.

She felt something happening—the closest thing she could compare it to was what she felt when Snoke cast his spell on her. But it felt different, almost the opposite of what she had experienced then: instead of power coming upon her, it felt like power was going out of her. She suspected Luke and Ben were working together to draw the curse out of her, like an exorcism.

Finally, Luke released them and the connection broke. Ben gave a shuddering sigh, and then slumped forward; Rey and Luke both reached out to support him, drawing his arms over their shoulders.

"Ben? Are you alright?" Rey asked.

He used her shoulders to pull himself upright. "I'm fine," he said.

Did it work? Chewbacca asked.

"We won't know until sunrise," Luke said.

"What did you do?" Rey demanded.

The way Ben looked at her was so odd, as though he was both happy and sad. "Rey, whatever happens … if things don't go as we hope … please don't blame yourself. I want you to be happy. Even if it's not with me."

He sounded so much like Rey had just a little while earlier. But before she could ask why he was talking this way, Maz, who had been keeping an eye on the forest during this exchange, announced, "He's coming." Sure enough, the Force-sensitive ones could feel him approaching. The older adults formed a semicircle around Rey and Ben, weapons drawn.

Rey stood and helped Ben to his feet, and he drew her close. "Don't worry," he murmured, catching her free hand and drawing it against his heart. "It's going to be alright. I promise." He kissed her quickly while the others were watching the forest. "Thank you for trusting me."

They only let go of each other to draw their lightsabers, just as Snoke emerged from the forest. The porgs by now had scattered, distancing themselves from his dark presence.

"What a welcoming party," he marveled, appraising the newcomers. "The famous Han Solo, the mighty Chewbacca, and the legendary Luke Skywalker."

"And you're … what's the name again?" Han said mockingly. "Smoke? Snake?"

"You're not a Sith," Luke observed. "You don't channel the Dark side. You're a creature of the Dark Side."

"The Dark Side is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural," Snoke said mysteriously.

"You have no business here," Maz said.

"On the contrary. I'm here looking for my apprentice."

Ben stepped forward, breaking through the protective semicircle. "You have none here."

"Then you would abandon your young pupil to her fate?"

"He's not abandoning me," Rey said, coming to stand beside Ben.

"And you, young Rey? The dawn is upon us. Your hour has come. What say you?"

"I'll never join you," Rey said adamantly.

"Nor will I," Ben affirmed.

Snoke was not pleased with these answers. "You both forsake this?"

"Yes," Rey and Ben said in defiant unison.

"You are resigned to your fate?"

"I'm not resigned to it," Rey said flatly. "I choose it."

"Young fools." On that hate-laced word, Snoke sent a burst of lightning toward them; but Ben and Rey both held up their lightsabers, crossing the blue blades to absorb the energy. Then something strange happened: the lightning seemed to rebound on Snoke, sending a shock to his own fingertips. Rey and Ben panted, while Snoke stared at his hands in amazement.

"The life force of your bond … a dyad in the Force," he marveled. "A power unseen for generations."

"What—what is he saying?" Rey asked, confused and fearful. Ben shook his head; he was as unfamiliar with it all as she.

"What a waste," Snoke hissed, as though genuinely angry. "All you could do—all you could be—together."

"Not with you," Ben said.

The sorcerer glared at the two of them and the allies that flanked them—Luke and Maz on one side, Han and Chewbacca on the other. "Stand together—die together."

In an instant, with merely a stretch of his hand, the four humans were forced to their knees. The lightsabers switched off and the blaster released a single bolt as their weapons were flung from their hands. Luke alone had the strength and skill to resist this arresting use of the Force; he rose up on his feet and pushed back against Snoke's grip, until he released Han, Ben and Rey.

Chewie tossed Han his blaster, and the others summoned their lightsabers. But as Rey called to Leia's lightsaber, it suddenly whizzed past her head, taking an elliptical route behind her and back toward Snoke, who smirked as he summoned it.

