Vance?” he asked, and kissed the top of my head.

I leaned against his chest and felt the steady beat of his heart.

“I was thinking about the fountain,” I admitted.

He squeezed my shoulder gently.

“Does it still hurt?”

And I looked out at the wide blue horizon, and I found, a little to my own surprise, it was true when I said: “No.

Actually, I was just realizing that falling into that cold water might have been the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Julian chuckled softly.