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AT THE SAME TIME ISABELLA'S POINT OF VIEW: We made our way to the checkout, Xavier leaning on the cart more heavily than before. I glanced at the decorations in the cart, all the little things we’d picked out, but my mind wasn’t really on them anymore. I was focused on Xavier, on the way he looked, and on the way he seemed to be holding himself together by sheer force of will. I knew he was trying to be strong for me, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that he was still recovering. As we left the store and got to the car, I could see his exhaustion. When we reached home, we worked in silence for a while, the only sounds being the rustling of ornaments and the soft clink of metal as we hung them on the tree.He moved slower than usual, his movements careful and deliberate. I couldn’t help but