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He wondered if there was a costume shop in Florence that he could visit

He was contes) when he felt soirl She had her fingers in herup at hiers out of her mouth and extended her arms

At first, he didn’t understand what she wanted She lifted her ar you to pick her up, Man of Steel” Julia was suddenly beside hiirl into his arers back in her mouth

It was at thislook passed between thereeted the child and patted her on the back Then she returned to the gift table

“Maria doesn’t speak”

Gabriel turned to face Elena, Brother Silvestro’s most capable assistant

Elena reached out to tuck a blond curl behind the child’s ear “I’ers”

“How old is she?” Gabriel asked

“Three” Elena switched to English “But she hasn’t spoken since she arrived alo”

“Why not?”

“Too much trauma”

Gabriel looked at the cherubic face of the child and suppressed a series of curses

“Will she ever speak?”

“We hope so She needs a family, certainly”

Unconsciously, Gabriel held the child more closely

“Is it difficult to find families?”

“So if she was enjoying the party

Maria nodded and pointed in the direction of the ponies

“Ah I think you would like a pony ride Shall I?” Elena gestured as if to take the girl, but Gabriel shook his head

“I’ll take her”

He walked over to the ponies and asked her in Italian which one was her favorite She pointed to the smallest one, a black pony hite patches on his coat He had a braided tail with a red ribbon tied to the end of it He was called Cioccolato

Carefully, Gabriel placed Maria on the saddle and rested his hand on her back while the pony’s owner began to lead them in a circle

Maria sers

As Gabriel walked the circuit with the child and the pony, he mused on the fact that his life could have turned out very differently He was not an orphan, but a man with a family And he had a family because Grace and Richard had opened their hoh the darkness that was currently eating away at hirateful for the hope that had shone in his life And he vowed to share that hope with others Somehow

Julia watched her husband with the crowd of children and later, with the little girl, and found herself transfixed So why he wasn’t Superman warmed her