The lightsaber was halfway between them when it was knocked out of its arc by a porg, who flew in a perpendicular path through the air and caught the weapon in its mouth.

It was a rare moment of surprise for Snoke, who had not given the birds any thought; he had considered them beneath his notice. He realized his mistake in the few seconds it took for the bird to intercept the lightsaber, fly over to Rey and drop it into her hands. "Thank you, friend!" she said, almost laughing.

Ben stood next to her, raising his own blue lightsaber, and Luke stood beside him, igniting his green one.

"You're outnumbered, Smoke," Han said, deliberately mispronouncing the name. "And as you can see, we've got friends in high places." He nodded to the tree branches, where the porgs were watching, waiting to see if they would be needed again.

"You think a flock of birds can defeat a sorcerer?"

"It wouldn't be the first time an underdog won a fight." That was a new voice, and it started everyone; it seemed to be both loud and hushed, both close and far away, coming from the direction of the lake. They looked over their shoulders, then turned to face the body of water. A mist hovered over it, and the Force-sensitive beings felt a kind of energy emanating from it.

"What is this?" Snoke whispered, sounding horrified.

Two shadowy forms emerged from the mist and seemed to walk toward the shore: two wizened old men, dressed in traditional Jedi robes. At first glance they almost looked like projections in a holo, but they were different somehow, more substantial. One seemed clearly older than the other. Ben had never seen either one, but he was jolted by the sight of the younger one: he thought he could see traces of his mother and uncle's features in his face.

Han recognized the older one. "Ben Kenobi?"

Luke knew the younger one. "Father," he whispered.

Ben gaped. Was this Obi-Wan and Anakin? He had almost forgotten his prayer on the Millennium Falcon—had his appeal actually worked?

"How?" Snoke exclaimed.

"The Light Side is a path to many abilities," Anakin Skywalker said, a note of irony in his voice. The figures on the beach parted on either side as the two figures stepped onshore.

"The Light cannot overpower the Dark," Snoke retorted.

"No—but each can balance the other. These young ones are living proof." Obi-Wan Kenobi nodded to Ben and Rey.

"You will not take another member of my family," Anakin Skywalker said, quietly but fiercely.

After a brief silence, to many people's dismay, Snoke smiled. "She is not."

Suddenly Rey was on her knees, her arms pulled behind her, her head tilted back, choking. Han, Chewbacca, and Maz started shooting, and the porgs charged at Snoke, but he deflected the blaster bolts and porgs with simple waves of his hand. Ben and Luke reached out and strained to counter Snoke's hold on Rey. But then Anakin and Obi-Wan also reached out, adding their strength to the attempt. Snoke's eyes widened at the additional power, and then his hand was pushed back; Rey collapsed onto the sand, and the porgs flocked around her in concern. Ben would have rushed toward her as well, but he was afraid Snoke would strike again, and he was in awe of the two dead Jedi coming to stand with him and with Luke.

"We will hold him back if he tries again," Anakin told them. He looked at his grandson, and his next words seemed more for him. "You can say goodbye, as I was never able to." With that the ghosts—if ghosts they were—vanished, but Snoke still kept his distance, retreating to the edge of the forest.

With that assurance, Ben turned and rushed to Rey's side. The porgs made room for him to kneel next to her and take her in his arms, while his family and their friends formed a circle around them. "You're okay?"

"I'm okay," she assured him.

The way he held her, and the way she looked at him, reminded them of their other nights in this spot, after their shared nightmare, and after they professed their feelings for each other. By now, Ben had seen enough dawns on Takodana to know when they had only seconds, not minutes, left before the sun rose.

"Will you hold me, until the end?" Rey asked. If she was doomed to transform into a porg again, she wanted to feel his touch during her last moments as a human.

"Of course." It was all he could do now.

They hugged and kissed, touched each other's faces, and whispered their farewells in hushed, fervent tones.

