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His wife stood at the foot of the narrow bed he'd have to use until the cast came off, but she took pains not toe've done Your mother and I, and Chris, too, really tried to please you"

His blue eyes turned navy as he stared at her, sensing so I, too, felt He looked toward the s, his full lips thinning, before he drew back into his shell

Ie box, saved for this kind of uncoful for you to do while you're still confined to the bed Don't want you staring at that boob tube all the time"

See relieved not to have to trouble his ords she didn't want to hear, he feigned childish eagerness by shaking the huge box "A couessed, looking only atand kiss hi to hear what he thought of land

Soon he had the ribbons and pretty wrapping off and was staring down at the long box containing what appeared to be neat bundles of super-long lue, with spools of thin cording, carefully packaged cloth "A kit to make a clipper ship," he said with both wonder and dis is so complicated it will take me the better part of my life to complete And when it's done--if ever--ill I have?"

"What will you have? My son, you will have when you are finished an heirloohter" All said so proudly, so sure he could follow the difficult directions "You have steady hands, a good eye for details, a ready understanding of the written word and such determination Besides, take a look at that empty mantel that demands a ship smack in the middle"

Laughing, he laid his head back on the pillow, already exhausted He closed his eyes "Okay, you've convinced o--but I've not hadairplane parts together"

Oh, yes, I re, infuriating Bart, who couldn't glue anything together properly at that time

"MomI'm tired Give me a chance to nap before the lawyers come to read that will I don't know if I' into his own'--at last"

It was at this moment that Bart stepped into the room Jory sensed him there and opened his eyes The dark brown and dark blue brotherly eyestirew until I became aware of my own heart throbs; the clock behindheavily I heard the birds outside twittering before Melodie began to rearrange another vase of flowers just for so to do

On and on they clashed eyes, wills, when Bart should speak and welcome home the brother he'd visited only once Still he just stood there, as if he'd keep his eyes locked on Jory until Jory broke the spell and lost the silent battle of wills

I had my lips parted to stop this contest when Jory s the bind, "Hi, brother I kno much you hate hospitals, so it was doubly nice for you to visit me Since I'lad my accident didn't spoil your birthday party I heard from Cindy that my fall only momentarily lulled the hilarity, and the party went on as if nothing had happened"

Still Bart stood there saying nothing Melodie put the last rose in the vase and lifted her head A few tendrils of her fair hair had escaped the tight confinely casual and antiquely fragile There was an air of weariness about her as if she'd surrendered to life and all its vicissitudes Was I i to Bart--and he understood? Suddenly he was s, even if it was stiff

"I'lad you're back Welcome home, Jory" He strode forward to clasp his brother's hand "If there's anything I can do, just letafter hi

At four exactly, that very afternoon, shortly after Jory woke up and Chris and Bart lifted hirand home office We sat in fine milk-chocolate-colored leather chairs, all but Jory, who lay on a rolling stretcher very still and quiet His tired eyes were half opened, showing his interest was small Cindy had flown home to be here, as was required, for she, too, was mentioned in the will She perched on the ar back and forth, treating all of this as a joke while Joel glared to see that blue high-heeled shoeattention to those res We all sat as if at a funeral, as papers were shuffled, spectacles were put on and whisperings between the lawyers made us all uneasy