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Chapter Six

Soht, Richard felt the mattress dip as so the body of his wife Her figure was faainst her

She sighed equally in content into hi it It didn’t seeht, the way it had been before che” Grace reached for his hand and wound their fingers together

Richard felt her wedding and engagelad he hadn’t res touched “I know”

“You were so young We had our lives ahead of us, so ht on the last word

“Yes”

“Iyour voice I can’t believe I lost you”

Grace freed his left hand and pulled it toward her chest

Richard steeled himself for the feel of the concave ih he was sorrowful over her scars, it never bothered him to look at or touch her there But she wouldn’t perery, but the cancer returned, ery i, even at the end

As she brought his hand up, his palm met round, full flesh He hesitated, but only for a moment She placed her hand over his and pressed

“I’ve been healed,” she whispered “It was ine And it didn’t hurt”

Richard’s eyes pricked “Healed?”

“No pain No tears And it’s so, so beautiful”

“I’ain “I should have paid attention I should have noticed”

“It was my time” She reached down and kissed the back of his hand “There’s so much I want to show you But not yet Rest, , Richard awoke to an eiven a very precious gift He felt lighter,tien from his research position in Philadelphia

In the next week, he put his condo up for sale and hired ht with his wife so o Gabriel insisted that the itee also be returned to the house

When thetrucks arrived, he directed thethe in Richard’s

“No” Richard placed his hand on his son’s shoulder “The guest room is mine now”

Gabriel indicated to the ive hiether

“Why don’t you want your old room?”

“The master bedroom is yours noith Julia She’s painted it and made it her own I won’t undo that”

Gabriel protested, but Richard lifted his hand to stop him