"Goodbye, Rey. My student. My friend. My love."

"Goodbye, my love. My friend. My Ben."

They sensed, rather than saw, the moment when the sun's rays broke over the horizon. Rey inhaled and held her breath, squeezing Ben's hand as she braced herself. Ben had half a mind to try to shield her from the light, as though staying in the darkness would stop the curse. But then he turned so they were both facing the sunrise.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. When the light hit Rey's face, nothing changed. She had her eyes scrunched closed, her face turned toward Ben's chest; but now she opened them slowly. "Is that … the sun?"

"Yes," Ben breathed.

Rey stared at him, and then down at her body. "But I'm …"

"Human," Ben choked, his hands tightening around her. "A strong, beautiful human."

Rey met his gaze in amazement, opening her mouth to speak, but then Ben let go of her and drew back from her. This sudden distancing confused her until, to her dismay, he started to shimmer, and then to shrink.

"What?" Snoke exclaimed, at the same moment Rey cried, "No!" Chewie echoed her in his own language.

Mere seconds later, the young man Ben Solo had become a squat porg, with a crown of black feathers on his head. He looked up and around at all of them—his eyes were larger but still the same dark shade as when he was human—then he slowly looked down at his body. He was slightly larger than the average porg, but now he seemed to shrink in upon himself, self-conscious and possibly ashamed.

"No …" Rey whispered. "No, no, no!"

Chewbacca cried out in Shyriiwook, as furious and mournful as if he had just witnessed a friend's death. Han covered his mouth and turned away; Luke patted his shoulder, looking sorrowfully at the porg. But Rey continued to sputter. "Ben, how could you—how dare you—"

"You took the curse upon yourself," Maz said, quiet but impressed.

Rey rounded on Luke and Han, suddenly understanding their earlier conference. "And you let him? Your nephew? Your son?"

"He asked me first," Han acknowledged, sounding guilty and pained. "He called in every card—even the fact that it's his birthday."

"He's never asked for much, but he asked to be allowed to do this," Luke explained gently. "It didn't seem right to deny him."

Rey tried to glare at Ben, but her eyes brimmed with tears. "How could you?" she said. "I was ready—you just had to be the hero, instead of letting me—you had no right—" She broke off with a sob.

Ben waddled up to her, unsteady on his new webbed feet, and extended one wing. Rey cursed under her breath, but beyond that she was out of words, and when Ben nudged her with his wingtip, the dam broke. She gathered him up in her arms and wept.

While the others were occupied with processing what had just transpired, Maz turned to Snoke and said, "You have punished her even more harshly than you planned. Leave us."

"All in good time," Snoke said coolly. "I did not wish for this. But perhaps now she will feel differently."

Rey lifted her head to address Han, looking even more guilty than him. "Han—I'm sorry. He shouldn't have—I wouldn't have let him—"

"Hey." Han put one hand on her shoulder, and then, after a moment's hesitation, put the other on the porg's head. Looking between the two of them he said, "I'm not happy about it, but if it were me and Leia, I might have done the same thing. He loves you. And so do we." He tossed his head to indicate his companions and himself.

Rey sobbed, and then Han pulled both the girl and the porg into his arms. It was the first time in over a decade that she knew the embrace of a father, or the forgiveness of a parent.

Ben lifted his wing to touch Rey's face, and when he had her attention he pointed out at the sun. As Han let go of them, she wiped her eyes and turned toward the light, feeling its heat on her skin and her hair for the first time in months.

"Ohhh." She almost moaned. "I forgot how that feels." She looked back down at Ben with a mixture of gratitude and regret. "Oh, Ben. I don't know what to say—I hardly know what to feel."

"It's okay to feel happy," Han said quietly. "That's what he wanted."

That was when Ben decided to try his voice. The sound that came out of his mouth was hoarse, either from never having been used or from his own emotional state. But BB-8 translated: You're welcome.

