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Tabby smiles, curling her toes around the back of my calf. “Oh, but you would. And worse. And I love every second of it, by the way.” Love. It hangs in the air for a moment. We look at each other, breathless, and then Tabby looks away. She stammers, “I-I…um, we should probably get going—” “Look at me.” When she doesn’t, I take her face in my hand. “Tabby. Look at me.” The old tension in her has returned with a cold snap. I know she’s hating herself for that slip, hating that we both noticed it, the elephant that’s appeared like magic in the room. She wants to push the elephant out the window. I want to invite it to stay for a drink. Or forever. I run my thumb over her lips. She closes her eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not going to let me pretend I didn’t say that?” I gentl
- Writer
