“Here,” Anne holds out a Coke to me as she comes out onto the balcony. 

“Are the other two already in bed?” I ask her and try to gather my wild curls into a plait. 

“Yes, Hannah's not feeling any better yet. She's slept all afternoon so far. And Chloe is still reading her favorite book. Although I don't understand what she finds so exciting about Game of Thrones,” says Anne and sits down next to me. 

“Don't you like reading that much?” I ask her as I finally manage to tame my hair. 

“We have to read so much at school, I don't feel like it at home,” says Anne and opens her Sprite.

“No, I could never get bored of reading. I love immersing myself in stories and forgetting everything else around me,” I say and look out into the darkness. Only the light from the lighthouse is still visible. Otherwise, the whole island is quiet and has disappeared into the darkness. 

“What do you want to forget?” Anne asks me carefully and I pause for a moment before answering. 

“You know, sometimes life seems very sad and difficult to me. The books I read talk about joy, hope and love. None of it feels heavy or sad in any way.” Anne looks at me the whole time I'm talking. 

I look at her and feel heard and safe in that moment. 

“Do you want to go on?” she asks me, not looking away. I look back at the lighthouse. 

“My grandfather always teases me about my passion for books. He tries to convince me that life is much more exciting and beautiful than the stories I read. So far, he hasn't succeeded.” I look away from Anne and the lighthouse and try to wipe away the tear that runs down my cheek as inconspicuously as possible while I'm talking. 

“I like your grandfather,” Anne says quietly and scoots closer to me. I allow her closeness and look at her again.

 “My grandfather is ill” I whisper and before I can finish the sentence Anne leans over to me and hugs me. I bury my face in the soft yellow sweater she's wearing and try to hide my tears. 

I've never said this out loud before and it hurts. But the warmth and Anne's embrace catches me and lets me keep breathing. Anne holds me even tighter and time seems to stand still. Only the light of the lighthouse, which keeps coming on, shows me that time is still running. 

“Thank you,” I say quietly, my face still buried on her shoulder. 

“Buddies are always there for each other,” Anne says with a smile.

“Buddies?” I ask back with a slight smile and slowly release myself from her embrace. 

“Of course! As dive buddies, you're bonded for life and responsible for ensuring that your buddy always finds their way out of the darkness of the water.” she winks at me. “Everything okay?” 

“Everything's okay. Thank you for listening to me. I know you don't really know me but it somehow felt right to tell you.” I reply and look at Anne. 

“Always” she says and looks at me lovingly. Her big brown eyes and her look trigger a feeling in me that I can't quite place, but it feels good. When I look out to sea again, I spot Sid in the sky. 

“There's Sid, do you see him?” I point my finger into the darkness. 

“Spotted him a long time ago,” Anne says teasingly and nudges me with her shoulder. “I have a name, by the way”.

“Oh yeah? Because I have to approve it first. After all, I'm the chairwoman of the star explorers.” I teasingly reply.

“Yeah, don't worry. I'll tell you what it is. But I think we should get to bed now. We don't want to risk another sprint in the morning.” 

I laugh out loud. “When are you going to tell me?” I ask Anne quietly as we walk into the room. 

She pretends she can't talk because the others are asleep and disappears into the bathroom. When she comes out again, she simply disappears into the bedroom without a word. 

In the bathroom, I look in the mirror and see a red, puffy but happy face. Never in my life have I been so quick to confide my inner self to someone. I usually sort things like this out with myself and now there's Anne, who just makes me feel good. As I take off my sweater and slip into my pjs, I can still feel her embrace, as if she's still holding me.

 After I've brushed my teeth, climbed into bed and snuggled up, I ask again. “When, Anne?”. 

It remains quiet downstairs. Has she already fallen asleep? 

“During our next balcony conversation” comes the answer quietly from downstairs. 

I turn to the side, smile and answer, “Tomorrow, then”. 

I fall asleep with a warm and fuzzy feeling.