While I was going through all these contortions, I noticed that Stacey and Mal were doing just the opposite. I was bundling up like an

Eskimo settling in for the winter, and they were getting ready to soak up the sun. Stacey slipped out of her cover-up and stretched out in a skimpy blue bikini. I had to admit she looked great. Her skin was the color of maple sugar, and her sun-streaked hair tumbled halfway down her back. And Mal, in a bright two-piece suit (blue bottom and striped tank top), was turning a golden brown. Her skin was catching up to her freckles.

Stacey was busily applying Sun-Lite to her hair (can you get any blonder than blonde?) when we heard the shout.

"Mary Anne! Stacey!" It was definitely a masculine voice.

"What in the world — " Stacey began.

I turned around just in time to see two teenage boys and half a dozen little kids racing toward us. The kids looked young — even younger than Margo — and I couldn't figure out who they were. Then I recognized the boy in the white cutoffs and the green-and-white-striped top. "Ohmigosh!" I cried. "It's Alex."

"And Toby," Stacey added, scrambling to her feet. "Wow," she said softly. "Doesn't he look gorgeous?"

He did. Except I couldn't really concentrate on anyone except Alex. I hadn't thought of

him a lot since we'd said good-bye, but I felt a jolt when I saw him now. He looked wonderful.

"Mary Anne! How are you?" He was at my side then, a little out of breath. He was tall, with brown hair, and had a great smile. How could I have forgotten that smile?

"I'm fine. How are you?" I smiled back. Alex took a step toward me, as if he wanted to sweep me into a big bear hug, and then he seemed to remember we were surrounded by kids. It was like the Munchkin scene in The Wizard of Oz.