She felt the ambivalence she once had upon attending her own surprise party, an occasion that had been spoiled in advance by an indiscreet cousin with a carrying voice. In the days before her friends and family tried to stun her with birthday wishes, Marya had felt giddy over their sincere expression of affection, nervous about her ability to act suitably astonished, and irritated that what should’ve been a pleasant surprise had become an anxious act. When her loved ones finally popped out from behind her mother’s couch, Marya shouted in relief rather than surprise. There was nothing quite so
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