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“Apologize,” Anna said

Nono nodded, then turned back to the pot of rice “I turned on your desk tered in There was a eneral’s humanitarian co out to the Ring”

Anna felt the sharp twist of guilt Of having been caught out at so

“Shit,” she said She didn’t like profanity, but some occasions demanded it “I haven’t responded yet” It felt like another lie

“Were we going to talk about it before you decided?”

“Of course, I—”

“Nami is almost two,” Nono said “We’ve been here two years At so to be for the rest of her life She has faanda who’ve never seen her If she stays herefed the sa cocktail all newborns in the outer planets received It encouraged bone growth and fought off the worst of the effects low-gravity environht If they stayed , thin fraravity Anna would be sentencing her to a life outside her home world forever

“Europa was always supposed to be te I speak Russian, the congregation here is sile…”

Nono turned off the stove and ca her hand on the table For the first time, the faux wood tabletop looked cheap to Anna Tacky She saith startling clarity a future in which Nami never lived anywhere with real wood It felt like a punch to the sto here,” Nono said “This was our drea to places like this But when you asked for the transfer out here, you were three nant”

“I was so unlikely to be chosen,” Anna said, and she could hear the defensiveness in her own voice

Nono nodded “But you were chosen And this thing for the UN Flying out to the Ring as part of the secretary-general’s advisory group And our baby not even two”

“I think two hundred people signed up for the sao”

“It was so unlikely—” Anna started

“They always choose you,” Nono interrupted “Because you are very special Everyone can see it I can see it I saw it the first tianda So nervous you dropped your notes, but I could’ve heard a pin drop in that auditorium You couldn’t help but shine”

“I stole you from your country,” Anna said It hat she always said when Nono brought up how theyminister like you”