Last winter, Phillip and she had gone to dinner. They had drunk too much bourbon, and on the walk home he pushed her against a brick wall and ran his hand up her skirt. She let him, but when he nuzzled her neck and whispered he loved her, she stiffened and pushed her hands against his chest. “No, you don’t,” she said, and when he insisted, told her he had for months, she twisted out of his arms, told him he was drunk, and took him home. They never spoke of it, and she passed it off as drunk-speak, but she knew he was earnest, had felt his sincerity curl around her like an octopus.

“It’s good to see you too,” she said. She fingered the pile of grass she had made and shifted uncomfortably. “I’m seeing someone,” she blurted. “A guy. A man.” She stumbled and couldn’t look at him.

“Oh.” He paused. “That’s great. That’s … really great.”

She was wearing a skirt, and she thought about the erasersized bruises high on her right thigh.

“He’s a doctor …. He’s Indian” She tugged at her skirt.

“Dots or feathers?” he asked.

She looked up at him and slapped his knee. “Indian like from India.”

He laughed and nodded, and she was thankful.

“You know him through Mary?”

“Kind of.”

“That’s great.” He paused again. “And … you’re happy?”

She felt oddly protective, and she wanted to change the subject. “Where’s Tyler?” she said.

“They’re under the slide.”

She looked and could see Tyler in the shade doing something with Katie’s hair. She heard Katie shriek, and she was glad to get off the subject of Devesh.

“Tyler,” she yelled. “What are you doing?”

She waited for Tyler to answer, but he didn’t.

“What are they doing?” she said to Phillip.

He shrugged. There was a long pause, and then he said, “Look; it’s okay with me. The guy, I mean. I’m happy for you. If you’re happy …”

Katie shrieked again and then there were giggles.

“I’m gonna see what’s going on,” she said, and walked across the hot sand. She was surprised at how difficult it was for her to talk about Devesh, and not only with Phillip. The other day, she had simply mentioned Devesh’s name to a classmate and immediately tensed, as if discussing him would make whatever was between the two of them dissipate like a spoken birthday wish.

She walked around the jungle gym and heard Tyler’s voice. “Lay still,” he said. Josie felt her body jolt.

“And don’t talk,” he said.

Next to the slide was a hollow cement cylinder that had been turned into a hideout, and when she crept beside it, she could see in and under the slide and still be hidden.

“Don’t move,” Tyler said. His voice was strong, and she almost didn’t recognize it.