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“Don’t forget the blanket You know the ice cream will make you cold”

She pulls the blanket off the end of the couch and starts arranging it around herself My heart warms when she puts a section over my lap down to my knees

“You gotta have some too”

Even though I don’t need it, I let her do her thing Aria is a very caring little girl, and there’s no way I would disturb that trait by telling her I’m fine without it

I wait patiently until she’s finished and settled againsther closer to me She opens her carton of ice cream and puts the lid on the blanket beside her

“Okay, I’m ready”

Grabbing the remote off the arht of short orange people, bratty children, and rivers of chocolate

CHAPTER SIX

Luca

I STEP OUT OF THE elevator and take the short walk to Jules’s roo, but I’e to see her after the dreaain, and it tore my insides to hear it

I walk into the quiet roo the door Instead of her hair being in the nor on the pillow Someone took the time to brush it

My eyes scan the room as I walk over to the bed and take a seat on the chair sitting close by Her nightgown is different than the last time I was here She’s now in a soft peach-colored one with ruffles on the sleeves and lace across the collar

Seeing the hand that doesn’t have the catheter lying close to her side, palers Again, I’ of awareness

Lifting my eyes, I look at her closed ones

“Hi, Jules,” I state softly, and watch for any signs she’s heard me When there’s not even a twitch of her eyelashes, I continue “I’ to me in my dreams for years now, and I don’t knohy”