“YOU’VE DONE ENOUGH TO HELP ME.” SHE SMILED GENTLYAND STOOD UP.SHE SKIPPED

         DOWN TO THE OCEAN’S WATERS AND STARTED TO FISH.
         
         
         
         
         
           DAVE SAT THERE A MINUTE BEFORE GETTING UP.HE WATCHED CLAE SKIP DOWN TO
         
         THE ROCKS AND SIT COMFORTABLY.SHE CAST HER BAITLESS LINE INTO THE WATER
         
         AND WAITED.DAVE LOOKED AT HIS POLE AND STOOD UP.HE WALKED TO THE SAND AND
         
         DUG UP SOME SAND CRABS.HE IMPALED TWO ON HIS MAKE-SHIFT HOOK AND CARRIED TWO
         
         DOWN TO CLAE.CLAE SAT IN A RELAXED POSITION.HER LEGS WERE CROSSED OVER THE
         
         OTHER AND SHE WAS LEANING BACK ON HER HANDS.HER POLE WAS SECURELY TUCKED UNDER
         
         ONE HAND.HER HEAD WAS BACK AND HER BLOND HAIR GRAZED THE ROCK’S TOP.HER EYES
         
         WERE SHUT AND SHE APPEARED THOUGHTFUL.DAvE SAT DOWN QUIETLY.
         
           “WHAT IF NO ONE FINDS US? WHAT IF WE GROW OLD HERE,AND I’M FORCED TO
         
         COOK AND HUNT AND CLEAN AND TEND TO EVERYBODY WHILE THE OTHERS SWIM AND
         
         LAURI HAS THIRY-SEVEN CHILDREN.WHAT IF ONE OF US GETS SICK? WHAT IF WE
         
         ALL EAT SOMETHING POISONIOUS? WHAT IF ALL OF US ARE WASHED AWAY BY A TIDAL
         
         WAVE? OR IF WHEN WE GO SWIMMING A G IANT SHARK-” DAVE SHUT HER UP BY
         
         GENTLY PLACING A HAND OVER HER MOUTH.
         
           “I’M SO HAPPY WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO LOOKS ON THE BRIGHT SIDE,WITH US.” HE

         JOKED.CLAE OPENED ONE EYE,LAZILY.SHE LOOKED AT DAVE AND GENTLY BIT HIS HAND.
         
           “BUT WHAT WILL WE DO?” SHE ASKED,NOW VERY SERIOUS.BOTH HER EYES OPENED

         AND FOCUSED ON DAVE WHO WAS SPEARING LITTLE THINGS ON HER HOOK.
         
           “WE’LL DEAL WITH THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES.AS FOR SICKNESS,I’VE NOTICED


         





         TRACI IS EXCELLENT AT DOCTORING.AS FOR IN CASE OF GROWING OLD TOGETHER,I DON’T

         THINK IT’LL BE SO BAD.” DAVE GLANCED AT CLAE,THEN BACK AT HIS IMPALEMENT.
         
           “WHY WON’T GROWN’ OLD TOGETHER BE SO BAD?”