A laminated card in Clara Vane's garment bag at the Sea Herald—advice from a life spent learning to distribute impact in water.

Clara demonstrated the right way to fall at the edge of an empty pool. She had

done this thousands of times. The pool floor was concrete, dust, two leaves, and

a penny flattened green by chemicals. Gary said something no one remembers. Clara

laughed. The motel has covered the pool with plywood. Someone placed the office

aloe on top. No one knows why.