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"Yikes"

"Yeah"

"By the way, you can thankfor you with your dad," she says, and I can practically hear the veno from your little story while I plucked each and every hair fro as an intern for one of ues But play dumb when you coh, sorry about that" The idea of talking to ain "He talked to Ansel, too Actually, ‘screamed’ would be a more accurate description It didn’t even seehs, and at the faether painfully "Mia, you’re going to need to really up your gaine he’ll ever want to touch ain Even that enorot me for my twenty-first birthday probably won’t ever want to touch ain"

But the huhI haven’t just tipped my world I’ve propelledhere? Was this a horribletime before she answers, and I pray she hasn’t fallen asleep on the other end of the line When she does speak, though, her voice is htfuljust the way I need her "It’s funny you’re askingif it’s ayou all over the place"

"What?" I ask, sliding down onto the couch

"When you didn’t want to annul the stupid fking ot all schht you’d lost yourthe dihts But then you took off to Paris for the sus, Mia, so I just have to assu the, "I assume you have fun with hi on planes and vooing to chase it," she says, and I hear sheets rustling in the background, the fa onto her side on her bed "And why not? I’m super proud of you, and I hope you have the time of your life out there"

"I’m terrified," I ads, she re I have to be doing here other than enjoying myself, for the first time inever

"It doesn’t really have to be about fking Ansel all summer," she says "I mean it totally could but there’sGet out of the house Eat some macarons Drink some wine--just not yet because you are officially banned fro until September Go stock up on experiences"

"I don’t knohere to start," I ad out theBeyond our narrow street the world outside is an alreens and blues I can see forI know I’ve seen in pictures Rooftops are tile and copper, gilded golden and stone Even from theof Ansel’s little flat, I’m convinced I’ve just stepped into the most beautiful city in the world

"Today?" she says, thinking "It’s Saturday in June, so the croill be ridiculous; skip the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower Hit Luxeoing back to sleep"

She hangs up

NOTHING IS MORE surreal than this, I swear it I eat at the , staring out at the view, and then move into the small, tiled shohere I shave and wash and shampoo until I feel like every inch of me has been sufficiently scrubbed When I step out, the steains to clear and in a rush, it hits ot to pack I have no blow-dryer, no flatiron I can’tAnsel is gone for the day and I have no idea when he’ll be back I’ to have to dip into the savings account I’ve watched groith pride Every one of hout college went directly into that account; Mo to allow me to have a summer in France

A summer In France

My reflection in the ? I blinkmyself into autopilot s in his dresser and closet

You’re married

I brush my hair My toiletries are unpacked, tucked into one of the drawers in the bathroo with your husband in Paris

I start to lock up the apartht next to a s down at the unfamiliar paper bills, unable to quell the unease I feel at Ansel having left me htens at the thought of living off souess--that I have to push it aside until he’s home and we can have a conversation that doesn’t involve me with my head in the toilet