The rest of the afternoon unfolded in that strange, suspended way that only happens when something big has alreadyhappened and something bigger feels like it’s waiting just out of sight.
Beth slid her sunglasses down her nose and stared at me. “You’re just … casually meeting the mayor tomorrow?”
“I’m not meeting the mayor,” I said, even though that was exactly what it sounded like. “It’s more like a thank-you. A handshake. Maybe a photo.”
Natasha hummed. “That’s still a meeting.”
I groaned and leaned back in my chair, letting the sun warm my face. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”
“No,” Beth agreed. “But the universe clearly thinks you needed it.”
“I was fine before.”
“You were hiding,” Natasha said gently.
That landed harder than I expected.
I watched the pool for a moment—ripples catching light, the slow rhythm of people moving in and out of the water. A woman swam laps with determined focus. A couple laughed as they dipped their feet in, splashing each other like teenagers. It all felt normal. Grounded. A sharp contrast to the way my phone now felt like it contained a second life I hadn’t signed up for.
“I don’t want it to become a thing,” I said quietly. “I don’t want people dissecting me. Or turning it into something bigger than it was.”
Beth softened. “You helped someone. That’s all it has to be.”
“And if it becomes more?” Natasha asked.
I thought about that. About the conversation with Wyatt that morning. About how stepping forward on the boat had felt different from anything I’d studied or trained for. Immediate. Physical. Necessary.
“Then maybe I let it,” I said. “Just enough.”
My phone buzzed again—this time a text.
Wyatt:Hope your pool day is treating you right.
I smiled before I could stop myself.
Me:It is. I may have accidentally gone viral.
Three dots appeared almost instantly.
Wyatt:I saw.
My stomach flipped.
Me:You did?
Wyatt:Hard to miss when half the internet is calling you a hero.
Me:Please tell me you didn’t read the comments.
Wyatt:I did. And?
I laughed, the sound easing something tight in my chest.
Me:Reporter wants to talk. Mayor’s office, too.
There was a pause this time. Longer.
Wyatt:You okay with that?
