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"Next comes the ice water," Theo says as he lifts a bottle, frosted by its inner chill "You have to go slowly if you want to do it right Drop by drop, until the sugar cube dissolves"

"How long have you been practicing this?" I deh he never takes his eyes off the water dripping onto the sugar cube, he adds, more quietly, "Listen--some of the stuff I said yesterday--I was out of line"

"No, you weren’t" After I finally ad it to Theo is easy "I’ve been unfair to you I let the things that other Theo did keepyou The real you, I mean This whole trip, you’ve proved that you’re one of the ood people I’ve everpraised That’s whatwhen he actually blushes "Thanks You’re not so bad yourself"

"Please I’ve been such an idiot"

"Hey None of that" His laugh is sloppy fro you in action like this--Marguerite, it’s been incredible The way you juing wounds while I was still pissing"Not literally"

"Close You don’t want to kno close" By now Theo has begun to srin "You size up these diot kidnapped by the freakin’ Russian mafia and you escaped on your own!"

"You pried off the rid"

"Okay, you only did ninety-nine percent of it" He takes a deep breath "Yeah, you driveI think you’re the most incredible person I’ve ever known"

This conversation feels like it’s going in a direction it o on to the home office, so we can reach the last di hiht?"

"Maybe," I say, though it’s hard for ht now

Theo’s eyes meet mine "But it seeuess I do"

Suddenly I want to tell Theo about the pregnancy Talking it over with someone would help, and he’d understandso confused As I open ar cube only halfway dissolved--and takes one of my hands in both of his "Listen," he says "I’ to say it, and then we can move on Okay?"

Oh no But I can only answer, "Okay"

"I love Paul as much as if he’d been born my brother And--and I think you know by now that I love you too Not exactly like a sister"

"Theo--"