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Show Fair Forever 173 'The lighthouse was amazing,' she said. 7 know what I have to do now.' I couidn 't breathe. I tried to say something important. I wanted to say, 7 will sit here on the catwalk and wait, Amanda. And Fair Forever will wait also-down by the dock. And, when you have finally done whatever this thing is you have to do, we will be here by the sea, waiting, me and Fair Forever-patiently waiting. I'm good at waiting.' But I didn't say that. I only said, 7 shouldn 't have let you go.' My voice caught when I spoke. 7 had to go,' she said. She breathed in and closed her eyes. She was making a memory. She let go of my fingers and stood, staring at the lighthouse. She hummed the French lullaby, and then said, 'Cornelius met me at the lighthouse. And he followed me back. I wouldn't have made it without him.' I missed the touch of her fingers. 'When I finally got to the lighthouse, I rested. And cried. And that's when Cornelius arrived, swimming close. I told him I had to go away, far away. He squinted at me and I suddenly understood-he had decided to leave, also. He floated and paddled his flippers slowly. I could tell that he loved the bay this time of year, but I knew he was heading for the Sargasso Sea.' 'The Sargasso Sea?' I asked. 'What's that?' Amanda shrugged. 7 don't know. I just know that's where he is headed.' She looked at me with smiling eyes. 7 told Cornelius that you said he should go to France. She paused. 'And I told him you were right-having come so far north, he should swim out and catch the Gulf Stream across the Atlantic.' 'Maybe he will,' I said. |