How It Feels to Float

Biz has always managed to stay afloat. Her mother, her twin siblings, her close circle of friends, and Grace all keep her steady, and her father, who died when she was six, remains a presence in the stories she hears about her younger self. Still, she keeps quiet about the murky thoughts that drift through her head, about her feelings for Grace, about the new boy Jasper, and about her dad. Keeping things on the surface feels safer, and she tells herself that everything is fine.

Then a day at the beach changes everything. First in the ocean and then in the sand, something happens that loosens the lines that have kept Biz grounded. Her father seems to slip away, and the comfort he gave her goes with him. She wonders whether it would be easier to drift away entirely, or whether she should hold on a little longer and try to bring him back. Perhaps there is a third option, one she cannot yet see.