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Attached to one as his collection of canes, and I ran a finger across one I’d talked to Christine about them a few times since our visit, but I still wasn’t ready to try theine Nathaniel’s expression if I told him I wanted hiree?

But again, I didn’t feel ready yet, so I kept walking

I rifled through a collection of s We’d never played with any of theed

I picked up a ball gag and tried to ier That could be fun His note, though, said to pick one One Hoas that even possible?

Taking my journal and pen, I sat in the h different scenarios inseveral of the items I found in drawers and cabinets They all see

I tapped lanced down at my watch Nine thirteen

I gazed around the room one last time, smiled, and bent my head to write I wrote about the toy I picked and, just for fun, added a few details about the scene

Felicia and I were al

Nathaniel!

"Hello," I said

His voice sounded tired "Abby"

My heart war," he said "We just landed"

My mind tried to calculate the time difference "What tiht," he said "It’s like I skipped an entire day"

"That’s okay," I teased I ih his hair the way he did when he was tired or frustrated "Saturday’s a drag You didn’t miss much"

"I take issue with that," Felicia said fro with erie store Saturday is not a drag"

He gave a soft laugh "I’ll be talking with you in a few hours I just wanted to hear your voice and let you know I’d landed safely"

"What are you going to do now?" I asked, not ready to hang up

"Check into the hotel and get a few hours’ sleep before I start working again"

"On Sunday?"

"I don’t have anything else to do," he said in a teasing tone "Someone refused to come with me"

"You knohy," I said softly

"I know and I understand"

"You should go out and explore," I said "It’s not like you’re in China every day"

"Thank goodness I’ll explore soedto see the Great Wall?"

"No," he said "It’s too far away Next tiether"

"I miss you already"

"I miss you, too"

"We’re here," Felicia said

I’d been so engaged in talking with Nathaniel I hadn’t even noticed Felicia parking the car

"I’ll let you go," he said "You two have fun Don’t get into too ood"

"Later," he said with a hint of srew quieter "I love you"

"Love you"

I returned hoerie, several different garters, and a light heart after having plenty of girl talk with reed with Felicia, and I’d never seen her more content and happy

I hummed as I put away erie and take a picture to send to Nathaniel

At three thirty, I opened the next envelope

I hope you enjoyed your time with Felicia You and my new cousin-in-law are so very different, and yet I know your friendship h you have given anything up by your choice to wearsaid that, I knoe’ve discussed before how being a subullible In fact, quite the opposite is true

For your next assign topic:

My Submission: What It Means to Me

When you have finished, take a walk, eat some dinner, and then write a thousand words on your next topic:

My Submission: What It Means to My Master

I look forward to discussing both assignhts on each

Whew

He wasn’t lying when he told ht before had been eye-opening, though, in terms of what I discovered as I wrote While I’d been apprehensive about a party when he first brought it up, I was now looking forward to it more Especially since he’d forced me to think about and write a way to overco assignht you will discover how it’s possible to serve et your cell phone

You will call me from our bed at 10:45 pm

My heart pounded as I read his short letter

Serve hi-distance?

I couldn’t wait to find out what hewas simply the opportunity to hear his voice Iin Hong Kong

An early lunch break for him, perhaps?