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“Even right up until the day I left, my parents thought I wouldn’t get on that plane.” She folds her hands in her lap. “For them, I’m an anomaly, a disappointment. They would never say it that way, but I’ve taken a path that they can’t understand. And I’ve dragged my five closest friends in the world along for the ride.”
I wish I could have done that. I wish I could break these bonds of familial duty. Follow my own dreams, live here at the house, keep up the vines, stroll in the garden, take midnight swims.
Natalie had expectations of her, and she decided that despite the consequences, she had to live her own life. When I look at her now, her hair shining in the moonlight, I no longer see only an American girl with a lot of guts, but a woman who’s made choices I should have made years ago.
“You are brave,” I tell her.
“Oh, stop.” She waves me off.
I place my wet hand on her bare knee, the heat of her skin burning into me. “I mean it. You’ve done things that I’ve never been able to, and that takes courage I have yet to find in myself.”
She remains warm despite the cool air. As I touch her, the little hairs on her arms begin to prick. Is that because of the breeze? Or is there something else happening here? It’s as though her warmth is spreading to me.
“Olivier,” she whispers as my resolve is melting.
I thought I placed a high enough fence to keep me from wrapping my arms around her now. I want to pull her into the water, hold her, kiss her under the moonlight.
It’s taking every ounce of willpower in me not to do it. I jump back into the pool, treading water. I’ve got to cool myself down.
“Come in with me,” I tell her. “Just for a swim.”
“Oh, no, no, no,” she says, shaking her head.
“You said it yourself. The water is wonderful. Come, jump in. Keep your dress on. Enjoy this moment.”
“That sounds lovely, Monsieur Dubois. However, I think I really ought to get going. I interrupted you, and that was really rather rude of me, so I’m just going to leave you to, um…” She lifts my hand off her leg and holds it in front of her.
Our hands entwine, her fingers folding into mine. And then she pulls it away.
“Yes, yes. That’s right. I’ll leave you to your swim.”
“Oh, come on.” I splash her and she squeals.
“Stop it!”
“See? The water’s great.” I splash her again, creating a pool around her. “You’re already wet. You might as well come.”
“No, no.” She moves to stand up. “Quit it! I’ll see you in the morning, and you just—”
Her feet slip in the water and then she loses her balance. Finally, in slow motion, she falls sideways into the pool.
“You see?” I say, laughing. “I told you the water’s great.”
She splashes her hands, staying under the surface.
“Come on, then. Quit goofing around. Let’s do a couple of laps under the moonlight.”
Her arms thrash left and right, her chin barely coming above the surface and only for a moment before she goes down again.
“Natalie?”
She gasps a mouthful of air and continues splashing.
“You can swim, can’t you? Natalie!”
Where’s she gone? The moonlight isn’t enough for me to see under the surface as the water whips about.
She crests, her arms hammering one more time at the surface and then she’s fully submerged..