Rey laughed, both at how ridiculous his voice sounded and at the fact that he had apparently retained his snarky attitude. She clutched him as close as she could, her arms tight around him, nestling him against her chest. She kissed the top of his head, and whispered, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

"You accept what he did for you?" Luke said.

Rey closed her eyes as she rested her cheek against the top of Ben's head and answered, "I do."

Suddenly Ben shifted in her arms. Rey lifted her head, and her eyes widened as Ben shimmered again. She did not want to let go of him, but Han and Luke each seized one of her arms and pulled them back, causing her to drop the porg. In a matter of seconds, the porg shifted back into a tall, muscular human man, kneeling on the ground, dazed and unbalanced.

"Ben!" more than one person exclaimed, but it was Han who darted forward as Ben started to pitch forward. He caught him in his arms, breaking his fall. "Son?"

Ben blinked and looked up at him. "Dad …"

Han exhaled, incredulous and overjoyed and trying to keep a grip on his emotions. He couldn't help touching Ben's face, just to make sure—yes: he was human again. Ben held his father's shoulders to steady himself. Then they both looked at Rey, who was trembling, covering her gaping mouth with her hands. "Rey …"

She gave a cry of joy and threw herself at them. All at once, the three of them were hugging and laughing and crying again. Rey took Ben's grinning face in her hands, touching his cheeks and his hair, hardly daring to believe what her senses perceived.

"I don't understand," Rey gasped.

"Neither do I," Ben said frankly.

"Does anyone?" Han asked half-jokingly.

"I do," Luke said. The others turned to him, and he explained it in simple terms: "You made a sacrifice, and Rey accepted it."

"So you're saying—" Rey began.

"The curse is broken," Maz finished triumphantly.

Chewbacca gave a victory cry, lifting his bowcaster over his head. Ben and Rey's eyes met, and then they swiftly pulled each other into a kiss. Rey only broke away to say, "You did it."

"We did it," Ben returned gently.

Luke smiled as he turned to Snoke, who was fuming as he watched this turn of events. "You've lost, Your Supremeness. You can either walk away and leave us in peace, or die."

"You Skywalkers remain arrogant as ever." Snoke glared past Luke at the two lovers, who were watching the exchange warily. "Such a disappointment."

"I'm warning you—"

"And now that you know of the First Order—"

"Last chance—" Luke's voice was louder now and less self-assured.

"—you cannot live."

Snoke struck at the same moment the others did: he swerved out of the way of the blaster shots, pushed the adults aside, leaving Ben and Rey open. The next thing they knew, they were both flung backwards, hurtling through the air before crashing through the surface of the lake.

Ben managed to keep his wits. He was careful not to inhale, and he kicked his legs until his head broke the surface. Turning around, he saw that he was practically in the middle of the lake. The others were still fighting on the shore farthest from the castle. He turned about, scanning the water, but Rey was nowhere to be seen.

Then it hit him: Rey had grown up on a desert planet. She could swim as a porg, but not as a human.

Fighting back panic, Ben held out his hand and reached out with his feelings, sensing her in the water before he dove beneath the surface. He could barely see in the murky water, but he sensed Rey before he reached her. She was conscious and remarkably calm, and reached for him as soon as she saw him, grasping his hand with both of hers. Her pulled her toward himself and began to swim up.

They both gasped as they resurfaced, and Rey coughed, having been under longer. Ben tried to hold her up as he tread water. "It's okay. I've got you. Hold on to me." She put her arms around his neck, holding him like a lifeline. He held her tightly with one arm and used the other to swim. It took several minutes to reach the nearest shore, halfway between the battlefield and the castle.

They crawled more than climbed onto the bank, and Rey rolled onto her side, continuing to cough and spit up water, until her breathing evened out. Ben waited until then to take her in his arms. He could feel how tired she was, how much effort it took her to even form a coherent thought. But as she blinked up at him, she managed to make out one question: You're okay?

