We had known each other for seven years, but it was here, by the water, that we talked least and understood most. The chlorine smell, the wet tiles, the way her laugh echoed off the fence—these things became a language.
I nodded. By the pool with Shalina wasn’t a plan. It was a place we kept going back to, because some conversations don’t need words—only still water and someone willing to sit beside you in the quiet. If you meant something else—such as a scene for a story, a personal reflection, or a prompt for a different genre—please clarify, and I’d be glad to help further. by the pool with shalina
She smiled, small and knowing. That was Shalina—always letting silence do the heavy lifting. We had known each other for seven years,