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Julia sat very, very still

All she could think about was Grace

“Darling, I’m in the middle of my seminar Can I call you back?” Gabriel’s voice was low as he answered his cell phone

“I’ot I’ll just see you at ho back tears She could hear footsteps on the other end of the line and the closing of the door

“I’ on?”

“I’ize to your students forSomehow the sound of his voice, patient and sweet,worse

She buried her face in her hands just as her cell phone rang She didn’t have to look at it to knoas calling

“H-hello?”

“What happened?”

“I’ll tell you at dinner” She hiccuped

“No, you’ll tell me now, or I’ll canceled from the other end of the line

She could hear Gabriel inhale sharply

“Found what?”

“The doctor doesn’t know I’o for an ultrasound at Mount Auburn Hospital as soon as possible”

“Are you all right?”

“Yes” Julia did her best to lie convincingly

“Where are you?”

“I’ home froet you”

“You’ll have to cancel your se that you’re alone and crying Stay there and I’ll call you back in a minute”

“I’ll be fine I’ive me a minute”

“I’m almost home I’ll see you soon”

She disconnected the phone

Gabriel cursed, then opened the door to his seminar room to cancel his class

In the days between Julia’s appointment with her doctor and her ultrasound, Gabriel received a call fro that his sperloriously fertile

(Parenthetically, it should be noted that he never doubted his fertility)

His relief was overshadowed by the anxiety he felt over Julia He put on a brave face, not wanting to upset her, but inwardly, he was afraid

She was young She was healthy Of course, Grace had been young and healthy prior to her diagnosis She’d had breast cancer for some tith was such that he rarely, if ever, felt helpless But gazing at his beloved hile she tossed and turned night after night oodness And it was possible she was very, very sick

Gabriel closed his eyes and prayed

“Sweetie?” Her voice came out of the darkness

“Yes?”