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hate what they were talking about. “You know that they’re all

full of unrealistic happily ever afters and the main characters

always come out on top. They say things like, ‘You make my

heart smile and sing,’ and, ‘Before you, it was black as the

night, and you are the pure sunshine in my life.’”

A surprised laugh punched out of Coralyn. “God, you really

memorized a lot, didn’t you?”

“Maybe.” She got serious suddenly. “But I know that I

didn’t smile before you, and now I do. All the time. We all do.

We’re all learning how to get out of the night.”

Coralyn grasped the lapels of Giana’s wool coat. It wasn’t

possible to get any closer. They were already pressed tightly

together and angled into each other, but she needed that touch

to ground her again. “Yes, I want to be your wife. Yes, I want

to make it official that I belong to you, and you belong to me.

Yes, I want the world to know how much love and happiness

we bring each other.” She had to stop and blink away the tears

that were making her nose burn and itch. Crying in cold

weather had to be a real hazard. “You know, you came to my

apartment that morning without any makeup and your hair was

messy, and you weren’t flawless, and that’s how I knew

everything was different. Well, besides the night before that.

You looked different. I knew something had changed. You

looked

so determined, yet so much lighter.”

Giana’s eyes burned with utter sincerity. “I came to do battle

for you.”

“You weren’t composed, and that meant everything. There

were cracks in your armor and that perfect façade was gone.

You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.”