“Every day is busy at the shop. We’re getting ready for First Thursday Arts Walk. But I’m never too busy for you.”
“It’s okay. Swear.”
“Should I come in later and help?” asked Camille. She and her mother were partners at Ooh-La-La, a bustling home-goods boutique in the center of the village. Business was good, thanks to locals looking to indulge themselves, and well-heeled tourists from the greater D.C. area.
“The staff can handle all the prep work. The three of us could have a girls’ night in. How does that sound? We can watch a chick flick and do each other’s nails.”
“Gram. Really. I’m okay now.” Julie edged toward the exit.
Cherisse sighed. “If you say so.”
“I say so.”
Camille put her arm around Julie. “I’ll call you later, Mom. Say hi to Bart from us.”
“You can say it in person,” said a deep male voice. Camille’s stepfather strode over to them. “I came as soon as I got your message.”
“Julie’s okay.” Cherisse gave him a quick, fierce hug. “Thanks for coming.”
Camille wondered what it was like to have a person to call automatically, someone who would drop everything and rush to your side.
He gathered Julie into his arms, enfolding her in a bear hug. The salt air and sea mist still clung to him. He was an old-school waterman who had a fleet of skipjack boats, plying the waters of the Chesapeake for the world’s tastiest oysters. Tall, fair-haired, and good-looking, he’d been married to Cherisse for a quarter century. He was a few years younger than Camille’s mom, and though Camille loved him dearly, Papa owned her heart.
After the bear hug, he held Julie at arm’s length. “Now. What kind of mischief did you get yourself into?”
They walked together toward the exit. “I’m okay,” Julie said yet again.
“She got caught in a riptide,” Camille said.
“My granddaughter?” Bart scratched his head. “No. You know what a riptide is. You know how to avoid it. I’ve seen you in the water. You’ve been swimming like a blue marlin ever since you were a tadpole. They say kids born out here have webbed feet.”
“Guess my webbed feet failed me,” Julie muttered. “Thanks for coming.”
In the parking lot they parted ways. As Julie got into the car, Camille watched her mother melt against Bart, surrendering all her worries into his big, generous embrace. Seeing them caused a flicker of envy deep in her heart. She was happy for her mother, who had found such a sturdy love with this good man, yet at the same time, that happiness only served to magnify her own loneliness.
“Let’s go, kiddo,” she said, putting the car in gear.
Julie stared silently out the window.
Camille took a deep breath, not knowing how to deal with this. “Jules, I honestly don’t want to stifle you.”
“And I honestly don’t want to have to forge your signature on permission slips,” Julie said softly. “But I wanted this really bad.”
She’d been blind to her daughter’s wishes, she thought with a stab of guilt. Even when Julie had pleaded with her to take surf rescue, she’d refused to hear.
“I thought it would be fun,” Julie said. “I’m a good swimmer. Dad would have wanted me in surf rescue.”
“He would have,” Camille admitted. “But he would have been furious about you going behind my back. Listen, if you want, I can work with you on surf rescue. I was pretty good at it in my day.”
“Oh, yay. Let’s homeschool me so people think I’m even more of a freak.”
“No one thinks you’re a freak,” said Camille.
Julie shot her a look. “Right.”
“Okay, who thinks you’re a freak?”
“Try everyone in the known world.”
“Jules—”
“I just want to do the class, Mom, like everyone else. Not have you teach me. It’s nice of you to offer, but that’s not what I want, even though you were a champ back in your day. Gram showed me the pictures in the paper.”
Camille remembered the triumphant photo from the Bethany Bay Beacon years ago. She had big hair, railroad-track braces, and a grin that wouldn’t quit. She knew taking the course was not just about the skills. Surf rescue was such a strong tradition here, and the group experience was part of the appeal. She remembered the end of the course, sitting around a bonfire and telling stories with her friends. She remembered looking around the circle of fire glow, seeing all those familiar faces, and there was such a feeling of contentment and belonging. At that moment, she’d thought, I’ll never have friends like this again. I’ll never have a moment like this again.
Now she had to wonder if she was robbing her own daughter of the same kind of moment.
“Your mom let you do the class,” Julie said. “She let you do everything. I’ve seen the pictures of you surfing and mountain biking and climbing. You never do any of that stuff anymore. You never do anything anymore.”
Camille didn’t reply. That had been a different life. Before. The Camille from before had grabbed life by the fistful, regarding the world as one giant thrill ride. She had thrown herself into sports, travel, adventure, the unknown—and the greatest adventure of all had been Jace. When she’d lost him, that was when after began. After meant caution and timidity, fear and distrust. It meant keeping a wall around herself and everything she cared about, not allowing anything or anyone in to upset her hard-won balance.
“So, about that permission slip,” Camille said.
Julie lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I’m sorry.”
“If I wasn’t so scared by the accident, I’d be furious with you right now.”
“Thanks for not being furious.”
“I’m going to be later, probably. My God, Julie. There’s a reason I didn’t want you to take the class. And I guess you found out today what that reason was—it’s too dangerous. Not to mention the fact that you shouldn’t be sneaking around behind my back, forging my signature—”
“I wouldn’t have done it if you’d just let me take the class like a normal kid. You never let me do anything. Ever.”
“Come on, Jules.”
“I kept asking, and you didn’t even hear me, Mom. I really wanted to do the course, same as you did when you were my age. I just want a chance to try—”
“You took that chance today, and look how that turned out.”
“In case you’re wondering, which you’re probably not, I did great at the first three sessions. I was really good, one of the best in the class, according to Coach Swanson.”
Camille felt another twinge of guilt. How could she explain to her daughter that she wasn’t allowed to try something Camille had been so good at?
After a few minutes of silence, Julie said, “I want to keep going.”
“What?”
“In surf rescue. I want to keep going to the class.”
“Out of the question. You went behind my back—”
“And I’m sorry I did that, Mom. But now that you know, I’m asking you straight up to let me finish the class.”
“After today?” Camille said, “You ought to be grounded for life.”
“I have been grounded for life,” Julie muttered. “Ever since Dad died, I’ve been grounded for life.”
Camille pulled off the road, slamming the car into park alongside a vast, barren salt meadow. “What did you say?”
Julie tipped up her chin. “You heard. That’s why you pulled over. All I’m saying is, after Dad died, you stopped letting me have a normal life because you keep thinking something awful is going to happen again. I never get to go anywhere or do anything. I haven’t even been on an airplane in five years. And now all I want is to take surf rescue like everybody else does. I wanted to be good at one thing.” Julie’s chin trembled and she turned away to gaze out the window at the swaying grasses and blowing afternoon clouds.
“You’re good at so many things,” Camille said.
“I’m a fat loser,” Julie stated. “And don’t say I’m not fat because I am.”