by Kim Hornsby
Fifteen minutes later, Julie was underwater, being pulled along by Tina and Shelley, twenty feet below the surface. Her eyes looked wondrous inside the dive mask. Tina was pleased but was on high alert, watching her student for head nods and eye signals. Every time Tina looked over at Julie, she nodded yes, like this was going well. They swam through a school of lazy white goatfish and stopped to watch two aggressive damselfish protect their coral head like it was Fort Knox. After thirty minutes of exploring the reef’s edge, they were just about to surface when a large green sea turtle swam by, just off to Tina’s left. Following the sea creature for a minute was the perfect ending to a successful dive. Julie watched the TV-sized turtle, Tina watched Julie, and Julie’s family snorkeled above them.
Back in her wheelchair, Julie’s face was glowing with excitement.
“I felt like I was flying,” she gushed.
The next student grinned from ear to ear, ready to go. Tina was ecstatic for many reasons. Firstly, it felt amazing to be a part of Julie’s experience but also, she was thrilled to finally take students diving again. It touched something in Tina to see Julie cry with her family over the fantastical adventure they’d all just experienced. Years of doing this hadn’t dulled the emotion of introducing the most unlikely candidates to diving.
Tina turned to the next student and smiled. “Your turn to experience paradise.” Switching over tanks, she whispered to Shelley, “I love this job.”
Chapter 4
Gavin’s SUV waited curbside at baggage claim when Jamey exited the airport doors. “Aloha, Bro,” Gavin smiled.
The hour-long stretch of interstate highway from Sea-Tac Airport to the small inland town of Carnation was filled with conversation about the brothers’ concern for Pops’ health.
“You’d think he’d quit smoking with that damned machine staring him in the face of his future,” Gavin said.
Jamey was worried about his father sneaking cigarettes and hoped that would come to an end with him staying at the house, watching his dad. When they reached Pops’ house, Jamey stepped from the car onto the driveway and took a deep breath of fresh air. He was home, sweet home. Carnation Washington-- a small town, and a down-homey place to grow up and call his. He mounted the wooden stairs and went inside. “I’m home,” he called. The décor never changed. The place was filled with a seventy-four year-old single dad’s memorabilia. Framed photos of his kids and grandkids, spanning over four decades, covered every surface of every table that didn’t hold dusty ornaments, or fishing magazines. Walking through the hall and into the kitchen, Jamey couldn’t help notice the newest addition to Pops place--an oxygen machine.
When he saw his father hooked up to that thing, Jamey had to choke back a sob. His dad had always smoked cigarettes like his life depended on the nasty habit.
“Hey, Pops. Your driveway needs the potholes filled.” It was their standing joke that Pops saved the job for his youngest son, in hopes of him coming home. Like keeping the home fires burning.
Pops chuckled and coughed, but stood to hug his son. “Saved them for you. I know how you love to do ‘em.”
Jamey’s hug was a little too tight, a little too long, especially since he’d been on Maui more days than planned. “Seems like I just left here and all the chores were done.”
“Two months is a long time when you’re a weed or pothole.” Pops returned to sitting on the vinyl kitchen chair.
“Do you have to use that full time?” Jamey pointed at the machine.
“Just for now. I keep it handy. I guess I’ll take it off if there’s a wedding coming up.” Pops shot a look Gavin’s way, and they both grinned, the joke obvious to Jamey. Pops was anticipating big things between his youngest son and the Maui girlfriend. Secrets amongst this family were pretty much impossible--at least the happy, innocent ones. Jamey figured that everyone knew by now that he was in love with a dive instructor on Maui. What only Pops knew was that Tina was someone he’d known for years. They’d talked about her a week back on the phone.
“Is this the girl who broke your heart before the twins were born?” Pops had asked.
“More like I broke her heart. Remember when I dreamed about her wedding, and dancing with another man? That was her. Yeah, it’s still Tina, always has been, always will be.” Their phone conversation had made Pops as happy as Jamey had ever heard him. “But don’t tell anyone she was my girlfriend when Carrie first got pregnant. I don’t want Carrie or the girls to know. It might make them feel strange.”
