■Five years earlier■
The water in the jacuzzi wasn't particularly deep, so the bulge was immediately evident — not just to my eyes, but to Veronica's as well, sitting right behind me.
An awkward silence fell right away.
I didn't say anything — after all, back then I didn't even know what a reaction like that meant — and after a few minutes, she was the one who finally broke the ice.
«It really looks like my little Jacey has become a young man», she said in a light, playful tone.
«A young man…?» I repeated, lifting my gaze slightly toward her.
«Um… well, yes. When boys react this way, it means that…»
Veronica's voice grew more hesitant.
«…it means they're growing up — that you're not a child anymore. To be more precise, it happens when…»
She stopped again, even more uncertain — I imagine it wasn't easy for her at that moment to explain to a boy not even thirteen years old what those natural reactions meant.
«…when you're very close to someone you really like a lot…»
