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“For what?" "I don't know," she said, lowering her gaze. "To go with you." "Go with me where?" he gasped. "Anywhere." She turned her eyes up. "Anywhere you go." Tatiana said, "I will go with you." Alexander tried to speak but couldn't; he found himself without words. "But, Tania...I'm going back to the front." She was looking down at the ground. "Are you, Alexander?" she asked quietly without looking up. "Of course. Where else would I be going?" Her eyes stared at him with profound emotion. "You tell me." Blinking and stepping away from her, as if being too close to her left him unprotected, Alexander said, still holding her backpack, "Tania, I'm going back to the front. Colonel Stepanov gave me extra time to come here. I gave him my word I would return." "And that's one thing about you Americans," she said, "you always keep your word." "Yes, that's one thing about us," Alexander said bitterly. "It's no use talking about it. You know I have to go back." Shivering. Tatiana raised her seaweed eyes to him and in a small voice said, "Then I'll go back with you. I'll go back to Leningrad.” — Paullina Simons