The Summer that changed my life forever...

(i think they are still in the hospital--just after essy woke up)

Dakota: "Yeah, I guess." I shrugged. I had told him he wouldn't understand. I slipped out of his arms.

(Wasn't Greg going to get her family?)

Brok: I laughed. "My arms are that bad, huh?"

Dakota: I laughed. "No, I just..." I wasn't sure why I'd wanted out of them, I just had. We'd been standing that way for awhile.

(yeah i think so)

Brok: "Just what?"

(Okay, then maybe he should go get them.)

Dakota: I shrugged, not knowing how to finish my sentence. I wondered how Brok felt about me, and what he had meant by putting his arms around me. Maybe he was only doing it as a friend. I hadn't had a boyfriend or a crush in awhile, and I was forgetting how to read the signals.

Gregory: I led Essy's family back into the room and immediately heard her mother break into tears.

Brok: I shrugged. "Seriously, if it's annoying, I'll stop."

Essy: A pretty lady was smiling at me, but I didn't recognize her.

Dakota: "Annoying?" I laughed. "I pulled away because it was completely the opposite." Okay, that sentence only made sense in my head.

Brok: "Huh?" I asked. "I'm confused."

Gregory: I went to Essy's side and placed my hand on her's. "That's your mother."

Dakota: I thought a moment on how to word this. "I really like you, Brok, but I'm not sure how you feel about me. I pulled away because I was worried you were thinking of the whole arms-thing a different way than I was...does that make sense?" Maybe not.

Essy: "Is she? She's so beautiful."

Brok: I raised an eyebrow. "You're not? Dakota, I really, really like you."

Dakota: "Oh." I smiled. "That's...cool."

Gregory: I smiled at her. "And so are you."

Brok: I laughed. "It's just 'cool?' You're not excited?"

Essy: "Thank you," I said, blushing.

Gregory: I smiled. "You're so very welcome."

Dakota: I raised my eyebrows. "I am excited. What word did you want me to use? That's fabulous! Amazing! Wonderful! Awesome! Better?"

Essy: I turned to the other man beside my mother, but he was silent.

Brok: I laughed, wrapping my arms around her again. "Those are much better words."

Gregory: "That's your father."

Dakota: I smiled and tilted my head back to look at him. "The only word you used was 'really.'"

Essy: "Why is he look away from me?"

Brok: I laughed. "What do you want me to say? I seriously, honestly, and completely like you?"

Dakota: I rolled my eyes. "Okay, I'm satisfied."

Brok: I laughed. "Good, because I am too." I picked the discarded Frisbee up off the ground. "More Frisbee?"