Dear Peter,

Being friends with someone you want to marry is difficult.

I'm not saying that as an exaggeration -- have you met this man? I swear, he could go up to any girl and get down on one knee and she'd throw herself into his arms and beg him to take her to whatever dreamland he came from.

Anyway, no marriage in my future, Peter. You don't get a cool pirate uncle. You'll have to make do with Uncle Brett.

You might be a little confused. Well, you're young, Peter. These things are sort of complex, but I bet you can handle it. Besides, who knows how old you are, now? You could be a big boy reading this, for all I know. I can't imagine you turning five, let alone ten and eleven!

So, my explanation: Robin and I decided to be friends. Just friends. See, sometimes it's easier to be friends than to be in love, Peter. Less commitment, less hurting, less worrying. When I was sick? I nearly gave Robin a heart attack. Can you imagine what a state he'd be in if I keeled over and died?

Same with me, at this point. I'd be down for good if I lost him. That's why we decided to break it off. We need to be less attached to each other.

Honestly? I don't see how I could stop loving him. I guess it'll happen naturally. We'll grow apart when he goes back to The Aceituna. He'll find himself a nice Cuban girl and sail with her while I make do on my own.

Love is so difficult, Peter. I've already decided I'm not doing it again.

I just had a weird thought. What if you older than eleven now? What if you're a teenager?! What if you have crazy, raging hormones?!

Gah. Here's my advice Peter: Don't let anyone tell you that you're too young to be in love. I think you can be in love at any age.

That being said, you'd better stay a virgin until you're thirty two, mister, or Aunty Olive will come after you with a sword. Got it? Good. Y'all kids need to learn to control yourselves.

On a serious note, I hope you find love, Peter. I hope it's easier for you than it's been for me. One thing I've learned: when you find that person, and you're sure of it, hold on and never let go.

Hm. I wish I could take my own advice. But there's exceptions, Peter. This is one of them. As much as I want to cling to Robin for dear life, I have to weigh it out. I can't stand to hurt him, and staying with him will only do just that.

I'm sorry, Peter. I'm making this all seem so hopeless. The truth is, there's love out there if you just look for it.

              At least you'll always love me, right?

                                   -Aunty Olive xoxoxo

XXX

Amelia had never felt so light and warm and safe.

Aboard this ship of torturers and murderers and kidnappers and thieves, she felt so secure she wanted to cry. She had never felt such a complete safety as what she felt now. She never wanted to leave this little pocket of warmth floating amid the destruction and despair her life had become.

She kissed Peter again and again, as though she could kiss the life back into him. His fingers tangled in her hair, leaving a tingling trail down her scalp. "I love you," she murmured into his lips.

He pulled away, eyes drifting shut with a sweet little smile playing across his mouth. "I love you too," he said. "Have for a long time."

Holding his mangled face in her hands, Amelia fell back in time.

They were back in sixth grade on the night of their school dance. Peter had dug a tie out of his brother's closet that somewhat matched her sea-green dress. Her mother dropped them off at the front door, saying, "Have fun!"

Peter started to take her arm. Then he hesitated and held the door for her instead. Amelia walked through, her palm tingling in disappointment.

They walked together into the gym, the pumping of music no one would dance to shaking their centers. The boys stood to the right, near the food. The girls stood to the left, waiting to be asked to dance.

Peter lifted an eyebrow. "Guess I have to go," he said, pointing to the hoard of tween boys nibbling on cookies and glancing nervously at girls they liked from across the room.

Amelia felt tempted to take his hand and say, "No you don't. Come with me." She didn't. Instead, she waved goodbye and went to join her disappointed friends on the other side of the room.

"Melly!" cried Sara. "Omg, you and Peter are so cute."

She shrugged, trying to hide her grin. "He's just a friend."

"No way," Ashley said. "He even got a matching tie. He's gonna ask you to dance, just wait."

In school, if a boy asked a girl to dance and she said yes, that automatically made them a couple. This, Amelia knew, so when she heard Ash's words and thought they might be true, her heart began to race.

Megan sighed. "Zach told me he likes me, but he's just standing over there like an idiot. Look, he has crumbles on his shirt." The girls giggled at Meg's slob of a crush while Amelia scanned the room for Peter.

And sure enough, across the empty dance floor strode Peter, his posture relaxed and confident as ever. The other girls fell silent.

Peter drew nearer, his face covered in that easy grin of his. "You wanna dance, Mel?" he asked, extending his hand. "Didn't you say this was our song?"

She suppressed a grin, listening to the jealous tittering of her friends behind her. " 'Course," she said. "Let's go."

Peter led her away from the pack of girls, not giving any of them a second glance. Amelia grinned, listening to the opening chords of their song. "Did you ask them to play this?"

He shook his head. "Nope, it's just fate."

They danced to House Of Gold like normal kids for a little while, a good foot of space separating them. Amelia felt the burning eyes of her friends on her back when Peter stopped her, draping his arms around her waist. She wrapped her around his neck, her heart racing at the closed distance between them. They swayed together, pressed right against each other.

"Relax," Peter whispered.

She took a deep breath, leaning her head on his shoulder. She felt dozens of eyes on her back, watching her and Peter rock back and forth on the dance floor. Amelia didn't know much about slow dancing, but she figured this was it.

Peter's hair tickled her ear, his lips fluttering over her shoulder. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she kept silent, wishing for the song to keep going.

But soon, the song ended. A brief moment of silence ensued, then more loud dance music filled the air. Peter held her for and extra second before unclasping his arms from her waist, red rising to his cheeks when he realized every eye in the room had fallen upon them.

"C'mon," he said, taking her hand. "This is lame. Let's get out of here."

So they slipped out of the gym and laid in the courtyard, searching for constellations in the sky until the dance was over.