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A year ago on Menant with Aaron, and Ian had been at sea, she’d driven out to the ceravesite The loss of her little girl still affected her, and Ian, too, although he wasn’t as willing to discuss the subject as she was Every now and then in the ht, he’d reach for her and they’d talk about Allison She could never doubt Ian’s love for the daughter he’d never seen or held

"Cecilia?" Ian said groggily He stood in the hall doorearing his paja up so early?"

"I ake and it’s such a lovelyto do a bit of yard work later, after they’d been out to the cearden and hoped to coax Grace’s rosebushes and perennials back to vibrant life She longed to show the Hardings hoell she and Ian were caring for the house and yard

"It’s only about five," Ian said

"I know Why don’t you go back to bed?" She had plans for hi her he was too tired

"Are you all right?" he asked, sounding worried

"Yes," she told him

He didn’t look as if he believed her

"Ian," she said, s softly "I couldn’t be happier I love you and our babies soWe live in a lovely home My life’s never been better"

"Babies," Ian repeated carefully

"Yes, babies" Allison would always live in Cecilia’s heart, would always be her daughter

"So we’re going to the cemetery today," he said

Cecilia had already purchased a small bouquet of flowers She nodded "I have every year I couldn’t i"

"Me, neither," Ian concurred sadly He yawned and turned away, then walked into the room with slow, measured steps To her surprise, he sat down on the nearby ottoman, his shoulders slumped

Cecilia leaned forward and placed her hand on his bare back, pressing a kiss to his shoulder He didn’t say anything for a long ti on his hed on hi?"

He didn’t answer; instead, he stared down at the floor

"Ian?"

"I’ve been transferred"

The words hung in the air Ian transferred?

Cecilia sed hard, trying toher Ian had been stationed at the same base for nearly six years, two nment Those two extra years could be attributed to the fact that he’d moved from a submarine to an aircraft carrier

After Allison’s death, the navy had given hinment Because Ian had been under the polar ice cap at the time of Allison’s birth, he hadn’t even known until his return that his daughter had been born, had died and already been buried He’d suffered severe emotional trauma as a result

"We have tooff an automatic protest The day they’d con a full year’s lease He’d said there was a ruht be transferred Cecilia had known it was a possibility, only she’d convinced herself it wouldn’t really happen

Ian had told her when they were first ht require frequent moves But Cedar Cove was their home It here they’d met, where they’d fallen in love and married, and where they--

No Bile rose in the back of her throat Their daughter was buried here A transferAllison behind

"I put off telling you as long as I could," he mumbled "I was afraid one of the other wives would say so this froton’s new hoo"

"Just like that, we have to pack up and leave?" she said in a small voice

He nodded "I’ I can do"

"What about Allison? Who’ll visit her grave? Who’ll make sure it’s properly taken care of if we’re not here?" Fears and denials crowded her mind but she quickly sed a cry of alar into tears wouldn’t change anything

"I don’t knohat to tell you All I can say is that the navy’s sending us to another duty station When I signed reement, I knew this was bound to happen sooner or later You knew it, too"