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I s the warm sun on my mamma’s face "That’s the next life, heaven, paradise, whatever you wanna call it That’s ht sun on her healthy body… free… it was always ain be free"

A sense of peace filled me as I looked at the statue and I took a deep breath All the titles and inforh it The exhibition was finally complete

"Axel?" Ally said

"Mht stars of Orion’s belt through the glass roof

"It’s time to tell your brothers about your sculptures"

I waited for the apprehension, the shame and the dread For once, it didn’t come As I stared up at the stars, I realized I was ready to tell them about the real reason I was in Seattle, and what I’d really been doing with my life

"Yeah," I said in response "I’ll tell theainst my chest, and she whispered, "Te a of love ran throughmy every muscle and I whispered back, "Ti amo, carina Sempre"

Chapter Twenty

Axel

As I sanded the final curve of the hand, then washed the Carrara marble doater, I stood back on the riverbank and exhaled

This was et this done over the past week, the quickest I’d ever coet the ie from my head and into marble… I needed this piece to be seen forever I needed it to complete my first show It was the perfect end to the journey Ally had created

As the afternoon hipped aroundit to the plinth and texted Vin that I’d finished Only he kneas adding it to the exhibition last minute He had the text boards made up in private, the title board, colored backdrop and everything else I needed to make this perfect