“THANK YOU,SIMON.” SHE WHISPERED QUIETLY.SIMON ONLY SMILED,HIS BLUE
         
         EYES SPARKLING WITH JOY.CLAE STOOD UP AND OFFERED SIMON HER HAND.HE
         
         TOOK IT AND THEY WALKED TO THE RIVER.MOST KIDS HAD INDEED GONE SWIMMING,
         
         AND SURE AS HECK,TRACI WAS PLAYING MARCO POLO WITH THE OTHERS.LAURI HAD
         
         STRETCHED COMFORTABLY IN A SUNNY SPOT AND WAS GETTING A TAN.CLAE LOOKED
         
         DOWN AT SIMON WHO WAS TRYING NOT TO CRY.HE LOOKED AT THE WATER,HIS BRIGHT
         
         EYES BLUE AND SCARED.
         
           “HOW OLD ARE YOU?” SHE ASKED QUIETLY.SIMON SMILED.
         
         “SIX.” HE ANNOUNCED PROUDLY.
         
           “YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO SWIM... .DO YOU?” CLAE ASKED GENTLY.SIMON BIT HIS

         LIP AND SHOOK HIS HEAD.
         
           “OH.WELL COME ON.I’LL HELP YOU LEARN.” CLAE COAXED.SIMON’S HAND WENT OVER

         HIS MOUTH AND HE LOOKED AT HER FOR A MOMENT.
         
           “I HELPED KIDS AT THE YMCA LEARN TO SWIM.” CLAE SAID NODDING.SIMON LOOKED
         
         AT HER AND STUDIED HER FOR A FULL MINUTE.HE BENT DOWN AND SCRATCHED HIS
         
         LEG.HE PULLED OFF HIS SHIRT AND LIFTED HIS ARM UP TO CLAE.CLAE PEELED OUT
         
         OF HER SWEATER AND WADED IN,SECURELY TAKING SIMON’S HAND.THE WATER WAS
         
         LUKE-WARM AND A CRYSTAL CLEAR SHADE OF BLUE.SIMON STOOD AT THE WATER’S
         
         EDGE AND PAUSED.CLAE LOOKED BACK AT HIM.SHE SMILED AS BRIGHT AS SHE COULD
         
         AND TUGGED LIGHTLY ON HIS HAND.
         
           “I WON’T LET’CHA GO.I PROMISE.” CLAE SAID GENTLY.SIMON STILL LOOKED A

         LITTLE UNSURE.CLAE LOOKED DOWN AT THE ONE CARAT DIAMOND THAT GRACED HER
         
         RIGHT INDEX FINGER.IT HAD BEEN HER SWEET SIXTEEN PRESENT.SHE LOOKED AT IT.

           “COME HERE,SIMON.” SHE SAID.SHE KNELT IN THE ANKLEDEEP WATER.SIMON
         
         
         CAME UP TO HER.
         
           “SEE THIS RING?IF I LET GO OF YOU,YOU CAN HAVE IT.IT’S VERY VALUABLE.”