"Can you feel this spot?" She asked, tapping her sandal to the cement. "Is it hot?"

I blinked. "The ground?" I placed my hand there and told her it was fine. She kicked off her sandals and shorts, and I didn't wait for her to inch her way down the steps. I reached out and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her in, causing us to fall into the deep water. She surfaced with a splash to my face.

"So much for mindful," she laughed, wiping her face.

I floated to her. "You're tougher than you know."

"Not tough enough to play Marco Polo."

"No?" I circled my arms around her, leaning in toward her ear, "Then what would you like to play, Topolina?"

Her hands briefly fell on my shoulders. "How about we finish the game from earlier? You never got to say what your gift is." Briefly because the moment she latched on to me, with my arms around her, nature and need began to form a partnership. I kissed her cheek and let go.

"No no one bothers with me because what do they know about me?"

"Being a doctor is your career choice, not a gift."

"But that's what they'll expect me to say," I argued.

"Who cares?" She mocked.

"Okay, well, what if I don't know what it is outside of healing people?"

We bobbed and waded as she thought. Her fingers graced mine and I longed to reach out, pull her closer. Her hips to my hips. Hold her and stare into her eyes as she talked.

I kept my hands to myself.

"Then I have bad news for you." She finally said. "You're going to have to keep me around, so I can point it out for you at every chance possible."

"Point away."

"Your gift is hope."

"Have we met?"

She smiled. "You cling to me because you want to believe in something again. It's why I'm here with you. Why you agreed to help me. Your hopefulness never burned out."

"You're here for one reason and one reason alone, Topolina. It starts with white and ends with bow."

She covered her chest. "I knew better than to get in here with you."

I laughed and slid away, pressed my back against the wall of the pool. Everly swam close, holding onto the edge of the pool as she paddled her feet. Her skinny legs caught my attention. Her endless black and blue patches caused me to look away. I wasn't allowed to know those secrets. I hadn't unraveled the mystery yet. And I wasn't allowed to cheat. I closed my eyes and listened to her kick the water.

"Callum Andrew?"

"Everly Anne?

"How did you get my father to agree to this?"

"This might come as a shock, but, your father has a thing for farm animals."

She shoved a wave of water at me. I took her wrist between my fingers and told the truth. "I told him about our plans."

"You what?"

"You taught me to use someone's hope against them. So I did. I hit him where he was most vulnerable; losing you."

"But that makes coming here pointless. Now he knows."

"So you're not enjoying my company?"

She looked away and I was about to release her wrist, but then I caught sight of her hand. Red and blistered with burn.

"Oh, Everly. Your hand. Look."