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Again she reached to touch him, this time his hair "Don't turn your face away, Jory Look atyou when you neededI' I should have done so that role I've always hated that particular ballet and didn't want to tell you when you choreographed it and nature" She wiped at her tears, then sank to her knees by his bed and bowed her head onto his hand, which she'd ed to seize

Her low voice barely reached ether You can teach me how Wherever you lead, Jory, I'll followjust tell me that you want me to stay"

Maybe because she was hiding her face noith her tears wetting his hand beneath her cheek, he turned his head and looked at her with such

toric eyes He cleared his throat before he spoke and dried his tears with the edge of the sheet

"I don't want you to stay if living with o back to New York and dance with other partners Because I'm crippled doesn't mean you have to be crippled, too You have your career, and all those years of dedicated work So go, Mel, with sI don't need you now"

My heart cried out, knowing differently

She looked up, her makeup ruined from so many tears "How could I live with ood wife" She paused while I thought her tiave him time to think that he didn't need a wife, only a nurse and companion, and a substitute mother for his child

I closed ht words Why isn't she telling hi without hi else? Melodie, Melodie, say so to make him believe his handicap doesn't matter, it's thelike this

She only opened his gifts for him, showed them to him, while he studied her face with bleaker and bleaker eyes

He thanked her for the best-selling novel she'd brought (chosen bykit with the sterling silver razors--straight edged, electric and a third kind, dual edged--with a silver-handled lathering brush and a round uaranteed to work There was also a fancy silver ne and after-shave lotion Then finally she was opening the best gift, a huge any box full of watercolors, a hobby that Chris enjoyed He planned to teach Jory the technique of using watercolors as soon as he caest tiood taste, Mel"

Bowing her head, she nodded "Is there anything else you need?"

"No Just leave I'ain, but I'm tired"

She backed off hesitatingly, while my heart cried for them both So much in love before his accident, and all that passion had been washed away in the deluge of her shock and his humiliation

I stepped into the room

"I hope I', but I think Jory is tired, Melodie" I shtly "You just wait until you see e're planning for your return ho doesn't interest you now, it will later on At ho to be thrilled, but I can't tell you anything It's all supposed to be a huge welcome-back surprise" I hurried to embrace him, which wasn't easy to do when his body was so bulky and hard with the cast I kissed his cheek, ruffled his hair and squeezed his fingers "It's going to be all right, darling," I whispered "She has to learn to accept just like you do She's trying hard, and if she doesn't say the words you want to hear, it's because she's too ht"