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Preface

Ste-fan?

Elena was frustrated She couldn't make the mind-word co on an elbow and looking at her with those eyes that alwaysto say They shone like green spring leaves in the sunlight "Stefan," he repeated "Canyou say it, lovely love?"

Elena looked back at him solemnly He was so handsome that he broke her heart, with his pale, chiseled features and his dark hair falling carelessly across his forehead She wanted to put into words all the feelings that were piled behind her cluue and stubborn mind There was so much she needed to ask himand to tell hiue She couldn't even send it telepathically to hies

After all, it was only the seventh day of her new life

Stefan told her that when she'd first woken up, first come back from the Other Side after her death as a vampire, she'd been able to walk and talk and do all sorts of things that she seeotten

now He didn't knohy she'd forgotten - he'd never known anyone who'd come back from death except vaer

Stefan had also told her excitedly that she was learning like wildfire every day New pictures, new thought-words Even though sometimes it was easier to coain soer she really was She would no longer be a young adult with a childlike rowing, seeing the world with new eyes, the eyes of a child

Elena thought that the spirits had been a little unfair What if Stefan found someone in the meantime who could walk and talk - and write, even? Elena worried over this

That hy, soone fro anxiously over a newspaper, trying to les that she kneords she once recognized The paper was dotted with theto her

"But why, love? You'll learn to read again Why rush?"

That was before he saw the bits of pencil, broken frorip, and the carefully hoarded paper napkins She had been using them to try to imitate the words Maybe if she could write like other people, Stefan would stop sleeping in his chair and would hold her on the big bed He wouldn't go looking for sorown-up

She saw Stefan put this together slowly in his mind, and she saw the tears coht up to think he was never allowed to cry no matter what happened But he had turned his back on her and breathed slowly and deeply for what see time

And then he had picked her up, taken her to the bed in his room, and looked into her eyes and said, "Elena, tell me what you want me to do Even if it's impossible, I'll do it I swear it Tell me"

All the words she wanted to think to him were still jammed up inside her Her own eyes spilled tears, which Stefan dabbed off with his fingers, as if he could ruin a priceless painting by touching it too roughly