She dreaded it, but she was also curious. What could he want? Probably to tell me I should forget about writing, drop out of college and just become a waitress like my mother. Maya shuddered at the thought, looking back out the window, realizing that the figure by the edge of the pond was her creative writing professor.

On a whim, she decided to go down there. Maybe he would tell her what he wanted.

“Hi.” Maya's voice made him jump and he turned to look at her, startled.

“Oh, hi, Maya.” He stood and pocketed something, brushing his hands off. “I come down here to think,” he said, as if she required some explanation.

“Oh, me, too.” She watched the ducks squabble in the water for the bread that he had been throwing in. “All the time. Great thinking spot.”

They stood there for a moment, and it should have been an awkward silence, but it wasn't. The pond was like glass, and the sun was just beginning to set, giving a fiery, orange tinge to it all. Maya found herself wanting to touch his hand again, and when he looked over at her, she wondered what he was thinking about.

“I saw you from my dorm.” Maya squatted down and held her hand out to one of the ducks. It came toward her, but edged away when it realized she didn't have food. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh?” His voice didn't reveal anything. He was still in his professor role, a little distant.

“About fairy stories…” Maya stood and faced him. He was waiting, his eyes on hers. “When I was a little girl, my dad used to tell me a fairy story. It was about a little ugly duckling, who grew up to be the most beautiful swan.”

He smiled. “I'm familiar with that one.”

“Yeah.” She smiled back. “Most people are. Anyway… my dad left us when I was twelve and my brother was six, and life pretty much completely sucked after that. Nothing was ever the same. I hardly saw him when I was growing up. He was traveling a lot.”