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“Married life is wonderful, but it’s been an adjustreed But we need to talk about the future It would be best if I began having conversations withsince ht not be possible”

“There’s more than one way to make a family We can discuss other medical options We could adopt a child froht” Her expression grew hopeful

He smoothed a lock of hair away fros I intend to take you to Uo to the exhibition in Florence But e get back from Europe, I’d like to speak to e charge seeripped her hips

“When you’re ready, we’ll start trying”

She grinned

“We should probably practice a lot in preparation”

“Absolutely”

Chapter Two

Julia startled awake early the nextDawn had yet to break and the bedroom was quiet, the silence broken only by the sound of Gabriel’s rhyth of birds outside

She clutched the sheet to her naked chest and closed her eyes, forcing her breathing to slow The act only brought the scenes froht across caeneral exa for help, but no one see held

She heard the sounds of crying and was shocked to find an infant in her ar to shush hi in front of Professor Matthews, the chair of her departeneral exa place in the classroo her that children weren’t allowed

She argued She proive her a chance All her hopes and drea a Dante specialist rested on the exaraan to wail Professor Matthews scowled, pointing to the stairwell nearby and ordering her to leave

An ar her She looked down to see that Gabriel was still asleep So in his unconscious state must have prompted him to comfort her She watched hi frohthts and the shower She hoped the hot water would calhtness of the bathroom helped dispel some the darkness

As she stood under the tropical rain shower, she tried to forget the nightht to breach the surface of her consciousness—her lecture, their fae to have a baby

Her fingers went to the silver necklace clasped around her throat She knew that Gabriel wanted children with her They’d discussed it prior to their engageraduated Graduation was still a good five or six years away

Why is he bringing up the subject of children now?

She was anxious enough over her studies Co ahead to her general exa year

More pressing was her lecture, which was to be delivered at Oxford in a feeeks Julia had completed a paper on Guido da Montefeltro in Professor Marinelli’s graduate seminar that past semester The professor liked the paper so ed Julia to submit an abstract to the conference

Julia had been overjoyed when her paper proposal was accepted But the thought of standing in front of a roo the

Now Gabriel was talking about having his vasectoust