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Grace’s hand was shaking He could see that He reached up and put his hand under hers, taking his other hand to pull back the delicate tissue paper

‘You brought this?’

She nodded It wasn’t just her hand that was shaking Her voice was too ‘I thought it ht be important for you’

He pulled back the tissue paper on the white cerael This tist He didn’t feel anger and regret He looked into the eyes of the wo her heart in her hand right now

He knew exactly how she felt

Grace had brought this Even though she’d been feeling lonely and sad this Christht of him

He could see how vulnerable she was right now It ritten all over her face He reached up and touched her cheek A sense of peace washed over him

Anna She was here with hi down on him It was as if a little part of him unravelled Anna had ain

He’d locked that ined it possible

But he’d never iined Grace

Did she kno gorgeous she looked in that black dress that hugged her curves and skimmed out around her hips?

He lifted the white cerael and clasped Grace’s hand as they walked over to the tree together As he lifted the angel to hang it from the top of the tree there was the sound of fireworks outside Bright, colourful, sparkling fireworks lighting up the dark Christht sky

Everything about this just felt right He reached up and gave the pink ribbon holding Grace’s hair back a little tug As it ca the loose curls tumble all around her face ‘You always tie it back I like it best like this,’ he said ‘While you’re in the snow, and while you’re lying in bed’

Grace’s eyes were glistening This time when she smiled the warone Banished ‘We haven’t sorted out our sleeping arrangeot to clean the other bedroom’

He pulled her closer ‘I think we did But I’ve got another idea’

She tilted her chin up towards him ‘What is it?’

He nodded towards the fire and rug in front of it ‘I was thinking of a picnic A Christ, potatoes, chipolatas and Christ, all in front of our real fire’