I smiled at the mental image of him running across the quad after two floating leaves.
“It’s not funny.” He smiled too, but then it faded. “I figured it was a sign. Then the very next day, I got this.” He touched it—touched me, actually, because my hand was still there. “So I would never lose it again.”
“You covered it when we swam.”
“Yeah.”
“I wish I could offer you some assurance,” I said, taking his hand in mine.
“Eh. I just have to grow the f**k up, I think.”
“Me too. I told Coach just today I was a new me.”
“I like the old you.” He let me hold it.
“Most of him is still there. The same for you. I can tell. I think if we have some time together…not just a moment or an hour, we’ll get to know each other, maybe for the first time since when we were kids—big, naked, hormonal kids i
