“Look. Aren’t they romantic?” Simon said, pointing out two "re!iesdancing together, their glowing lights making spirals in the dark.“Not necessarily,” I replied. “there are "re!y species where thefemales trick the males into thinking they want to mate, but theyeat them instead.”“Oh, yeah, I think I know a few of them.” Simon laughed”

“I’m a realist,” I replied stubbornly, “not a romantic. Romanticsare always disappointed.”“Maybe they’re disappointed because they’re always surroundedby realists.” Simon countered.”

“#anks for the swim. You are a majestic swimmer,” Simon saidas we neared the walkway to Wind Song.“You talk a lot of crap, you know that?”“I thank you for appreciating my verbal stylings,” Simon replied,with a formal bow.”

“Simon nodded. “You need your beauty sleep.”“Do I?” I said coolly.“I didn’t mean,” Simon stuttered. “I meant…you’re a girl and all.”“Thanks for telling me,”

“I’ll see ya,” I said in a neutral tone. I wasn’t sure whether tobe annoyed by Simon or by myself, or by both of us. “I can walkhome,” I added as Simon trudged alongside me to the walkwayleading up to Wind Song.“I can see that. You’re very talented at it.”

“After that, Simon swam naked every night. By the third skinnydippingsession, I secretly peeled off my bikini top while I was inthe water. It was safe. Simon was splashing somewhere ahead ofme. He couldn’t see. It was an amazing feeling. I felt free. Or at least half of me did.And right then that seemed to "t with the person I felt I was onLong Island: half-cautious, half-spontaneous, surprising myselfwith my random behavior, my sudden moves away from who Ithought I was.“So how was it, your half skinny dip?” Simon asked as I wasdrying off.“You were watching me?” I blushed, horrified.“Just a hunch,” he replied. “Feels good though, right?”I hit him with the towel.”

“Believing is never a waste of time." Simon looked at me intently his eyes flickering. "Even if you're wrong you could have been right. Take me with my painting I don't know if I'm any good. So maybe I shouldn't try because maybe I'd be setting myself up for disappointment. But it's like you looking for old coins on the beach. Whether you find any or not is for bonus points it's the search that counts. It's the belief that they might be out there.”