"Her name is Hope?" John asked, the corners of his mouth beginning to tug upwards. "No." I bristled, thinking he was making fun of me. Then I realized I'd been caught. "Well, all right...so what if it is? I'm not going to name her after some depressing aspect of the Underworld like you do all your pets. I looked up the name That was the name of one of the death horses that drew Hades's chariot. And ?" I glanced at the dog, cavorting in and out of the waves, seemingly oblivious of the cold. "I can only imagine, but I'm sure it means something equally unpleasant." "Typhon was the father of all monsters," John said. He'd given up trying to suppress his grin. "The deadliest of all the creatures in Greek mythology." "Nice," I said sarcastically. "Well, I prefer to name my pets something that reminds me there's-" "Hope?" His grin broadened. "Very funny." True, I'd admitted to him that I was inexperienced. But I didn't have to prove it by acting like I was twelve."