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Your dad has been using this roo it the nursery” Diane opened the door to the small room that was next to thea blue-and-white gift bag

It was a few days before the wedding and she was helping Diane with things around the house

“I wanted to paint the walls and have the room ready before the baby came Now” Diane moved her hand over her abdoet the nursery ready” Julia looked around the roo boxes on the floor of the closet

“He ht not come home,” Diane whispered, close to tears

Julia put an arm around her shoulders

“The hospital and the doctors are familiar with cases like this And there are a nueries that little Peanut will have to go through”

“Peanut?”

“Since we don’t have a na him Peanut”

Diane pressed her hand over her sto that Peanut will be okay Decorating the nursery could be an expression of that hope—that you believe he’s co “I bought you and the baby a present”

“Thank you That’s the first gift we’ve received”

“Since he’s my little brother, I wanted to be the first Open it”

Diane carefully pulled back the tissue paper, revealing a rectangular wrapped object She placed the bag on the floor and unwrapped the gift Inside, she found a print of a cherub playing a guitar, housed in an ornate gold frame

She held it up in order to ad for the baby” Julia’s voice was soft “But I thought that the angel would be an expression of hope The painting is called Angelo Musicante and it’s housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence”

“Thank you, honey” Diane hugged her “That’s very sweet”

She walked over to theand placed the fralass It looked as if it belonged there

“Your dad was talking about using your roouest roorew up in Dad’s old house”

“You’re ruff voice sounded behind the in the doorway

“That’s nice, Dad, but you don’t have to save a room for me”

“It’s your roouestured to the walls, which hite “Have you picked out colors?”

Diane s a sailboat theht it would be soothing”

“That sounds beautiful I’ll look for sos with sailboats on them”

“Thank you”

“I’llhe needs I’ him”

Tooing to decorate?” he asked his fiancée

“I think we should do a few things Maybe not everything After the honeymoon we could paint the walls” Diane looked up into his face, her eyes cautiously hopeful

“Whatever you want” Tohtly over where their child was growing

Julia ive theo downstairs and see what Gabriel and Uncle Jack are doing”