"I'm okay. I'm here. We're together now. And we always will be. As long as you want me, I won't leave you."

She smiled ever so slightly at that. Good. She believed him. She turned her head to rest against his chest, closing her eyes. Ben knew she was exhausted, and would have liked to close his eyes himself, but he was not sure whether to let her sleep or try to keep her awake.

"She will be alright." It was the ghostly voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, both startling and soothing. Ben looked up as the two ghosts materialized before them.

"Why aren't you helping them?" Ben demanded, gesturing with his head toward the battlefield.

"We have been," Obi-Wan replied. "The battle is over. Snoke is gone."

"Gone?" Ben repeated.

"Destroyed."

It seemed incredible, but Ben sensed that it was true: he could no longer feel that cold, dark presence on the planet.

Relieved beyond words, he said the only thing that he could: "Thank you."

Obi-Wan Kenobi smiled proudly on his namesake. "You've done well, Ben Solo."

"Have I?" Ben wondered aloud.

"You have," Anakin said firmly, "and you will." He nodded at Rey's sleeping form. "You've found your equal. You'll take care of each other."

Ben looked down at her and vowed, "I'll try." Then he looked back up at them and asked, "Will we see you again?" He was not sure if he wanted them to pop up again, but he also wanted more time with them—time to talk, perhaps, about their experiences, and what they meant for his future.

"We're always with you, just as the Force is."

The noncommittal answer frustrated Ben. "But that can mean more than one thing—and I still have so many questions—"

Obi-Wan assured him, "You will either find the answers, or learn to be content without them."

Ben did not know what to say to that; he was too tired to argue or beg, and the ghosts had already given more help than he had ever expected.

Suddenly there were shouts from down the beach. The ghosts faded from his vision as Han's voice rang out: "BEN!"

Ben looked and saw Han and Chewbacca running up to him. Han dropped to his knees next to Ben, who showed him Rey—unconscious now, and soaking wet like him, but alive, undeniably human. "Dad … I did it … now can you …?"

Han smiled at him tearfully and gripped his shoulder. "You did good, kid. We'll take it from here."

With that permission, Ben slumped against him in a faint. Chewbacca knelt and helped disentangle the two of them. Han took his jacket off and put it over Rey like a blanket. "Chewie, you take Ben—I'll bring Rey." Chewbacca scooped Ben up—he was the only one big and strong enough to carry Ben alone—and immediately jogged off.

Han gathered Rey into his arms, but before he could stand, someone behind him spoke. "Han Solo."

Han turned in surprise, and froze at the sight of the two Force ghosts. "Old man Ben," he said neutrally to the elder one. His eyes narrowed when he looked at the younger one. "And you …"

"Yes," Anakin said humbly. "It is I."

Han's gaze was hard. Perhaps he ought to have been grateful toward him, but he could not forget their history. The only time they had interacted was on Bespin, where Vader had tortured him, frozen him in carbonite, and sold him to a bounty hunter.

"I am sorry," Anakin said, as though sensing his thoughts.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you still here? What do you want?"

Anakin's answer was serious. "I want you to take care of my daughter and grandson."

"I don't need you to tell me to do that," Han shot back.

His father-in-law matched his look. "Yes, you do. You have what I lost. Mind you don't lose it. And tell Leia that goes for her too." He gave a slight, sad smile, and he no longer seemed to see Han. "She's so much like her mother."

Han set his jaw. "I'll tell her."

"Thank you. And thank you for what you have done." Anakin gestured to Rey and explained, "They have a chance now, because of you."

"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan said.

"Yeah." Han nodded once, then stood and carried Rey away.

Author's Note: I did not intend to have any baptismal symbolism or imagery, but then the day I planned to post this turned out to be the Feast of Christ's Baptism in the Catholic Church's calendar. I guess the Holy Spirit was doing even more than I was aware of during the writing process!