I stood. Walked to the edge of the pool. She held out a hand, and I took it. Her palm was warm, incongruously warm against the cool air rising off the water.

" (from the series Dating My Stepson ) which features a cast member named .

“Fear of the deep end,” she continued. “Fear of the dark drain at the bottom. Fear of what’s under the surface, even when you know— know —there’s nothing there but chlorine and a vacuum cleaner.” She finally looked at me, one eyebrow raised. “That’s the human condition, isn’t it? Invent a safe little world, then invent monsters to fill the parts you left unlit.”