I was startled to see how time managed to get away from us. The sun was still beating down as we sprawled out on the rocky beach, holding hands. I must have drifted off to sleep because I awoke to find my skin as red as the sunset.

"Oh my Lord! Dill!"

"What?" He asked me in a very groggy voice. He must have fallen asleep himself. "Oh shit, Scout!"

"Yeah," I agreed, scrambling to find my dress. I was going to catch so much crud from Calpurnia when I got home. She's going to have a fit about us coming home so late, me being so sunburnt. I look down at my belly as I put my dress back on and I find it is the reddest part of me. Oh great, now she can have a fit about me being out here half-naked too! Atticus as well for that matter. Gee, I never gave him a second thought. Going home tonight is not going to go well.

"It'll all be all right," Dill tells me. He obviously senses what I'm feeling. I'm ready to go by now and he takes my hand but I don't take it this time. I start to sprint as fast as I can.

"What are you running like a mad woman for?"

"The sooner I get home, the less likely I could be killed and if you weren't such a dope, you would be thinking the same!"

"Well hold on! I'm coming!"

He was just as fast as I was and it wasn't too long before he was along beside me again. I giggled as we realized how we were huffing in harmony. We didn't say another word to each other until we hit Alabama Avenue in front of Miss Rachel's house. Amazingly nobody was out on their porch right now. It felt nice to not have an audience around for the verbal whipping I was sure to get.

"Goodnight, Scout," Dill says with a kiss on my cheek.

"Goodnight, Dill," I kiss him back. "I hope we're still alive tomorrow morning."

"Scout, if you can survive Bob Ewell, you can survive anything!" I just laugh as he takes off with that comment. I guess he was right. I walk back to my house still with a sense of dread. I solemnly walk up back porch steps and sigh as I walk in. Calpurnia was indeed there waiting for me.

"You look like an over ripe tomato," she said to me in all seriousness.

"I know, Cal," I said. What was I to say?

"I hope that redness and sweat was from the sun."

"Yes'm."

I made sure to look her in the eye on that one. I am not lying and I want to make sure I get that through her head. I know I'm young and I'm in a stage of love I've never understood until now, but I am not totally irresponsible. I don't blame her for being a little apprehensive about my situation but her lack of trust is what really drives me crazy.

"I got some leftover cabbage salad and meatloaf in the icebox for you."

"Thank you but I'm not really hungry right now," I am just thankful she changed the subject.

"You should go get in the tub and clean off," she orders rather than suggests.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," I wasn't lying then either. I walk into the living room and I see Atticus sitting in the rocking chair, reading the newspaper and listening to the radio at the same time.

"Hey, Atticus," I say, quietly. I don't want to disturb him too much.

"Hi, baby," he says not looking up from his paper. I was shocked. He hadn't called me "Baby" in so long that I almost wanted to cry when he said it. I wanted him to repeat himself but I thought the better of it. I just walked away and into my cool bathtub. I knew how to leave a tender moment alone.