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Her eyes shift down, and she fingers her purse strap. She intends to turn me
down. We can’t end like this. Not now. My heart speeds up. I rub my damp palms
on my shorts. This is too important. I give up trying to keep my tone light.

“Please, Sanya,” I plead. “Please allow me to show you my gratitude. I don’t
know what’s wrong, but…”

My voice trails off. The frustration from the last two weeks engulfs me. I’m
not sure how to convey the helplessness I feel. I sit on my couch and run my fingers
through my hair. I go over everything trying to determine where it went wrong.
The change started after we saw the footage from the wedding. She’d gradually
become more distant. Could she tell from the video that I love her? Maybe she was

trying to discourage me from telling her how I feel. I still have to know for sure. I
cannot live in the land of assumptions.

I stare at my polished concrete floor. I need a new plan.

“I’ll pick you up at 7,” She says softly, almost unsure. “We will have to stop by
Tala’s birthday party. I already RSVP’d. It’s closer to your home. It would be
stupid for you to drive to mine just to come back this way.”

I stand with renewed hope. “I don’t mind. If you want, you can park here. And
I’ll drive.”

She gives me the closest thing to her usual smirk I’ve seen in a while. “Deal.”