Now, two weeks later, he was in his father’s kitchen, telling his dad and brother all about Tina’s strange and horrifying last year. Gavin knew the basics about Jamey’s dream jumping, having grown up in the shadow of his brother and the gift. Jamey sat with tented hands on the wooden table as he recounted the story of Hank’s death. He stared across the table, waiting for a reaction. His older siblings and father had become used to this unbelievable weirdness, ever since Jamey confessed he could do strange things other ten-year-old boys couldn’t.
Pops poured them each a glass of iced tea. “This has been a wild ride for you.”
“The last two months have probably been the weirdest ones I’ve ever experienced,” Jamey said.
Gavin shook his head. “Freaky.”
Jamey nodded. “For everyone involved. Especially for Tina, who never heard of anything like this. At least I had some background with psychic phenomena from years with dreaming and my training with Sixth Force.” Being in the military’s top secret special force, Jamey was used to being shocked by supernatural abilities. “Did Pops tell you that Tina went into post traumatic shock?”
“Yup. She’s doing better now?” Gavin asked.
Jamey nodded and took a swig of his tea. “Katie knows none of this, Gav.” As well as being Gavin’s daughter, and Tina’s shop girl, Katie was a talker, and wasn’t aware of Jamey’s abilities. That’s the way it had to stay. “Sounds crazy to hear me say all this out loud to you normal guys.” The three men chuckled.
Pops shook his head. “Poor Tina.”
“That’s why I stayed longer on Maui. That and the investigation. I had some fancy storytelling to do with the police that wouldn’t show we found the body through Tina’s dreams.”
When the house phone rang, Gavin answered. “He’s here. We just pulled in,” he said. “Here you go.” His brother mouthed the name “Carrie” and handed the phone to Jamey.
Jamey couldn’t wait to see his daughters and grabbed the phone a little too forcefully. “Hey, Carrie. How are you? When can I come over?”
“Hi Jamey, I’m fine,” she said. “The girls are excited to see you, but they have soccer, so you’ll have to come after that.” Always one to control every situation, Carrie told Jamey that he could visit at eight p.m. “It’s a school night so you can put them to bed at nine.”
“I can go to soccer,” he offered.
“That would be distracting. Besides, they’re on their way out the door now. Just come at eight.” Carrie was obviously in one of her moods.
Jamey would have to wait three hours to see his precious girls, but it didn’t pay to piss Carrie off. “Sounds good. How are Chris and the kids?” She was probably tired with a baby not yet one year old and a four-year-old boy.
“We’re all good. Sorry you don’t get more time tonight, but the girls are scheduled, Jamey, and we weren’t sure when you’d arrive.”
“S’okay.” He’d left a message he was coming in today, but maybe she didn’t get the voicemail. Carrie liked schedules and Jamey understood that she had to keep organized with four children. He could wait until eight o’clock. When he was overseas, in Afghanistan, he waited months to see them. Hopefully never again. “I’ll see everyone later.” After two months apart, he needed to feel his daughters in his arms tonight. Sing them to sleep.
“Oh, just a minute. Jade wants to talk to you.”
“Hi, Daddy.” Her ten-year-old voice was full of sunshine and giggles. “We have to play soccer first.
”
“That’s okay. I’m just sitting here with Pops and Uncle Gav, so I’ll see you after the game. Just remember to play your best and have fun, okay baby girl?”
“I love you, Daddy. Jasmine says she loves you too. She’s putting on her very stinky shin guards and I won’t let her touch the phone.”
He laughed. “Give her a hug from me. See you soon.”
Pops looked over, frowning. He’d disapprove that Carrie didn’t want him at the soccer game, but there was very little Jamey could do about that tonight. His ex-wife was in charge, and Jamey did not want to rock that boat and risk losing time with the girls. Especially because they didn’t have a legal custody agreement, only a word of mouth, small town, friendly plan that included Jamey seeing his daughters any time he wanted.
