He doesn't know what to answer. I can see it in his eyes. His fingers are helplessly playing with each other, and I'm sure he's doing everything not to be overwhelmed by his despair.
I nod toward Sophia. "That little person over there, for example. Don't you think she could make you just as happy as playing the piano?"
Suddenly, he looks straight into my eyes.You can't help me, his eyes say. And maybe he's even right about that.
We don't know each other. We're only spending a single summer together. After that, our paths will diverge again.
"The world is full of wonders. We just have to be willing to see them."
Did I just say out loud what my father's voice whispers in my head? What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be doing this. And even less should I feel this warm sensation in my chest because I've made Josh smile with exactly those words.
"There's more to you than meets the eye," he says in a tone I can't categorize.
Much more, but not much good, I would like to respond, but this time I manage to hold back. Anyway, I've already said and done more than enough. A change of direction is urgently needed here before things happen that should never happen.
Even though it's hard for me, I pull up the corners of my mouth. "Enough with the moping. We're here to have fun." I push myself up and dust off the sand from my light blue summer dress. "Come along."
He looks at me incredulously. "Where to?"
"We're going swimming." I put as much seriousness into my voice as I can.
"It's too cold." He shakes his head.
Does he really think that I want to dive into the icy waves? It may be that I try to coax a little magic out of every moment. But I'm not that crazy.
Still, I don't show it. This game is just too much fun. "Oh, once you're in the water..." I clap my hands. "Come on, it'll be fun."
His eyebrows rise. He knows I'm bluffing. But he doesn't know how to react.
I look at him invitingly. "Whoever lets go..."
"...has their hands free."
Incredible, but now he's smiling. For the first timesince I've known him, he seems content. I could lose myself in that smile. Dreamily, I push a strand of hair out of my face. "Whoever gets to the sea first gets to stay dry," I say absentmindedly.
A smirk spreads across his lips. "Then get ready to go for a swim."
A twitch runs through his body.
My God, he's serious. He's going along with the game!
Before I even understand what I'm doing, I start sprinting. I stumble barefoot through the sand, heading for the sea. But I don't get far before Josh catches up to me. He wraps his arms around my body and whirls me up.
"Got you," he breathlessly whispers into my ear.
I let out an uncontrolled shriek as he starts spinning around with me. Soon, Sophia is there too, happily joining in. And all of a sudden, my world is filled only with warmth, uninhibited laughter, and the sound of the sea.
