wrong with what you can do. There?s nothing wrong with you.?
?Plus, I bet you?re real good at making s?mores,? Ariadne added.
?But the real question is, can she do it without liquefying the
chocolate?? Jason asked, like he was some kind of s?mores guru.
Helen looked from face to face, her heart aching a bit with gratitude
to find nothing but acceptance and compassion wherever her
eyes landed.
After all the talk of French fries and s?mores, everyone had junk
food on the brain, so they headed to a local mom-and-pop burger
shack by the beach. When Helen and Lucas got up to the counter,
the cashier reached out to touch Helen?s necklace.
?It?s a sea horse! I love sea horses,? the woman enthused, raising
her hand to touch it, and dropping it again in embarrassment.
Helen thanked her?because she would have felt rude if she
didn?t?put in her order with Lucas and then they sat down in one
of the booths, where they looked at each other, confused.
?Your necklace isn?t a sea horse, it?s a heart,? Lucas disagreed
vehemently.
?What are you talking about, Luke?? Hector said, sounding disparaging.
?Helen?s necklace is a cockleshell. Always has been, although
I just noticed it today. Weird,? he said, twisting up his face
in confusion.
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?Nuh-uh,? Jason said with a disagreeing grimace. ?It?s a strawberry.
I was just looking at it this morning.?
?Heart,? Lucas insisted.
?Has everyone lost their minds? She?s wearing a golden key with
pavé rubies on the top,? Ariadne said, reaching out to touch it.
?Which, by the way, I think is so lovely.?
Helen, still a little punch-drunk with dehydration, got up and