Melinda spends the next few days relaxing by the pool and strolling in the tropical gardens. She has been forcing herself to try and deal with her problems with Greg, Wayne and her father. By now she has come to a few key conclusions. One is that she had to see her father again. No matter what had happened in the past, she owes him and herself another chance. As for Greg and Wayne, she knows she has to make a choice, and the choice is getting clearer and clearer every day. Now she has to figure out how to put all the pieces back together and not hurt anyone's feelings, especially her own. And that is the tough part. The details of what she will do never seem too far from her mind.      Every afternoon, Melinda spends an hour with Ralph during his lunch break. Sometimes, he even sneaks time off of work to sit with her by the pool or walk her through the resort's extensive gardens. As they walk, Melinda slowly reveals her problems to him. He listens attentively but doesn't say much, for which Melinda is thankful. Rehashing her story aloud gives her a perspective she had never allowed herself to see before. She had started from the beginning, telling Ralph of how she first met Wayne at her grandmother's house and how their relationship had grown from there. Each day, she tells him a little bit more, going into details she had almost forgotten. It feels like a deep cleansing; she imagines herself washing out old wounds and allowing them to heal for good.      "I'm glad you're talking to me about all of this," Ralph says on Friday afternoon, as they feed the koi in one of the gardens. "I think it's good for you."      She looks at him out of the corner of her eye and frowns a bit. "I can't help but think that listening to all of this must get a little boring for you! Heck, I'd probably get sick of hearing someone go on and on about people I didn't know-"      He turns to her, puts his hands on her shoulders and gently forces her to face him. He looks into her eyes intently, a serious expression on his face.      "Melinda, spending time with you is never boring. Never. I don't know what I'm going to do once you finally decide to leave here. I think I'll go crazy or something."      She laughs a little, shrugging off his hold. "Oh, I don't think so, Ralph. You'll find yourself another girl to flirt with," she says, her eyes dancing.      "No," he says. His voice is quiet yet eerily firm. "Never, Melinda."      The smile fades from Melinda's lips as she considers him. He has a fierce look in his eyes. 'He truly believes that,' she thinks. She nods slightly, taking him seriously. "Ok," she says simply.      She turns back to the fish and resumes feeding them. Watching the fish bob to the surface, she realizes that she feels a bit uneasy. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but Ralph's reaction didn't sit well with her…      "Damn, hour's up," Ralph announces. His voice sounds cheerful again.      Melinda turns to him and smiles. "I'll see you tonight, then! I'm very much looking forward to this," she says.      He grins. "Me too! It will be nice to spend more than an hour in a row with you! I've been waiting for this all week."      He kisses her on the cheek and turns to leave. "Remember, 6:30!"      She raises her hand to wave to him. "I won't forget," she says, watching him walk towards the pool area. She thinks back to how quickly his manner had changed and how he had changed back to his normal, happy self just as fast. 'Maybe he's having a bad day,' she thinks. 'It can't be easy dealing with demanding tourists every day.'      "I'm sure that's it," she says aloud. She throws the last of the fish food into the pond and then heads back to her room.