I drop down on the pier and reach out. I hesitate for a split second, then quickly snap up the end of the rope. My fingers briefly break the surface, but I hurriedly pull them back. I stand up and pull.

There’s no resistance.

Whatever it was must have fallen off.

The rake head quickly rises out of the water, and dangles from the end of the rope.

No cinderblock. No weeds. No ring.

Damnit.

*

After a quick shower, I change my clothes, and get started on dinner. I’m taking it a little bit easier than yesterday with some chicken and veggies. Caitlyn sits at the alcove, scribbling in one of her new notebooks.

“How was today?” I ask while sautéing some vegetables.

“It was okay,” she says in a manner that suggests it was not.

I stop tossing the vegetables. “What happened, sweetheart?”

“Nothing.”

“No. Not nothing. Come on. Tell me.”

She fidgets and puts down her pencil.

“Caitlyn?”

“A boy was making fun of me at recess.”

“A boy was making fun of you?”

“Yeah. Peter Sanders.”

“What happened?”

She fidgets again.

I turn off the burner and go and sit across from her in the alcove.

“Sweetheart?”

“He was making fun of someone and I told him to stop.”

“That’s good, Caitlyn. That’s what you should do. Did he stop?”

She’s trying not to look me in the eye.

“… No.”

“Did you tell Ms. Hancourt?”

“… No.”

“Do you want me to talk to Ms. Hancourt?”

She quickly shakes her head.

“Are you sure?”

She nods.

“Okay, but you tell me if you want me to talk to her, okay?”

She nods again, but I can tell she’s not going to do that.

It’s probably because I’m a little bit raw after these last few days, but this pisses me off. Screw this Peter Sanders kid.

“And if he still doesn’t stop, maybe you show him who’s boss. You know, rough him up a little bit.”

She looks at me with her jaw dropped, which I’ve earned. Even I can’t tell if I’m joking, but she would never do that. Caitlyn is far too nice and caring, but I want her to know I’ve got her back, and I’m sure I’ve said the right thing because her shock melts into a smile.

“Okay, besides the smelly Peter Sanders, how was the rest of school? You have any homework?”

“Yep.”

“All right, dinner’s going to be ready in a few minutes. Let’s get started.”

*

We knock out her homework as we eat dinner. Her assignments are light. After all, it was only the first day of school. Most of it is orientation stuff.

Then, it’s some boardgames and a movie on the couch.