Joanna swam, feeling the chill of the ocean and the cool early-morning air.

This was her meditation, the single moment in her day when the world outside ceased to exist, but today she couldn’t relax. She moved her arms and kicked her legs, feeling herself flow with the water, but her mind kept revolving through the events of the day before. That call from Nessa. The conversation she’d had with Ashley.

Joanna rolled onto her back.

Poor Ashley. She’d been so upset about it all, and that was understandable. She understood Ashley’s outrage. She understood the desire to stand up and make your voice heard. Hadn’t she felt the same way in the beginning? Experience had taught her it was the wrong thing to do, and she’d done her best to share that experience with Ashley.

The girl had been quiet and thoughtful for the rest of the evening, talking about anything except the forthcoming article, distracting them both with funny stories of her terrible ball skills and the time she’d hacked into the school computer and changed her teacher’s photograph. She’d been caring and solicitous toward Joanna, constantly checking she was okay. It was Ashley who had made food for them both, although she’d eaten very little herself.

Joanna stared up at the sky and allowed the cold water to lap against her limbs.

This was her favorite time to swim, when most of the world was still asleep. There were no lifeguards on this private curve of sand by the beach house. No one who would see her if she found herself in trouble, and that was fine with her. She didn’t want to be seen, and this wasn’t the type of trouble that scared her. She’d learned to swim before she could walk, taught by her father, who had also taught her how to read the water. Do you see that, Jo? The way the water looks darker right there? The calm water? That’s a rip current. Don’t go near it. He’d taught her what to do if she did find herself caught in the current, taught her not to panic, to float and swim across the powerful pull of water instead of fighting it. You can’t swim against the rip, Jo.

She floated now, feeling the sun on her face, enjoying the few moments of peace before a day of turmoil. Then she reluctantly swam back to shore, found the sand with her feet and eased out of the water.