***
On the way back to Lahaina, at the end of the afternoon, both dive instructors were on a huge high from the day. Even Obi was wagging his tail and hanging his head out the window, snapping at the wind.
“They were brilliant under there. All of them.” Shelley took a swig of Dr. Pepper, something she was rarely without. “Great idea to have them wear skins.” The bodysuits kept the ladies warm and protected their legs from abrasions they couldn’t feel.
Tina’s phone rang and seeing Jamey’s number on the screen she considered not picking up. Having a private conversation wouldn’t be easy in front of Shelley, and she wanted to ask him about Seattle, verify his whereabouts. She hit the ‘ok’ button. “Is this the pride of Carnation speaking?” she said.
“Ah, that I am--the prodigal son has returned to tell the world he’s in love.” Jamey’s voice was so familiar, she wanted to crawl through the phone and plant kisses all over his face.
“Everything good in Washington?” From the corner of her eye, Tina saw Shelley put on headphones.
“Everything is fantastic except that I’m missing your sweet face and your reminders not to swear.”
Tina smiled to remember how hot they were for each other these days. “Withdrawal will be hard.”
“Don’t say hard please. Everything you say sets me off, and I have to get out of my car in a few minutes and say hello to Carrie.”
Tina laughed. “Oh, we don’t want her to get the wrong idea.”
“No, we don’t. For some reason Carrie gave me just this one hour tonight, so I’ll probably run through the house to find the girls.”
Tina’s heart twinged to think how much Jamey loved his daughters. She didn’t want his ex-wife to be weird about visitation, but it wasn’t her place to say anything. “I’m just coming back from the beach dives. I’m calling them the Wheelchair Rock Stars now.”
“I’m proud of you, Tina. You did a wonderful thing today.” When Jamey reached Carrie’s driveway, he had to go. “I’m here, Darlin’.”
“Call me later,” Tina said, trying to not sound too needy. She didn’t mention that she’d been having funny feelings about him. Feelings that were probably only insecure paranoia. Jamey’s funny feelings were spot on, and therefore worth paying attention to. But having the freaky ability to share dreams with Jamey didn’t necessarily mean she’d inherited all his abilities. She had to remember that.
Obi barked once from the front seat when they parked at the dive shop. He climbed onto Shelley’s lap to get out the door first. Immediately after Obi entered the building, Katie peeked her blonde head out. “Your mother called while you were gone. You need to call her ASAP. She sounded like she didn’t trust I’d give the message to you so I got my butt out here as soon as I saw you drive in, to tell you to call her. Do you have a phone or will you come in to make that very important call?” Katie was a wordy girl. The opposite of her uncle Jamey, who needed so much coaxing to talk sometimes.
“If she calls again, tell her I’m still diving.” Tina’s voice was singsongy as she pulled the tanks out of the back of the truck and handed them to Shelley. She’d call in a few minutes. Forgiving her mother was going to take time. Finding a way to let it all go was hard when actions from her mother had led to her husband’s death. But, forgiveness was a slippery slope. What if her mother had never found out Hank was a con artist, and never meddled in Tina’s marriage, never told Hank to get out of her daughter’s life? Hank would probably be alive now. They’d still be married. Would Tina ever have found out about Hank and Noble’s plan to con her? She’d never know.
Once she got Mikey off his phone and gave him a task, Tina dialed her mother’s number in Seattle. She sat down on an overturned milk crate from Haleakala Dairy, just outside the shop’s back door. Doves cooed from the trees, their recognizable call sounding like musical Morse code telling her to be nice to her mother. Be nice. Be nice to your mother. Be nice. Nice. Nice.
“Hello?” Elizabeth Greene answered and Tina took a deep breath.
She hadn’t heard her mother’s voice in a few weeks and it sounded frightened and meek. “You wanted to talk to me?”
“I know you don’t want to talk to me, Kristina, but I thought you should know that your father is going in to Virginia Mason Hospital for some tests tomorrow.”
Her heart jumped into her throat. “Is he okay?”
