We sat for a minute like that. Jasper was sipping her water, and I was still trying to catch my breath, but also trying to decide whether to tell her about the mural on the ceiling of the garage. It felt important—that my dad was painting something, and that he was doing it alone, in secret—but I wasn’t sure exactly why or what it meant. And I knew it wouldn’t sound important if I said it out loud. My dad is painting a cornfield on the ceiling just sounded bizarre inside my head.

Instead I asked, “So, what do you want to do today?”

Jasper set down her bottle. “Hmm. Good question. What are our options?”

“Well,” I said. “I don’t have any especially great ideas. We can sit around here or go wandering. My parents are at home today. Saturday. So it’s probably better to stay away.”

“Ahhh,” said Jasper. “Well, then, besides hanging out with your parents, what would you do today, if you could do anything? Like, if you could make a wish?”

I thought for a minute before I said, “Orlando. I’d wish to go to Orlando.”

“Really?” Jasper said. “Have you ever been to Orlando? It’s not awesome.”

“Hogsmeade, silly,” I said. “Harry Potter world. I’ve never been.”

“Ohhhh, that would be nice,” Jasper said. “But I’d wish for the real thing, if we’re wishing. If we could really go to Hogwarts. Either that or Paris. Or maybe I’d just go swimming.”

I looked up. “Swimming?”

“Sure,” said Jasper. “I haven’t been swimming in a long time. I love to swim. And it’s so hot, and I’m so sweaty and gross. I could use a bath.”

I hadn’t thought about the fact that Jasper didn’t really have any place to shower. “But there is somewhere to go swimming,” I said, standing up and turning around to face her. “We don’t need wishes for that.”

“Where?”

“Just over in Grant Park,” I said.

“Where’s that?” asked Jasper. “Is it far? Is it nice?”

“You haven’t been to Grant Park?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t been anywhere, much.”

“I thought everyone knew Grant Park,” I said. “It’s huge. The zoo is there, and there’s festivals and things all summer long. And there’s a public pool, with a splash pad and everything. It’s less than a mile away.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jasper jumped up from her step. “I haven’t been swimming in forever. Can we go? Please? Right now?”

“Sure!” I said.

“I don’t have a suit,” she said, “but maybe I can just wear shorts?”

“I can loan you a suit. We’ll just have to swing by my house first.”

“But what about your parents?” asked Jasper.