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"It’s good to see you again, Dad," Jared said with a weak smile

Gabe beamed "You’ve done wel , Son You’ve done wel "

"I’ve tried," Jared said, relieved at his father’s words He took my hand, then "You remember Nina"

Gabe leaned down and kissed my hairline "Of course"

Eli walked up the steps, watching with amusement as Claire and Bex crowded their father "Gabriel…"

"I know," he said, see," he said He wrapped his arh the double wooden doors, down the aisle of the chapel Lil ian was stil frozen The same sweet, smal smile on her face hadn’t moved a centimeter

Gabriel kneeled before her He noticed her folded hands in her lap, and tenderly covered hers with his "She is as beautiful as the day I first saw her," he sers, he brushed her cheekbone, and then leaned in to kiss her lips His ered on hers for a fewin his last moment with his wife

Claire wiped a stray tear fro tears "Eli…"

"I’ the rules all owing Nina to be ani me to be here at all ," Gabriel said His eyes didn’t stray fro into drea away in dramatic fashion

"The drea Gabe while he spent his last ardless, Gabe touched Lil ian’s lips to his once more, and then stood to face hed

I hesitated, and then decided to ask, anyway "Why did you co in the book to help us?"

Gabe looked to the floor, and then to Jared "At first, ere hoping you wouldn’t go right along with the prophecy and get pregnant the first chance that presented itself"

A flush of red lit my cheeks, and Jared cleared his throat "That’s not exactly how it happened, Dad"

Gabe gave a quick nod "You have the book?"

"Yes," Jared said

"Now that you have it, it’s safe to say that it would behoove you to help the Pol ocks replace it One less thing to worry about, wouldn’t you agree?"

Jared frowned "But…if it puts us in danger, why did you take it froin with?"

"Answers Jack knew thethe woman in the prophecy When you fel in love with her, Son, we kneas atihter, and he wanted to do everything in his power to try to keep her from that path We knew there was a chance the book could help us find a loophole, so we took it"

In frustration, Jared shifted his weight "But…by the time you came to Nina in the dreah that? Why the theatrics? Do you have any idea what she’s been through? What I went through?"

"To get your attention We were desperate to find a way to stop you fro the prophecy"

"By then it was too late," Bex inserted

"Obviously," Claire grumbled

Gabe shook his head "Not quite She stil had time"

I looked around the room "Where is Samuel?"

Claire shoved her hands into her jacket pockets She wore sweats, her gathered gray pants pushed up to just below her knees, and ahooded jacket over a ratty white tank top She had been suet back Now that the trial is over, he’s vulnerable"

"Is he okay?" I asked

She nodded "Kioes home tomorrow Father Francis is in stable condition, but he wil be in traction for a while"

Bex frowned "That should have never happened Clergy should have uardian is an Arch, Bex His hands were tied when Donovan attacked him," Claire explained

"So what now?" Jared asked Gabe

"Shax stil wants his book Hel doesn’t want the child to be born Things are stacking against you, Jared," Gabe said "One thing at a ti at a ti his father’s advice sink in

Gabe hugged his children onetime between now and the tiround, but be on alert Heaven won’t step in until you give them a reason"

"You ure out a reason, Son" In that instant, Gabriel was gone

"Huh," Bex puffed "Weird"

Claire’s shoulders dropped "He’s never co back, is he?"

"Probably not," Jared said with a setic smile on his face

Claire sat on the closest pew, beside her ainst Lil ian’s shoulder and closed her eyes, pushing the re tears down her face "I’m so sorry you couldn’t see him," Claire whispered

"She’l know," Bex said "She always knows"

The s began to brighten, and light danced down the wal s as if the sun were rising

Eli sratulations, kiddo On both counts See you soon"

"How soon?"

He smiled "It’s as I said before When there is only one question left to ask"