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It wasn’t until both Josh and Alex had changed into dry clothes
that Alex was able to piece together what had happened. Roger
had cooked both kids hamburgers and fries, and they were all
sitting at a table in the grill area, though neither of them showed
any interest in eating.
“My fishing line got snagged on the boat as it was pulling out, and
I didn’t want to lose my fishing rod. I thought the line would snap
right away but it pulled me in and I swallowed a bunch of water.
Then I couldn’t breathe and it felt like something was holding me
down.” Josh hesitated. “I think I dropped my rod in the river.”
Kristen was sitting beside him, her eyes still red and puffy. She’d
asked Katie to stay with her for a while, and Katie had remained
at her side, holding her hand even now.
“It’s okay. I’ll head out there in a little while and if I can’t find it,
I’ll get you a new one. But next time, just let go, okay?”
Josh sniffed and nodded. “I’m really sorry,” he said.
“It was an accident,” Alex assured him.
“But now you won’t let me go fishing.”
And risk losing him again? Alex thought. Not a chance. “We’ll
talk about that later, okay?” Alex said instead.
“What if I promise to let go the next time?”
“Like I said, we’ll talk about it later. For now, why don’t you eat
something?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I know. But it’s lunchtime and you’ve got to eat.”
Josh reached for a French fry and took a small bite, chewing
mechanically. Kristen did the same. At the table, she almost