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wait all morning while he throws a tantrum.”
    “He knows the plan —” she shrugged “—and he’s an adult.”
    “What are you suggesting?” Mark asked seriously.
    “Wait a couple of hours —” she took a deep breath “—if he’s not back, leave.”
    Mark was about to protest, but he thought about it , and the idea of a few days without Stewart’s constant complaints sounded like an excellent idea. There were plenty of small resorts for him to stay in, and Mark was certain that Stewart had plenty of money with him.
    “Maybe you’re right .”
    She opened her mouth suddenly and then said, “I’m sorry. I forgot—I need to go somewhere quickly before we leave. Don’t worry, I won’t be long.”
    “W hat? I thought you didn’t even know anyone here?”
    She didn’t answer for a moment, and then a little awkwardly answered, “It’s personal.”
    “Sure, alright, I didn’t mean to be nosy—” probably a female thing “—can you do me a favor while you are gone? I have to get the gear ready.”
    “Yes, what is it ?”
    Mark quickly scribbled a note for Stewart explaining his plans, “Will you give this to the guy at the harbor office? Stewart will no doubt go there when he sees the boat missing.”
    “No problem.” She smiled sweetly and left.
    When she got to her destination, she inspected the area to make sure that she was not being watched, and then walked into a small building.
    On her way back, she opened the note Mark had given her, and read it. She paused for only a moment , before crushing the letter in her hand and throwing it into a trash can.
     
    ***
    It took two days to reach their destination. By the time they had arrived, it was too late in the evening to begin diving. Mark had to admit, the days had been more pleasant without Stewart‘s objections. Ashlyn was friendly and fun, as well as highly intelligent and beautiful.
    Mark had an unusually high IQ , which made it hard to find people who were interesting to talk with. She was clearly intelligent, and didn’t pretend to be helpless as many women did when they were with him. He hadn’t had the chance to get to know her well, mostly because of Stewart’s continued hostility. Mark was looking forward to finally having the opportunity.
    The sun was just setting with perfect weather, so they ate dinner up on the flybridge. Several dolphins had been following the boat for a while and began jumping near their anchored vessel. They took pictures of them until they ran entirely out of light, then they watched the stars come out one by one.
    The absolute darkness of the nearly moonless night made the stars look like diamonds in the sky. The boat was rocking gently from the small swells of the calm sea. The Milky Way was extremely bright, and they counted the shooting stars.
    “Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Ashlyn sounded like a child on Christmas morning.
    “It’s a meteor shower.”
    “It’s so incredibly beautiful,” Ashlyn said, mesmerized by the scene.
    “This isn’t actually a very large shower. There’s going to be one in December that will be huge in comparison to this one, and if I remember right, the moon will only be a sliver. No light to get in the way.”
    “I hope I can watch it with you,” her smile was infectious, and he found himself hoping that she would still be there too.
    He had been avoiding relationships for the last few years, but that night he realized how enjoyable it was to be with someone, to be with her.
    “Do you get along well with your parents?” he asked.
    Ashlyn didn’t immediately answer, and then she spoke softly, “I never knew my parents. I was raised in a kind of group home. My grandfather took me with him for that one year that I told you about, and then he died.”
    “You don’t have any other family?”
    She shook her head; a pained expression masked her face.
    He didn’t say anything more. A lthough he had never been close to his parents, at least he had