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With pure love

"I wanted those kids, you kno bad I wanted the It doesn’t matter if we can never have kids All I need is you If you’ll have me If you’ll trust ue came unstuck "Jake?"

She tried to sit up to put her ar instead Jake’s arently, as if she were broken The pain iven her made her feel heavy, fuzzy But she needed to tell hi outside" Every word he spoke racked with deep pain And loss But still he stroked her hair as if he were afraid she’d break apart any second "I should have been here with you when they told you about the e"

No, God no, he couldn’t think that--

Her tongue felt thick as she said, "It wasn’t aabouther hair stilled "Sophie?" He pulled back to stare into her eyes She watched relief ith disbelief on his face, as if he didn’t want to give in to hope again, only to co back down harder

"But the blood, I saw the blood"

She pushed down the sheet and took his hands in hers, placing thehts hanging from them, but she had to explain "I had a fibroid in rowing one That’s why Marnie didn’t catch it earlier when she was concentrating on finding heartbeats They’re going to take et it out"

He looked down at their hands, linked over her "So you’re--they’re--"

"Yes"

"ExcuseMs Sullivan for surgery right away"

She knew that fierce look Jake gave the nurse oh-so-well, and loved that Jake illing to fight any battles he needed to for her For their children He was going to be the ued with the nurse, telling her she could take it up with Sophie’s ed with her, that she needed hioing to be okay, after all

Chapter Twenty-four