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“Congratulations,” she said woodenly

“Marry me,” he said, and the earnestness in his blue eyes ht, absurdly, I should have taken more pictures of him

“If I said yes,” she said, touching his face, feeling the unfaet CNN and stay in Africa with o to the Middle East, or Malaysia? Could I say on Friday, I need good Thai food, and we’d hop on a plane?”

“We’ve done all that, love ”

“And ould I do in Atlanta? Learn to lass of scotch?”

“Come on, Neens I knoho you are ”

“Do you?” Nina felt as if she were falling suddenly Her sto How could she say yeshow could she say no? She loved thisdown? A house in the city or a place in the suburbs? A permanent address? How could she handle that? The only life she’d ever wanted was the one she now had She simply couldn’t plant roots—that was for round to be level where they stood And if Danny really loved Nina, he’d know that

“Just come back to Atlanta with me for the weekend We’ll talk to people, see what’s available for you You’re a world-famous photojournalist, for fuck’s sake They’d be crawlin’ all over theive us a chance ”

“I’ to Alaska with Mom and Meredith ”

“I’ll have you back in time I swear it ”

“Butthe fairy taleI have more research to do I can’t just leave the story Maybe in teeks, e’re done”

Danny pulled away from her “There will always be another story to folloon’t there, Neens?”

“That’s not fair This is my family history, the proive that up ”

“Is that what I asked?”

“You knohat I mean ”