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Alicia’s lips moved slowly, painfully; her voice cracked a little as it emerged, like a creaking gate that needed oiling.
“What...” she whispered. Then she stopped. And again: “What ... what—”
For a moment we just stared at each other. My eyes slowly filled with tears—tears of disbelief, excitement, and gratitude.
“What do I want? I want you to keep talking.... Talk—talk to me, Alicia—” Alicia stared at me. She was thinking about something. She came to a decision. She slowly nodded. “Okay.”