But instead of fighting, Dad just said, “Well never mind, we all come to the Lord in our own way.” And he sounded so reasonable and all that it was like I was part of the wrong family because Dad was never reasonable. Mom wanted to say more things. She always did. But I guess we all looked so relieved that Dad was being reasonable that she just said, “Shall I read another chapter?”

And we all said, “Yes.”

Mom sat back in the deck chair and we all sat on the towels and listened to the story about the footprint in the sand and how Robinson Crusoe got his man Friday.

When the chapter was done I walked up to the Pensione Biea to see Jennifer. She was lying on her bed all propped up on pillows. Next to her was a bowl of fruit and a bottle of San Pellegrino mineral water. Her foot was bandaged and was up on a pillow. Jennifer had on the same white nightgown she had been wearing on the path above Portofino when we met in the moonlight. Her mom and dad were on the beach so we were alone. “How are you?” I said.

Jennifer answered by holding out a bunch of grapes and saying, “Have one.”

I sat down on the chair next to her bed and said, “When are you going to be able to come out again?”

“I’m not. We’re leaving two days early since there’s no point me sitting in bed here.”

“You mean you’re leaving today?”

“No. Tomorrow morning.”

Then we sat awhile and ate some grapes and I swallowed all the seeds because I didn’t want to spit them out in front of Jennifer. She spit her seeds out right into the wastepaper basket like it was a game.

“What am I supposed to do with you gone?” I said.

Jennifer spit some more seeds, then said, “I suppose you’ll have to amuse yourself for a change!” And she spit a seed at me and winked.

“Well, I don’t think it’s funny. I’ll miss you, a lot.”

“You’re very sweet. By the way, is your mum off her onion?”

“Why?”

“Because,” Jennifer said, “she stands on beaches and prays for an hour or two with people’s fathers and these people’s fathers come into their daughters’ room and say they’ve met a religious lunatic.”

I couldn’t think of what to answer so I ate some more grapes and swallowed more seeds.

“Jennifer, will you give me your address so I can write to see how your foot is?”

Jennifer spit out another seed and said, “Is that all you want to know?”

“Well, what’s wrong with that?”

“You’re not thinking of visiting us in England on your school hoi’s are you?”

“Why, wouldn’t you be glad to see me?”