“How are things going this semester?” she said. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

The pause was so long, Kate thought he wasn’t going to answer. When he finally did, she was relieved.

“You were right,” he said. “About my being afraid to fail.” He smiled and she saw a glimpse of the old Brody. “If you tell anyone I’ll have to come after you.”

Kate held up her right hand, palm out. “I promise.”

Brody sank onto the sandy wooden step, and Kate eased down beside him.

“Teaching is what I want to do,” he said. “I think switching from major to major was a stall tactic because I was afraid I’d get out in the real world and fail. If you hadn’t shown me that, I would have been a college student the rest of my life.”

Kate breathed a laugh. “Nah, you would’ve figured it out.”

“Yeah, when I was thirty and on my tenth major.”

Kate was glad something positive had come from her time here, because everything else was a disaster.

Silence fell again. The seagull flapped its wings, flying away, growing smaller on the horizon.

“I’m still afraid,” Brody said. “I guess that makes me a total wuss.” Kate traced a dry crevice in the step with her index finger. “It’s fear that makes an act courageous, you know.”

Brody drew in the sand with his big toe. “Huh. Never thought of it like that.”

“You’ll make a great teacher, Brody. I hope we can stay in contact.” Kate huddled against the cool wind, tucking her knees close to her.

“Sure. There’s always e-mail.” He looked at Kate. “What about Lucas?”

Her heart wobbled at the mention of Lucas’s name. “I suppose e-mail is out for him, huh? I guess we can keep in touch by phone.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

He wasn’t playing the part of Kate’s brother-in-law now; he was a little brother watching out for big brother. She envied Lucas having a sibling that looked out for him.

“Lucas will be fine,” Kate said. “It—it wasn’t like that between us.”

The words felt soiled coming out. It may have been true at one time, but not now.

It hasn’t been true for weeks.

“It’s best that I leave.” What would happen to her heart if she stayed? She’d already lost it to Lucas, and what hope did they have for a future together?

Brody nodded thoughtfully.

Kate let silence fill the space between them, let the sound of the surf rushing the shoreline fill the gap.

“Well,” he said, “at least you won’t have to fight your fear of heights anymore.”

Kate smiled, remembering all the rooftop meals they’d shared. She elbowed Brody. “Fear of falling,” she corrected.