>>29857
"It's good, everything is good, you've arrived, and this is the perfect time and the perfect place for you. Accept it, let go, and be kind to your past. Everything is good and is as it should be." The words and the tenderness had a calming effect; her emotions dissipated just as a thunderstorm soaks into the sandy soil. But she still didn't feel strong enough to relinquish the protection of the close embrace. Weeping softly, she replied, "Looking back, I never truly lived. I'm an empty shell, and now I just want it all to be over. The only thing I might regret when I die is that I never made love, meaning with a partner, you know, with two people." The woman laid Yangtao's head on her neck and gave her plenty of time until she had finished crying. With the top of her dress, she dried the last tears on her cheeks, gently loosening the embrace.