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Hannah allowed his words to rest in the wintery air, consuhts she’d been forood to lanced down at the tiny knitted booties in her hand, speaking through the tears she could no longer restrain “Both of you loved , and I could never repay such kindness, no matter how I tried”

He tightened his loving grip and whispered in her ear “There is nothing to repay, sweet child She loved you as her own, as do I” He coughed to clear his throat and straightened his stance “Your father gave up a great treasure when he left you to us He is a lost man We must pray for him”

The tears halted at the lanced up, unrepentant for the truth that spilled out “I fear I have given up praying for him He will never…” She couldn’t finish the rest

“Forgive n looked down at her, the deep lines around his eyes flaring before he kissed her temple “I should not have mentioned it I kno it pains you”

She glanced down at the booties once again and tried to speak through the strain in her throat “That is not all that pains me”

An au

dible sigh left him, and he pulled her closer “I know”

Hannah inhaled a choppy breath, atte to cleanse away the dark clouds that closed upon her h ’twas only yesterday Then in the next breath, I feel ’twas a different lifetime”

The athered hard and fast, like storht She shifted her feet and tucked the booties in her skirt pocket, attehts with equal ease “Without Bea—without you both beside me—I…” I would not have lived Hannah looked away, unable to finish the thought aloud “And now I shall never again be able to tell her how et her”

Ensign released his hold and brushed his knuckles against her cheek “I heard you speak such to her every day”

“But it wasn’t enough”