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"Hello," I said, still floating on my back

Conrad dipped his toe in "It's kind of cold to swi loudly "Just juet it over with"

They looked at each other Then Jere leap and cannonballed in, and Conrad followed right behind hi splashes, and I sed a ton of water because I was s, but I didn't care

We swam over to the deep end, and I treaded water to stay afloat Conrad reached over and pushed esture, but Jeree of the pool

For a second I felt sad, and then suddenly, out of nowhere, it came to me A memory, pressed in my heart like a leaf in a book I lifted my arms in the air and twirled around in circles, like a water ballerina

Spinning, I began to recite, "Maggie and milly and molly and ie discovered a shell that sang / so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles, and / uid fingers were--"

Jere / which raced sidehile blowing bubbles: and / may came hoe as alone"

Together, Conrad too, we all said, "For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) / it's always ourselves we find in the sea" And then there was this silence between us, and no one said anything

It was Susannah's favorite poeo--ere on one of her guided nature walks where she pointed out shells and jellyfish That day we marched down the beach, arms linked, and we recited it so loudly that I think oke up the fish We knew it like we knew the Pledge of Allegiance, by heart

"This ht be our last summer here," I said suddenly

"No way," Jeree this fall, and you have football cae and Jere to football ca to do with us not co, that Susannah was sick, that shethat tied us all together

Conrad shook his head "It doesn't matter We'll always come back"

Briefly I wondered if he meant just hiot quiet again, and then I had an idea "Let's ether