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The two of theether and both had the sa news that the first step of their plan was underway It was the knowledge that somehow, they had both been uncertain that this plan would work In the back of their o this far They started on this path, because they were both desperate, and soled in with their sudden connection to one another They had pushed the end goal far from their minds, so that now, faced with the little pink positive, Neal and Elena found thee cliff, and the fall was likely to leave pere

“Oh God,” Elena breathed, her tone laced with anxiety, “I’nant”

Neal fastened his hands around her ar what he hoped was a cal tone

“It’s going to be alright,” he said unconvincingly, “we’re going to get through this”

“How?” Elena asked looking up in trepidation

“Because… because I will be here every step of the way”

Elena smiled, but her eyes eary and her snized that, and knew internally, that she had every right to be

Chapter10

Elena turned the key in the latch and pushed the door open The space was tiny, but it had worked well for her in the last year She rented it out for a reasonable fee and used it to exercise her artistic frustration That hat her art always felt like lately – frustration She had no ongoing jobs There were a bunch of supplies pushed toward one corner of the rooe oddly shaped form that had been draped over with an old shirt

Elena had started work on a statue for a particularly fussy client, and h, that client had called in and canceled the order, leaving Elena in the lurch She had wanted to kick herself for not insisting on an advance before she had begun work, but the client, a Mrs Ludington, had convinced her that her as good That had been alo, and the memory still rankled Elena walked over to the half-finished statue and pulled off the white sheet

The statue was a beautifula book Unlike some of her other pieces, this one was near perfect, such as it was, in its half-coirl’s features perfectly, she ales of her book were carved so intricately that they had the feel of authenticity

Elena sat down on a crate that was pushed to the corner, and stared at her statue It was a good one and it would have been great had it not been for the unreliable Mrs Ludington She had made so many stupid mistakes, ave in to whatever they asked for Elena sighed In seconds, her life had changed completely She had just come from the doctor's office

He had confirnancy She recalled the look on Neal’s face – half relieved and half scared She understood what he was feeling, his goal to keep the family business was a littlealone in the matter

Neal would save his business, raise his child, and get on with his life Elena was not so sure what she had planned for her own life It suddenly struck her that when this was all over, she would have financial independence, soer, but as ave her no satisfaction whatsoever

She felt hollow inside, the money was necessary to survive, but it did not make a happy person Elena started to wonder if she had wanted the wrong things her whole life, but her thoughts couldn’t focus, they darted around, in search of clarity and direction, but her mind was preoccupied with