Diesel’s mouth drops open. Looks almost like a grin. I lean in close to him.

C’mon, Diesel. Tell me what it’s like on the other side. What is the all-knowing one like? A man, a woman? A dog?

He wags his tail and licks my face.

You’re never going to talk to me again, are you?

More licks. No thoughts.

“He sure looks happy for someone who nearly drowned.”

Crouching down beside me, Morgan scratches at his ears.

Mom is kissing Dad now.

“Rawf!” Diesel’s not saying anything inside my head, but his dimples show.

Morgan watches my parents. “Saving the dog worked way better than making egg-salad sandwiches.”

“Sandwiches had nothing to do with it — it’s all about the eggs,” I say.

Morgan looks at me strangely, but I just wink at her. Maybe Diesel has put my parents back together again.

A long shadow falls over us and I look up. Simon. “That was some pretty amazing life saving. Your father, Morgan, and you,” — Simon hesitates for a moment, looks directly into my eyes, and says my name as though tasting it — “Naomi.”

“And she just learned how to swim, too,” Morgan adds, and I want to slug her.

Simon kneels down beside us and I feel the flop, flop of Diesel’s tail against my leg, dog applause. “You,” he says, patting Diesel’s head, “sure get into a lot of trouble.”

Diesel keeps panting, that big dog grin across his snout.

Simon stands up again. “We’re lining up on the other side of the restaurant. They’re giving away free ice cream if you want to join us.”

“I think we’re good. We had a big lunch.”

Diesel barks a one-note goodbye. At least that’s what I think it is. Simon heads back toward Su-Ling.

“Just wait till September,” Morgan says.

Diesel looks pretty satisfied with himself. As though he nearly drowned on purpose to bring the pack together. As though he knew all along he would lose the ability to talk to me inside my head.

That’s all right. He doesn’t have to lay it all out for me. I understand. He talked me into adding Morgan to the pack. He showed Mom just how terrific Dad can be.

As long as you don’t run in front of a car, I’m okay with you not talking.

“You’re a smart dog,” I tell him, and his tail flings up sand.

“I wish dogs could talk,” Morgan tells me. “I wonder what he would say.”

“Rawf!”

“You can’t hear what he’s saying?” I smile at Diesel.

“I don’t speak bark.”

I look at my watch. “It’s four forty! Do you see this? My watch is running!”

“Yippee. Time to get a cellphone like the rest of the world.”

“It’s four forty,” I tell Diesel. I lift his ear. “We’re safe,” I say softly. “But you knew that.”

No words from him, inside or outside my head. “We’ve survived.” I stare into his eyes. Still no thoughts.

We’re back to being an ordinary dog and owner. Watching Diesel’s body wag, I try to imagine what he could be thinking. Hurray, we will enjoy more toast together! And walkies! We can play with the flat disc. We can swim. I love my pack!