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‘Do you feel well enough to go out for Christed it He hadn’t given any thought to her condition It was the very thing he’d avoided thinking about as it unleashed the past, the pain of losing his elina over herself—over him

‘You bet I do I wouldn’t htness in her voice and he relaxed Maybe all they’d discussed had cleared the air

‘Very well’ He stood up froently to her feet ‘Then before we go, we have to see what gifts are beneath the tree’

‘Gifts?’ She laughed lightly ‘You mean Santa has been?’

‘If you like, yes’ With happiness he hadn’t felt in a long ti roo the rooave it all a surreal feel

‘Oh, but I haven’t anything to add to this’ She looked up at hienuine worry in her eyes ‘For you, I mean’

He thought of his child groithin her as he looked at her gently Hesoft with all this Christmas stuff, because he wanted to hold her, to place his hands on her stoift

He shook hi , but he did for you Shall we open theo out?’

Before she could get all sentiift-wrapped ‘This is for you, as I have a suspicion you will need them over the next few days’

She took the present frohts, find out just what this really meant Then she sat down in front of the fire and slowly opened the wrapping, and lifted the lid on a large silver box

‘Oh, Max,’ she said and he looked over the lid of the box, wanting to know if his instructions had been followed ‘It’s lovely’

She lifted out a black dress

‘For Angelina’s twenty-first party’