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the truck. The truck smelled like oil and exhaust and fish. Without me asking, Reggie stopped in front of my old house, and we got out.
    We said good-bye and stood by the side of the road. The house looked small and empty and sad. There was a For Sale sign in the front lawn. “This is where I grew up,” I said.
    â€œCan we go in?”
    â€œNo,” I said. “Maybe some other time. This isn’t what I brought you here for. C’mon.”
    I led her to the church first. As we walked up the front steps, she looked puzzled. “It’s a church,” I said. “It’s the only one here. I thought we should get married.”
    She looked totally stunned.
    â€œJust kidding,” I said and laughed.
    â€œDo people have weddings here?”
    â€œSure. My parents got married here.” But as soon as I said it, I wished I hadn’t.
    â€œWatch this,” I said. I dropped my board, pushed for a blast of speed on the top smooth surface, lifted and took the rail for a perfect board-slide down the full length and then a short drop to the sidewalk below.
    â€œYou ever get hurt doing that?”
    â€œLots of times.”
    â€œBut you didn’t give up?”
    â€œNever.” And with that, I ran up the steps and did it all over again.
    â€œYou only have to fall four hundred and fifty three times before you get it right. It just takes practice,” I said.
    â€œYou counted how many times you wiped out?”
    â€œI think I had a new scar for each time. That’s how I kept count.”
    The door to the church opened then, and Reverend Darwin walked out. “I thought I heard a familiar sound,” he said.
    â€œReverend Darwin, this is Jasmine.”
    He smiled at Jasmine. “Welcome. You know Quinn taught me that miracles canhappen. He proved that he could defy the laws of physics right before my eyes.”
    The door to the church was open now, and you could see the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows. “Can we go in?” Jasmine asked.
    â€œOf course,” the minister said. “Anyone can go in any time. The doors are never locked.”
    We walked inside. Jasmine was blown away by the quiet beauty of the sanctuary. “It’s so beautiful,” she said.
    â€œAnd so empty,” the reverend added. “We barely had twenty people here last Sunday. Would you like some tea?”
    â€œSure,” she said.
    And we were led to the office in the back where Reverend Darwin made us tea. He and I reminisced about “the good old days,” before the town began to die. When we left, I felt both calm and sad. I made one final board-slide down front, with Reverend Darwin in attendance, and I led Jasmine down to the shore.

chapter ten
    â€œI think I’d like to live in a place like this,” Jasmine said.
    â€œMost people want to move away from here. Looks like most people
have
moved away from here.” There were way more empty houses than I’d expected.
    â€œIt’s like going back in time,” she said.
    â€œAnd that’s a good thing?”
    â€œYeah. It’s a real good thing. I love everything about this place.”
    When she said that, it made me feel good because I knew that it wasn’t just that she liked the town. She liked where I had come from.
    We followed the footpath out of the village and through a grassy field. “And now for the main event,” I said. “Close your eyes.”
    She closed her eyes, and I led her further along the path until we came to the rocks. The Ledges. The ultra-smooth, sea-sculpted, rock formation by the ocean. “Open,” I said.
    When she opened her eyes, she blinked a couple of times, and then she understood why I had brought her here.
    â€œThis is where I learned to skate,” I said.
    Parts of the Ledges were smooth and slick and rounded with small hills and valleys. Other parts were layered and, in places, looked like steps.