“What was her name?” Bette asked.

“Her name was Beth. She was vacationing with her mom and grandparents.”

“Where was her father?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, we spent the whole summer together. Her house was down the street from my house and every morning we would meet at the beach and just play together. One day we were walking on the jetty and I slipped and got the gash on my knee. I was crying so hard and blood was gushing everywhere.”

“Gushing?”

“Okay, maybe not gushing, but I was five. Stop interrupting me. You wanted to hear the story, now shush. Where was I? Blood was gushing everywhere. Beth felt so bad about what happened to me because it was her idea to climb the jetty. She practically carried me back to our moms and laid me on the blanket. She was so strong while I was crying like a baby and then she started crying like she felt my pain.”

“Aawww. Like somehow you were connected.”

“Yes. She comforted me, wiped away my tears, told me it was going to be okay and she held my hand while my mom cleaned the cut. Then she kissed me on the cheek and told me I was very brave.”

“That was very sweet of her. So was she your first kiss?”

“Hmmm. I guess she was.”

“So what happened to her?”

“Well, we spend the whole summer together. On the last day of vacation her mom left to go school supply shopping. Beth and I were playing on the beach and her grandparents called her to come back to the house. Beth said she had to leave because something happened to her mom. She left and I never saw her again. I was heartbroken. Later I found out her mom was killed in a car accident on the way home from shopping. My mom always said that if I wished hard enough I would meet her again and we would be best friends again.”

“You never saw her again? She didn’t come back to say goodbye? How awful.” Bette sat up suddenly and looked at Tina. “T, where did you say this vacation took place?”