Ella always came out of the ocean feeling stronger. It was so good to feel salt and sun on her skin, the ground under her own, tough bare feet.

She was barely conscious of the slight sense of disappointment as Pond House came into view, the nervous awareness of having to deal with people again.

There were still voices coming from the back yard.

Not Judy and Tante this time.

Judy and Lee.

“It’s asking for trouble, Lee,” Judy was saying.

“Leaving it here is what’s asking for trouble,” Lee said. “And she can’t even take down that picture in the kitchen?”

Lee’s voice was, as usual, rather loud. Mom said she could be “horribly bumptious.”

“That’s Artie’s mother,” Judy said quietly. “He might have something to say about it. His father put that picture up. And put in the stone.”

“Huh.” Ella had read in novels about people “snorting” but had never actually heard anyone do it audibly before. “If he makes a fuss that’s just Artie being Artie, tearing up the pea patch like he does. Everyone knows he was raised by his father and his Aunt Kitty. He doesn’t even remember his mama.”

The other thing Mom said about Lee was, “…and the worst part is, she’s usually right.”

Judy laughed, which Ella knew was her usual way of responding to something she wasn’t sure how to take. “But Lee,” Judy said, “Tante wants it to stay. It meant something to Artiste, so of course it means something to her. It’s her way of mourning him.”

Lee said something else, but for once she’d lowered her voice, so Ella couldn’t catch all of it, and wasn’t sure she’d heard right.

It sounded as though Lee had said “more like she’s scared.”

Ella walked around the house, making an effort to be heard.

“Why Ella!” said Lee. “Judy mentioned you were here. Did you have a nice swim?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

Lee frowned. “Aren’t the currents a bit strong? I mean, people have drowned here!” Ella saw Judy wince.

“I’ve never had any trouble,” said Ella.

There was the sound of the kitchen door opening and shutting, and Tante emerged carrying her trea tray. She set it down on the little table rather hard, almost as if she were angry.

“Would you have some tea, Ella? I’ll add some Anisette, if you wish, just like you like it. When I was your age nothing was better after I’d spent time fighting the waves.”

“No thank you. I should get to class.” Ella tried vainly to imagine Tante not only young, but swimming.

“Mom told me to tell you she’s having Pop’s shrimp stew tonight and she’ll be by to pick you up for dinner at about six.”

“There now, shrimp stew just like at the Rose!” Exclaimed Judy. “How can you pass that up?”

“You should go, Tante” Lee said. “You’re getting skinny. You need to eat more.”

“I am not skinny!” exclaimed Tante.

“No, of course you’re not,” said Judy, giving Lee a warning look.

“But you know, Artie probably made it because he knows it’s your favorite. It would be rude not to have at least a little.”

“That’s true, he did,” said Ella, which wasn’t quite a lie.

Lately, he’d begun bringing it home for Tante from the restaurant when he had extra. He’d noticed, like everybody else, that Tante was, indeed, getting thin and it worried him. “And Mom would really like some company, since Pop and Lucas are going to be working tonight, and I’m going to be at the Institute. She hates eating alone.”

“D’accord,” said Tante. “Your mother is kind. Now go in and take a shower before you catch a chill, Cherie”

“Thank you Tante.”

Good. She wouldn’t have to go back home to say Tante was being difficult about dinner. Once she’d washed away the salt and sand, dried off and changed, she could hop on her bike and pedal straight to class with less risk of Mom noticing her beach bag.

She wasn’t actually hiding her swims from Mom and Pop, but she wasn’t sure how they’d feel about it if they knew.