“No, I left him.”

“But why? Did he have someone else?”

“So cynical! No, he didn’t. Or not as far as I know, anyway. I suppose anything’s possible.”

“I don’t ever want to get married,” said Alicia.

“Fair enough. You might feel differently when you’re older though.”

“No I won’t. Men are horrible. And the ones that aren’t horrible are boring. That’s the only two kinds of men there are. Boring ones like my dad and horrible ones like – like your husband.”

“He was probably more in the boring camp actually, but it’s an interesting theory. Maybe I’ll try a horrible one next time.”

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“I’m not laughing, I’m giving it some serious thought.”

“Let’s swim out further.”

Ava glanced back towards the beach. “We’re a long way out. Are you sure you want to?”

“Are you scared?”

“No, of course not, but… ”

“Then let’s keep swimming,” said Alicia.

She had never swum this far from shore, ever. She should be freezing, but she only felt it when her arms or shoulders broke through to the air. If she stayed beneath the waves she’d be safe. Ava’s arms and legs moved with the smooth confident strokes of a machine, scissoring and flexing, scissoring and flexing. How far would they go? Her arms were growing heavy.

“I know this married man,” said Alicia suddenly. “He’s cheating on his wife. She doesn’t have any idea.”

“That’s a pretty shitty way to behave.”

“He is shitty, that’s just the right word for it. They both are, him and his – his lover. They must be, both of them, to do that. And they both know it too. Well, she does, anyway. But she can’t make herself stop.”

“How do you know? Surely she hasn’t told you all this? Alicia, are you all right?”

“It’s just it’s a long way back,” Alicia quavered.

“Oh Alicia, I’m so sorry. I’m so selfish. I wasn’t thinking.” Ava trod water and looked at Alicia’s face. “Are you scared?”

“No. Yes. Yes, I’m scared. We’ve come too far.”

“No we haven’t. It’s all right, I’m here with you.”

“I can’t get back, I can’t. I’ve come too far, it’s too late.”

“There’s always a way back.”

“Look how far away the beach is. Look at it. How am I going to swim back all that way? I can’t do it on my own.”

“But you’re not on your own, you’re with me.” Ava grabbed her hand and held it tight. Alicia clung to her desperately. “We’ll get back together. Come on, swim with me. Just five strokes.”

“I can’t do it. I can’t swim back.”

“You can swim five strokes. There you are. Now another five. And now another five. Good girl.”

The rhythm of swimming calmed Alicia’s panic. She forced herself to breathe.

“What if we can’t make it?”

“We’ll make it.”

“But what if we can’t?”

“I swear I won’t let you drown. Five more. That’s it. Now five more.”

They swam slowly on. The ebbing tide clutched at their legs like a tired child.