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And then I thought I was dead. There was this angel with red hair...."

"I don't know that I'd call her an angel," I said. "A spirit, maybe."

"Are you a spirit too?"

"Me? Oh, no! I'm just a normal--well, I'm just a person. So, do you ... remember everything?"

She pulled her ponytail forward and played with the end. "Not much. Just a few pieces here and there. I remember pink pills. And sleeping. Then I was kind of floating, up by the ceiling. I saw you go out of the room, and then later you came back. And there was this lady--I guess it was your mom. She looked worried. And this girl walked in."

Here she froze for a moment. When she started speaking again, her voice was soft, almost hoarse. "It was me--the girl. She looked just like me. That's when I thought I was dead."

I looked back at her father. He smiled at us.

"You were never dead," I said. "You just... became part of a greater whole for a while. We're all connected, in a way. Only most of the time, we don't know it. Does that make sense?"

She considered. "No."

"It's probably best if you don't mention this to anyone," I said.

She nodded. "Nobody would believe me anyway."

"Just so you know," I said. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I mean, I didn't do it on purpose."

She smiled a little. "It's okay. It worked out in the end."

Her father was arranging things in the back of the SUV. "Your dad seems nice."

"He is. I still can't believe he's here."

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"I sent him an e-mail," I told her. "You know ... from you." Was there anything else she needed to know? "Oh! And you saved a kid from drowning yesterday. If anyone mentions it, just smile and nod."

"But I can't even swim!"

"It's all in the mind. Trust me. So ... it's okay? The custody and everything?"

She tossed her ponytail behind her shoulder. "The lawyers still have to fight over the details, but yeah, we'll get a lot more time together. He talked to my mother this morning. Her ship was in, like, Crete or something. She knew she was busted. She said me and my dad could be together till she gets back."

"I'm really happy for you." I put my hands in the pocket of my hoodie and touched rubber. I pulled out the flip-flop. "I almost forgot. I lost the other one on the beach. I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it." She shrugged. "I never liked them much anyway. A little too girly, ya know?"

I slipped the shoe back into my pocket.

Larissa's father closed the back of the SUV and strode over. He put his arm around Larissa and kissed the top of her head. He looked like her: same mud-colored eyes, same straight nose, same oval-shaped face. His lips were thinner, though, and the pieces didn't fit together quite the same way. Genetics are a funny thing.

"Say good-bye to your cat for me," Larissa said.

"I will."

"You're lucky you're not allergic," she said. "And from what I could see, you're lucky about a lot of things." I nodded. She was right.

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***

28

I ran into Nate at the end of the road.

"Dude," he said, his eyes searching. "Is she still here?"

I shook my head. "You just missed her." It was true: The tan SUV had passed a minute earlier.

Nate's face fell. He stuck his hands into his red hoodie (we matched) and pulled out a pink flip-flop, the mate to the one in my own front pocket.

"I was going to give her this," he said.

"I'll take it," I said, reaching for the shoe. "She gave me the other one to hold on to. You know, in case this one ever showed up."

The rubber flip-flop felt surprisingly warm, almost magical. The pink and orange petals at the V matched the clouds that framed the setting sun. The storm had never made it to land, but the clouds painted a spectacular sunset.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the other shoe, and then I dropped them both onto the sandy street.

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I kicked off one sneaker and then another. "Do you think they'd fit me?" He gazed at the shoes.

"It's funny." He tilted his head back up. His eyes were so green. "I wouldn't have guessed that you and Larissa would wear the same size, but they look like they'd be perfect." With the sun behind him, his golden curls glowed orange at the edges. He looked like an angel.

"Try them on," he said, smiling. "I think they'd look good on you."

In the rosy glow of the sunset, on that cool and sandy street, I took a deep breath and stepped into the pink shoes.

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