Ralph is right; the Thai restaurant does seem perfect, and the food is some of the best she has ever tasted. Over a dessert of mango sticky rice, Melinda finally finishes telling Ralph her story, ending with Wayne's revelation that he had separated from his wife.      "And so," she says, placing her spoon down, "that's how I ended up here. I came home that night and the first thing I did was reach for the phone and book a flight here. I didn't know what else to do. I had to get away. It seemed that everything happened at once and it felt like I didn't have any room left to breathe. But coming here… That was the best possible thing I could do," she finishes, smiling.      "I think it was, too," he says. "So, now what?" he asks. "Have you decided what to do?"      She cocks her head to the side, thinking. "I think I've made a decision," she says slowly. "But I don't know whether that will work out or not. Being here has helped me realize a few things. And talking to you has revealed a few things to me as well… I'm still formulating it all, but I have a pretty good idea of what I want to happen next."      She sighs. "It's complicated," she says, smiling.      He puts a hand over hers. "Well, I think I know what you should do," he says.      She laughs and leans forward expectantly. "And what is that?"      He smiles. "Dump both those bums and stay with me."      She sits back in her chair, grinning. "Yeah, I suppose that could work. I could hide out here the rest of my life and forget about everything. Wayne and Greg can mess up some other poor girl's head."      She laughs a bit at the thought and then shakes her head. "No, that wouldn't work. I'd miss him way too much," she says softly. Her expression grows serious as she lets her mind wander.      "Him?" Ralph asks. "Which one would you miss too much?"      She looks down at the tablecloth and smiles lightly. "Greg," she says, looking back up at Ralph. "He's the one I would miss."      Her eyes grow a little misty as she thinks about him. He had always treated her with so much respect, and with such obvious love. And when she had told him finally that she loved him, she knew she had meant it. Saying those words to him, she had never been so sure of anything in her life. And after being away from home for a week, Greg was the one she ached for.      She shakes her head and bites her lip. "I don't know. It could be too late now. I hope it's not too late."      "You're leaving soon, aren't you?" Ralph asks quietly.      She looks up at him and nods. "Yes, I need to get back… while there's still a little bit of time left. I don't even know if there is any time left. But I have to try."      Ralph sits back in his chair, his arms folded in front of him. "You know, it sounded like I was joking when I said you should dump both those guys, but I meant it. Neither one is right for you. Either one you choose, he's going to keep hurting you over and over again."      She raises her eyebrows. "Well, I guess that's a chance I'll have to take, huh? If I didn't try… God, I would kick myself for the rest of my life and wonder what could have happened."      He leans forward and takes both her hands in his. "Listen, Melinda, I've gotten to know you pretty well this past week. You've told me a lot about yourself and your life. I won't lie. I've grown fond of you. Very fond of you. You're a beautiful, smart woman who has been hurt over and over by a bunch of heartless men. All these guys-your father, Wayne, Greg-they've used you and taken advantage of you. And you seem to want to keep subjecting yourself to it. I'm telling you that you don't have to.      "I wouldn't hurt you, Melinda," he says finally.      She gently lifts her hands away from his and smiles gently. "Ralph, I am flattered, I honestly am…"      He sits back a bit dejectedly and shakes his head. "You won't even consider it, will you? Here's another situation where not taking a little risk could leave you wondering 'what if?' for the rest of your life. It's right here, right now."      She considers him, her brow furrowed. "You say you know me, Ralph," she begins slowly. "Well if you did know me, you would understand that this is something I wouldn't do." She watches his expression, trying to read his true reaction. She sees his eyes darken a bit, but then it lifts.      "Well, I can't force you," he says, smiling. "You know how I feel. And that's as much as I had hoped."      She leans back and smiles, relieved.      "What do you say we head out to that carnival now?" he asks.      "Let's do it," she grins.