‘I like your mother,’ I said, as she made her way back up the grassy hill, carrying her shoes in one hand.

Jim looked at me, his brow furrowed. ‘You don’t have to live with her.’

We were quiet for a moment or two and a heron flew low across the water on the other shore, landing in the bottom branches of a tree.

‘I didn’t think I’d hear from you again,’ Jim said. He cleared his throat.

I looked down at my feet in the muddy water. ‘I was ashamed of how I acted.’

‘So what’re you doing here?’ He tossed a stick from the dock, arm brushing against mine.

‘I brought your book back. I didn’t want you to think I’d stolen it.’

‘You came all the way here to return a book? I find that hard to believe.’

‘I didn’t have your address. And we never got to talk about how it ended.’

‘Some ending, isn’t it?’

‘What do you think it means?’

‘I don’t know, Sarah. I don’t know what much means. On the train, I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t want to kiss you; I just wanted us to talk about what it meant.’

I nodded and thought about what else I’d come to tell him. There weren’t words yet for what had happened with Roy and the awfulness of everything. Instead I felt my throat close up, and I shut my eyes tight against the tears that were welling. They trickled out though, betraying me, and there was Jim’s hand on my back.

‘Oh, damn. I’m a disaster. I’m sorry, Jim. I thought I’d pulled myself together.’

‘Hush, now, Sarah, it’s fine.’

‘I left Roy. I’ve been living in DC.’

‘On your own?’

‘Yes.’

‘What happened?’

‘It’s a long story.’

‘I got time.’ Jim rubbed his hands up and down on his thighs and kept his eyes fixed out on the water.

I wanted to tell him, but not then. I didn’t want Roy there between us.

When I didn’t speak, Jim said: ‘So what now? You go back to Australia?’

I shook my head. ‘There was so much I wanted to get away from, so why leave now that I am? Away, that is.’

Jim stood up, stretching his arms over his head. ‘Let’s go out on the boat. You ever been sailing?’

‘No.’

‘Can you swim?’

‘A little.’

‘Well, you probably won’t drown then.’

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