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Hallie went rushing over, and Winnie handed her one of the bags After Luna gently set Piglet on her feet, she eagerly reached for the other

“Oooooh!” Hallie pulled bright blue nail polish fro with a pair of fluffy lavender socks and a little notebook with a cat on the cover “Thank you!”

“For when you want to show off your toes and when you want to be cozy,” Winnie said with a s your stories”

Luna stuck her hand in her bag and pulled out cotton candy pink polish, fluffy white socks, and a box of princess Band-Aids “Thank you! Now I don’t have to wear Daddy’s boring brown ones”

“And if you run out,” Winnie said, “just let me know I’ll send you another box”

Luna threw her arms around Winnie’s waist and Hallie followed suit Knocked off balance, Winnie laughed and embraced them I stood ten feet aithsorry for myself

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Hallie said

“Me too,” added Luna “Are you sure you have to?”

Winnie’s eyes closed a moment “I’m sure”

“But don’t forget us, okay?”

“I won’t” Releasing the I have to drop Piglet off ata friend for dinner”

“Coo out the door to Winnie’s garage “Go on back to our place I want to talk to Winnie a moment”

Thankfully, they didn’t argue Chattering about their new nail polish, they went outside, pulling the door shut behind them

She stood across the kitchen froether, her ar sleeves of her sweater That carefully cool expression was gone, replaced by eyes that glistened with tears and a treut instinct was to embrace her, and I took a step forward

She put out one hand “Don’t Please There’s nothing you can say at this point that won’t hurt, and I’ly cry”

“God, Winnie” Defeated, because she was right—there wasn’t anything I could say that wouldn’t hurt—I stood there within “This sucks I don’t want to leave it this way between us”

“I don’t either, but I can’t help the way I feel, just like you can’t help the way you don’t”

“But what if—what if it’s not just about the e feel?” Desperate, I took another step closer to her “What if it’s just that the things ant are too different?”

She shook her head “I don’t understand”

“You’re so young, Winnie You’re so young and so beautiful, and you have so s, and you deserve the your dream job and soap between us, I cradled her face in ht wish I could be that guy, I can’t No matter how I feel, I can’t”