It’d be the perfect time for an honest talk, except she desperately needed that sleep. He leaned back and looked out across the sand and bay, watching the water as the sun headed westward. It was a day much like this one, a long time ago, when he’d sat by a fire on the beach with his dad and two brothers. Ricky had been in high school. Alex was just a baby in Trey’s arms then. They’d lost their mother just a year before.
When things get tough, his dad said, think of us. Think of your family. We’ll be here.
The next day Trey left for basic training, and things got very tough, and he did think about his family.
The sun began to set, and the thin clouds that were building up on the horizon caught the pink and orange rays. Soon the sky and the world around them were a soft, warm shade of melting sherbet. The kids were running back to them.
“Mom! Dad!” Jake yelled. “Come play before we have to go home!” He grabbed Trey’s hand and started off. He looked genuinely surprised that he couldn’t pull his dad right up out of his chair.
Only one of Rosette’s eyes was visible. It slowly opened.
“Come on, Mom!”
Trey let Jake pull him toward the beach, looking back to check if Rosette was coming. Doing so, he nearly ran into Summer and Alex, who were headed to the warm fire. They flopped down on the blanket like they’d just run a marathon; chasing two kids almost qualified.
Jake let go of his dad’s hand and ran down toward the water. Candice was right behind. They reached the water’s edge and stood side by side, holding hands. It was just too picturesque to break up, even if their feet had to be numb from the cold water.
They held onto each other and screamed, scampering back from the waves. “Get me, Daddy!” Jake yelled. Trey took his son’s hand and noticed Rosette had made it down to the water’s edge, although she was covering a yawn.
“Get me too, Mommy!” Candice shrieked.
Rosette took Candice’s hand, and Trey thought, the kids never doubt this family’s unity.
“Onnne, twooo….” Jake counted down. When he hit three, the kids pulled them toward the water.
It wasn’t something they’d done before, and no one explained it, but Trey and Rosette both knew the kids wanted them to pull them up and over the incoming wave.
They swung the kids over the bubbling, churning water and then back again.
“Again! Again!” Jake squealed.
Candice screamed at the same time. “That big one over there!”
They ran toward the wave, splashing in the freezing cold water as it retreated under their feet. Trey looked at Jake, Candice, and then over at Rosette. She was smiling along with the kids, her face lit up. They ran at the waves until their feet couldn’t take the cold any longer. By that time, Jake and Candice were about done too. They just didn’t want to admit it.
“All right, time to head back up. I don’t feel like amputating any feet today.”
Two little sets of shoulders tiredly slumped as they walked, as slowly as possible, up the short beach toward the fire. Caught up in the moment, Trey reached over to slide his arm around Rosette’s waist.
She stepped out of his reach. She didn’t look his way or say anything, just kept walking. He wanted to say something about family and love, but they were too close to the kids.
Alex and Summer were roasting marshmallows and making s’mores. Trey glanced at Rosette, tucked away his feelings, and sat down with everyone. The sun was going down, and it was time to put on jackets and layer pants over their shorts. The milky twilight faded as the fire grew brighter, and Trey looked around at the faces watching the flames. He wondered if anyone else had thought about how Ricky and Amanda weren’t there. A few months ago, he’d pictured all of them together in the summer, going to the beach and having barbeques. Ricky would have been home from duty to be with Amanda and their baby. He could still picture it so clearly in his mind.
Life changes. He knew that. The question was, could he accept it and get on with his own life?
Much later that night when everyone was showered and in bed, Trey went out onto the tiny balcony off their bedroom. Rosette was in bed, either fast asleep or pretending to be. Usually he could tell. It scared him a bit that he couldn’t tonight.
He only knew he wanted her, had reached for her, but she didn’t want him anymore.
Settling in the old wicker chair, he pulled his grandfather’s pipe out and pushed a pinch of tobacco in. He lit it and puffed it to get it going. The sweet scent of far-off memories filled the air. He hated cigarettes, but he’d always loved the smell of Grandpa’s pipe.
He wanted to sit on his Grandpa’s knee and tell him the problem.
Oh, you see, son, that’s an easy fix.
It always had been. Grandfathers had a way of making life simple and easy to live, if you just did the right thing. What was the right thing here? Let Rosette go, so she could be happy?
His thoughts shifted to his father. Dad had seen and understood the harder side of life, or maybe was more affected by it. Whatever the cause, Trey and his father could discuss life problems and complicated situations. He pictured his dad sitting there with him and wondered what he’d say.
Fight for her. What else are you going to do?
He almost laughed. His dad would say that, wouldn’t he?
Chapter Fourteen
Trey had just started up the stairs to get Alex, when he headed down. Alex was dressed in a blue, long-sleeved shirt and jeans, his wavy locks brushed a little neater than usual, but still long. He glanced in the mirror hanging at the bottom of the staircase.
Was he nervous about taking his driving test, or was there more to it?
“We can put all this off, it the timing bothers you.” Trey rested a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Turning sixteen, getting your license, that’s all a big deal. If you want to wait to go in, I’ll understand.” On top of the timing, he hadn’t taken Alex out to drive in the last couple of weeks.
Alex twisted his mouth, thinking. “Is it wrong if I want to go ahead and do it?”
“No, of course not.” Trey searched for something meaningful to add, but everything that came to mind sounded too mushy. He knew a thing or two about survivor’s guilt, but the part he didn’t yet know was how to beat it.
“Okay.” Alex pulled in a breath, nodding. “Let’s go. It’s almost my appointment time anyway.”
Rosette came out of the kitchen, where she must have been listening. She grabbed Alex in a hug, something she could still get away with. “You’ll do great.”
