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“Hello, Ms Day,” I hear a voice say behind me

Not just any voice

A voice I hear every da ain I turn slowly and there he is

Dante’s standing there in jeans and a white t-shirt, holding a bouquet of my favorite flowers: pink dahlias In the back of my mind, I’m surprised he even reme

I take a breath, trying to settle the racing ofhere? And how did you knoas going to be here?”

He flashes eous no is that possible? “I live in LA now, Sauy who told him you’d be here today”

The last part of his explanation is a blur; the first part lodges itself in my mind “You live here now?”

He nods

“Why?”

“I’ a little ot back fro the first project the foundation is funding A school,” he adds, and I nod He glances toward the theater “So how did it go?”

“Okay, I think,” I answer I’ve nearly forgotten how to for hih ht I walked away from hiht, the et over?

“Do you want to get coffee?” he asks

“Why are you here, Dante?” I ask quietly

He hands me the bouquet of pink dahlias “There’s so much I want to say Please have coffee with me, Samantha” The plea in his voice reht we h I’e toyes

Because the truth is, seeing him here…all I want is to be near him And I know I’ll pay for that later