Susan sat, dripping, on the bench. Lucy swam laps around the pool as her instructor timed her and shouted encouragement. Lucy was definitely getting better at her swimming, and with the end of her last lap, she turned toward Susan and smiled.

It took Susan a moment to realize that Lucy was looking at her. She waved and half-smiled at Lucy, watching as Lucy caught her breath and prepared for her next set of laps. Susan tried to pay attention to Lucy's training, but her mind wandered as it had many times in the past few months. And just as before, it was about Narnia.

As she thought about it, she was yet again reminded of her disappointment. During the Christmas holidays, her siblings had spoken eagerly of their past adventures, despite the teasing of their bothersome cousin Eustace. For Susan, however, their eagerness only brought back a familier ache in her heart. She had not, as Lucy believed, overcome her pain, and every new discussion was like pouring salt on an open wound. It upset her that she could not participate in these conversations as happily as she once did. She felt as though her siblings were ignoring her, and while she knew this was far from the truth, it gnawed at the back of her mind.

Susan tried to tell herself that Narnia was only a figment of their imaginations. At first, she had not really believed this; it was only a method of escape from her discontent. She had even felt guilty whenever the thought crossed her mind, but when it did, the familier ache in her heart eased a little bit. This became a sense of comfort for her, and now, the more she said it, the more she believed it; the more she believed it, the less guilty she felt. She no longer thought of Narnia as an adventure, only as an imagination. With that delusion came consolation; she could not mourn for being unable to return to a place that did not exist.

Susan's thoughts were interrupted by a wet plop on the bench next to her. Lucy grinned proudly. "Did you see how fast I did those laps? My instructor says that I'm getting much better."

Susan smiled back. "You certainly are. However, I think you need to work on your breaststroke."

Lucy laughed. "Well, I have a few more days to work on it." This was the girls' last week at school; the summer holidays would begin the following week. "I'm trying to savor my freedom as long as I can," Lucy continued. "You and Peter are so lucky that you don't have to go stay with Eustace next week."

Susan nodded. Peter was spending his holidays visiting their dear friend Professor Kirke, and Susan was traveling with her mother to America. Lucy and Edmund, unfortunately, were going to stay with their Uncle Harold and Aunt Alberta in the country. Of course, that meant Eustace would be there, too.

"Don't let him get to you, Lu," said Susan. "You know he doesn't even have the courage to stand up to you, much less Edmund."

"I'll be glad when you and Mother come back from America. I always love it when we are all together."

Susan was dreading the inevitable mention of Narnia and was relieved when the swimming instructor called Lucy back to the pool.

I used to love it too, Lucy.

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Author's note: The main purpose of this chapter is to explain why Susan feels the way she does and how it's affecting her relationship with her siblings. It also sets the stage for the events that happen in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Read and review, and be nice, please!