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She and Goodness should have it so easy As for herself, Mercy was batting zero when it ca Leah, and from what she heard, Goodness wasn’t in ressively worse In the last report from Goodness, Mercy had learned that Monica Fischer had stretched the truth in an effort to seek out Chet Costello For a woid honesty this was not an encouraging sign

"I don’t etic, "but Gabriel could have your wings for this"

"My wings! I don’t think so" It would take a whole lotout "Hit the Road, Jack" on a car horn for that to happen

"I’ to help you"

"I know, but"

A whoosh of ind accompanied Goodness, who arrived breathless and ination "What is going on with you two?" she deuardian and--"

"I atching out for your best interests"

"Stop! Both of you!" Goodness cried, tossing her arms in the air "I had to leave Monica and Chet at the worst possible moment for this"

"Not really, ere--"

Goodness cut her off by staet back to our jobs? Hu"

"I was only looking to help," Shirley offered with an injured look

When Leah pulled into her driveway, she wasn’t sure what to expect The business with her horn had ceased the ine Since Andrew took care of theshe should tell hi all weird on her?

The front door to the house opened even before she had a chance to clie frame filled the doorway as he rushed out to ht with concern "I must have made a dozen phone calls and sounded like a co for ’s"

"Paers into his hair as if to punish himself "I should have tried them first--it makes perfect sense, the way you love those kids," he said, steering her toward the house He closed the door, shutting out the cold

"You weren’t ready to talk, remember?" Leah said "You were preoccupied with the sports news and needed tis Or so you said"

Andrew nodded "I behaved like a fool I’y"

"You gave it," Andrew re she couldn’t read flared in his eyes, "Hell, I don’t knoas wrong withher coat and hanging it in the hall closet "We all do at one tio You wanted to settleso difficult" He brought her into the circle of his arainst him "I love you so daers lovingly worked through the tangles in her hair "I love you too You’re right, Andrew, I realize that now and I’m so sorry for the way I’ve treated you--"

"Hush," he whispered, gently kissing her "It’s forgotten"

"You’re the most important person in e Do you nancy and concentrate on each other?"

Leah understood what he was asking He wanted her to let go of the frantic need she had for a child, to stop looking for a pregnancy to fulfill her as a woman

She’d cheated her husband out of far more than she realized All these years she’d been subtly and not so subtly telling hied hih another series of tests, she in essence said she found hied a condition onto her happiness, insisting she needed a child, the child he should give her

Wrapping her arms around Andrew’s neck, Leah slowly nodded The dream was dead It had been from the reeted Jody at the door the"A package ca up and down like a pogo stick, following her froe?"

"It’s probably for Christ to make me wait, are you?"

Jody moved into the faerated, the package was huge She was curious herself Gloria was very good at reenerally sent a check, claie education

"I don’t think it’d do any harot the scissors all ready," Ti into the kitchen

"Don’t run with scissors in your hand," she warned

"I’eratedly slow steps

"Sorry," Jody said, sed, as if it contained so of exceptional value Once the tape had been cut away they were able to peel back the cardboard lid Ti when they discovered the box was filled with Styrofoa balls Theher son virtually attack the present

He bent over the top, his feet six inches off the ground "There are a bunch of s out the first of what proved to be several

Jody lined theest one first "What’s this?" he asked, bringing out a trophy

Jody was puzzled herself

"Look, there’s a letter in here for you"

Jody took the envelope and ripped it open

Dearest Jody and Tiht, Jody Jeff is dead and it’s tiive an old woone The truth was too painful to accept Painful for you and Timmy too, I realize