The alligators have been here. They've always been here and we've always opened our beaches. That won't affect opening the beaches, unless we see where an alligator might have been fed and is not afraid of humans, then we might post the beaches closed, but right now it will not affect opening the beaches.

We've got quite a few alligators out here, as a matter of fact, and they're a lot of fun to watch when you see them out here in the lake, but we haven't had any problems with the alligators.

The low water does concern us with our beaches, so we'll be looking at that this week and hoping that we'll get some rain so we can open this weekend. But we'll be putting the word out towards the middle of the week this week.

God, I wish, for the millionth time, that I could be like her and Nic, so sure of what they have, what they want. That I didn't always feel jangly, restless, primed to jump off a bridge and let the current carry me away.

The combined odors of Cass's subtle aftershave and the disgusting reek of Nic are overpowering. I wonder if Cass will keel over and I'll have to perform CPR. This speculation should not feel so much like a fantasy.

Is Jase already gonna marry you?”

I start coughing again. “Uh, No. No, George. I’m only seventeen.” As if that’s the only reason we’re not engaged.

“I’m this many.” George holds up four, slightly grubby fingers. “But Jase is seventeen and a half. You could. Then you could live in here with him. And have a big family.”

Jase strides back into the room, of course, midway through this proposition. “George. Beat it. Discovery Channel is on.”

George backs out of the room but not before saying, “His bed’s really comfortable. And he never pees in it.