“Yes, but his cardiologist heard something with the stethoscope today and wants to be sure. Just a precaution. He’s resting. He didn’t want me to call you, but I thought you should know.” There was a long pause and then Elizabeth continued. “I hope I did the right thing by telling you.” It was unusual for her mother to second-guess or apologize for anything, but Tina knew why she sounded unsure now. The danger of losing her daughter forever was sitting on the sidelines now, waiting to be played.
“Of course you did the right thing. I wish I could come to Seattle to be with you guys.”
“Oh, don’t come, Kristina. Your father doesn’t want to make a big deal out of this. I’ll call tomorrow to let you know when we hear something.” Her mother’s voice hitched liked she was trying not to cry.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, Mother. Stay strong and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. What time are the tests?”
“He goes in early, but I doubt we’ll know anything for a few days.” Elizabeth cleared her throat.
“Okay. Tomorrow, then.” Tina pressed the red key on her phone and stood up facing what used to be Mr. Takeshimi’s house, across the back lane. The people who bought it were turning the quaint old place into a bed and breakfast, something she suspected Mr. T would like. She’d worried the old plantation house might be knocked down to make a cement structure for another ABC store, but Mr. T had said historic Lahaina Town wouldn’t allow that.
Maybe her feeling of unrest today had more to do with her father than Jamey. If she’d taken on what Jamey called hyper-intuition, she needed to listen to her gut feelings. But, if she was just acting paranoid, she needed to remember that Jamey loved her and would never betray her. Not like Hank.
Chapter 5
When Jamey called, Tina calculated it was midnight in Seattle. He sounded very happy to hear her voice. “Hi, Sweet Thang.”
She was curled up on her couch, watching the 10 p.m. news on TV and muted the sound.
“How are your girls?”
“Fantastic. They got bigger since I was here two months ago.” He laughed. “I only had forty minutes to talk to them, mostly about you, I might add, and then they needed to get into bed.” She heard the disappointment in his voice.
“What was their reaction to you having a girlfriend?’
“They got a kick out of their old dad being romantic. They didn’t think it was gross at all.”
She smiled. “I can’t wait to meet them this summer. Did you ask Carrie if they could come?”
“Not yet. She was in a bad mood, and I’ve learned never to cross that red-headed fireball when she’s like that.”
Jamey’s words were meant as a joke, but it irritated Tina that such a devoted dad had to kowtow to his former wife to see his daughters. She changed the subject. “My father’s going in to the hospital
tomorrow for heart tests.”
“Anything serious?”
“Hopefully not. Mother phoned to tell me.”
“You could fly here to be with him. I’ll pick you up at the airport.” He sounded hopeful.
Ah ha. He was in Seattle, not Afghanistan. Deep down, she knew this, but something in her relaxed. “Dad doesn’t want to make a big deal out of a few tests that could turn out to be nothing. Besides, I have three more days with the Wheelchair Mamas. If he’s not in danger…” She stroked Obi while they talked. “I’ll hear more tomorrow.”
“You know, it might be a good idea to fly here after the Mamas leave, see your father, and let your mother apologize.”
She chuckled. “You just want me to come to Seattle so you can ravage my body.”
“That’s true. Also, I want to show you off to my family.”
How did she ever think she could last a month without Jamey? “Maybe I should come visit my parents in a few days. I know my father is stressed out with this whole thing between Mother and me.”
“Do you have anyone to look after Obi?”
“I’m sure Pepper would.” Her best friend would do anything for her. “And did I tell you that Dave and Sally are coming back to Maui?”
“Sally finished chemo now?”
“She’s done with radiation and they want to be here while she gets stronger for chemo.”
“Maybe Diver Dave will want to dive. Work the boat a few days.”
By the time Tina and Jamey hung up, she’d convinced herself to leave for Seattle in a few days’ time. What had kept her away from Seattle didn’t seem so important now that her father was having heart tests. She and her mother had to resolve this issue, take the burden off her father’s shoulders. Shelley and Megan could do the final dives with the Mamas.
Next she called Shelley to ask if she would run things in two days. “You okay with that?”