She was asleep and he wondered whether leaving her was a good idea. But he was so sweaty and hot. Cooling off in fresh water was too tempting. She would be fine if they weren’t gone too long. He grabbed a towel off the pile. “Okay, anybody got a watch?” Nacho raised his wrist. “What time is it?” Marco asked. “Ten,” said Nacho. “We have to be back by eleven, okay?” Marco glanced back at his mom once more. “I don’t want to leave her more than an hour.” “My dad might be back before then. Should we leave a note?” asked Sarah. Marco shook his head. “He’ll figure we’re just looking for food or something. Besides, we’ll be back soon.” He started off toward the trees, everyone falling in behind him. He set a fast pace, not wanting to waste all their time walking, in order to leave plenty of time for swimming. He was tired, and didn’t feel like talking. Apparently no one else did either. Their footsteps, and the occasional swish of foliage as they brushed past, were the only sounds he heard.
