“Will,” I say, reaching the camellias. I press my hand against my chest, trying to catch my breath. Deep pinks and oranges stain the sky.545Please respect copyright.PENANASCQwU1cESh
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“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.545Please respect copyright.PENANAPh0qAFbwqz
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“What are you doing here?” I say with surprise and a tiny prick of irritation at seeing her in our secret place.545Please respect copyright.PENANA4JsdyfghE3
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“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”545Please respect copyright.PENANAmLU8mehV6n
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My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”545Please respect copyright.PENANARl2bLwTxqy
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She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”545Please respect copyright.PENANAYfuzv3wCp8
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“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.545Please respect copyright.PENANA8IeYR6vGaS
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“Cami.”545Please respect copyright.PENANALaB0ivbx5C
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My head snaps up. Roanna stands there, her giant curls wilder than usual. Her specs reflect the sunset, so I can’t see her eyes.545Please respect copyright.PENANA38apKj2y9W
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In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.545Please respect copyright.PENANAYffcV2my7Q
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“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”545Please respect copyright.PENANAoxeGa0L5GY
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Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.545Please respect copyright.PENANAfzUNG9c1HO
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“Cami,” an even softer voices says.545Please respect copyright.PENANAglZpgO2xcU
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All three of us look up. It’s Will, but it looks like I’m seeing him through a frosted window. I release Roanna and take three big steps forward so I’m directly in from of him. I hesitantly reach a hand out, almost expecting it to go through him.545Please respect copyright.PENANAyjzMDhZbHM
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“Cami! No!” Madame Pommier says sharply. “If you touch him with this closing in progress, we have no idea what it could do. You could be pulled into his time.”545Please respect copyright.PENANA5BfQjvDZyS
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“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.545Please respect copyright.PENANAcIBINe1aFh
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Her gaze is off to the side. I follow her gaze and see a pretty, young nurse standing there, faint and transparent like Will is. She watches us with wide eyes.545Please respect copyright.PENANApkFRoSrbVq
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“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”545Please respect copyright.PENANAnvbPFZLh5z
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“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”545Please respect copyright.PENANAxEfrkIMKoB
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There’s a finality to her gaze that terrifies me, but the sun is going down quickly, and there’s very little chance to think about it.545Please respect copyright.PENANAV1JoMex0hU
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“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.545Please respect copyright.PENANAkm8yEocAnh
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She shakes her head and walks over to the nurse, holding a hand up. Turning her head to face Will, she says, “Just do it. Touch her.”545Please respect copyright.PENANAMBT8UCTbSu
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“Stop it. I can’t allow you to do this,” Madame Pommier says. But she seems unable to move out of the circle she’s made in the dirt.545Please respect copyright.PENANAUgRQfQTfyY
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Will’s hand closes around mine, and the image of him begins to sharpen at the same time as Roanna’s image begins to dim and frost over. She smiles at me. Her hand is locked with the nurse’s.545Please respect copyright.PENANAcej0HiKCD1
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“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.545Please respect copyright.PENANAJ5l4WnivmP
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I want to reach out toward her, but Will anchors me in place. He pulls me closer to his body—which is warmer than it’s ever been before—and watches her. Through him, I can see he recognizes within Roanna the longing to be elsewhere and how it feels to belong somewhere other than where you are.545Please respect copyright.PENANA2LBY6r2vZR
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“It’s a psychiatric hospital,” I tell her, even though it’s already too late. “You don’t want to go there. You don’t want to be a patient.”545Please respect copyright.PENANAPgtC4zaS5q
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“A patient?” Now I hear the smile in her words. “I intend to be a doctor. Cami, there’s one more thing you need to do.”545Please respect copyright.PENANABJTSw2zkX2
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And somehow, I know what it is.545Please respect copyright.PENANAl5LayUYEsJ
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“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.545Please respect copyright.PENANAquiLzsssM0
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The emerald glints in the vanishing light. I thread my arms around Will’s neck and pull his mouth down to mine.545Please respect copyright.PENANAQdtdG6HzT3