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“That’s not funny, Ron”

“I’nes”

Silence And then the clatter of a pan hitting the sink and Agnes—a short, round wo like a silk scarf behind her—was running down the hallway toward them

“Oh, oh!” she cried, barreling past her husband to wrap her ararlic and roses Agnes’s strong wet hands gripped Julia’s back and she felt all the air rush frones dropped her arms and knelt in front of Ben

“Hello, hello, little boy,” she cried, tears running down her round cheeks

Julia shut her gaping mouth This welcome was simply more than she could have hoped for More than she’d ever dreamed

Careful, Mitch’s snide voice whispered You always believe the things that are too good to be true

Julia, exhausted and eood to be true she would figure it out later, as she always did Right now, she ept up in the tide of the

“He looks just like Mitch, doesn’t he, Ron?”

“Yes, he does,” Ron agreed, lifting his glasses to wipe his eyes “Let’s get thenes”

“Of course” Agnes started to get up and Julia held out a hand to assist and found herself back in her mother-in-law’s arms

“We’re so glad you’re here,” Agnesto us”

The icy silences between Julia and Agnes had seely melted away after Mitch had died in the helicopter crash Julia had gotten a call froed Julia to coet to know hi left of their precious son

Come, she’d said, ill be here for you

It had been a spell, an enchantn to Julia they e

A s rushed to Julia’s throat but all she couldus”