“Thanks.”
Trey opened the door to the garage and led the way out.
Rosette followed Alex. “Just be polite to the tester. And respectful. Don’t rush anything, either. Just take your time, and remember you’re a good driver.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Alex called back. He didn’t let her see the smile on his face, but Trey did.
Trey handed him the keys. “Why don’t you drive and get warmed up?” They were taking the family car instead of Alex’s race car.
He used to get nervous when Alex pulled out of the garage, but the kid knew how to back up. He did fine and soon they were driving down the highway at exactly the speed limit.
“On the test, you might want to go a mile or two under.”
“Does that help?”
“I don’t know.” Trey laughed and decided that was enough advice. He watched out the window instead. It was nice sitting in the passenger seat for a change. Tall firs and cedars lined the section of the road by their house, supplemented with heavy underbrush, giving the impression that they were far out in the country. There were even small farms on the other side, with cows and sheep milling around the fenced pastures. Soon after that, however, came more houses, a couple of mini-marts, a plain hotel, the tribal offices and housing, and a few trailer parks. Dairy Queen came and went on the left side. Trey couldn’t begin to count the times they’d stopped there. Soon they reached Charleston, the tiny harbor town nestled by the
bridge. It had a few really great restaurants, a store with smoked salmon sticks, and boats galore. It was eight-fifteen in the morning, so some commuters were driving to work. The traffic didn’t seem to bother Alex at all on the highway. They were approaching the junction with Seven Devils Highway and then would head up onto the bridge.
What was Amanda doing out on that road that night? Would he ever be able to answer that question? Trey turned his head and looked that direction as they merged.
Suddenly a horn blared. It just kept going.
Alex threw up a hand in anger. “What the hell!”
The other driver flipped him off and sped off ahead of them. Trey expected Alex to keep going, but he pulled off onto a side street, a block before the bridge.
“Did you put on your blinker?” Trey asked.
“I don’t know.” Alex’s voice trembled. “I was merging, and that car shot toward me and hit his horn.”
There was no way to know who was at fault now, but Trey said, “We had the right of way… He probably just wasn’t looking.”
Alex had left the car running but didn’t look like he planned to pull back out any time soon. Trey wasn’t big on omens, but sometimes…like on the beach, it really felt like a sign they were all wearing white. There were guys in the Navy that lived by signs, and not just conventional ones like red sky at morning, sailor take warning. Some guys saw meaning in the smallest things. Trey liked to think he was guided by something bigger, like faith, love, and family tradition. He believed in doing the right thing and giving everything his all. In this case, he didn’t think a stupid driver was reason to go home, but it wasn’t his call.
“Alex,” he said, “We can reschedule the appointment if you need to, but you don’t have to let this get to you either.”
Alex flicked a look at him. Maybe he needed more that.
“There’s something to be said for getting back on the horse and not letting life knock you down.” Trey meant all the recent events, as well as the run in with the angry driver. “Even if you’re a good driver, you’ll cross paths with jerks like that. People in a hurry, and so they tailgate you. People sending a text, and so they scream at you because they were on the wrong side of the road. Sometimes you have to be the bigger person.”
“Bunch of nut suckers,” Alex whispered.
“What?” Trey almost laughed but choked it down.
“Rosette says that when people cut her off. Nut suckers.” Alex went ahead and laughed.
Trey couldn’t help but join in. “Frickin’ frog eaters.”
“Oh, what about—effing arf eaters!” Alex laughed so hard tears sprang up in his eyes. “What is up with her weird words?”
“That’s her way of not cussing, I guess.”
“She kicked the back door the other day and said shipping snot balls, but it sounded like shi—”
“Okay, okay, we’re going to miss your appointment if we don’t get moving.”
“All right, I’m ready.” Alex put the car in gear and drove around the block and then back out to the highway. They were on the bridge when he said, “Thanks.”
~ ~ ~
Rosette glanced at the clock yet again and thought about calling Trey. She pictured him sitting at the DMV waiting while Alex was out on the driving test. She was so nervous for him! What if he didn’t pass? Alex was a good driver—especially for a teenager—but there was always the oddball chance something could go wrong and he’d get nervous and careless.
The house phone rang and she grabbed it without checking Caller ID. “Hello?”
“Hey, Rosette, I’ve got great news!” It was Barb from the Dry Dock Gift Shop in town. For a few seconds, Rosette wished it was Trey calling with news about Alex, but then…
“Did something finally sell?”
“Yes! Your mermaid chess set. An older gentleman and his friends were in, and it turns out they’re chess fanatics. He also loves the sea, so it was love at first sight. Rosy, you wouldn’t believe how happy he was over that set!”
Rosette was ecstatic. It’d been a year since she’d sold anything through the shop. “Wow, and that’s my biggest item!”
They talked for a few more minutes—mainly about what else Rosette had to bring in, before saying goodbye. She actually did have another chess set finished, and she’d deliver that to Barb tomorrow. Maybe this would motivate her to get back to her favorite hobby. It was a fun challenge to pick up driftwood from the beach and decide what to carve it into. Usually the original shape of the wood dictated what it would be—a bird or seal, or perhaps something more whimsical like a gnome or unicorn. She carved and polished and made unique artwork out of the driftwood.
The chess pieces were a little different. It took hours of hunting to find pieces of wood that might be suitable. Of course, she spent countless hours on the beach anyway, picking up any and all interesting items, from bigger pieces of driftwood to carve, to small seashells, to little pieces of wood that held promise. The mermaids needed more carving than anything she did, but she loved it. She had begun in high school, as a project in art class, and just kept going, always having a few pieces to work on. Eventually that had added up to a box of tiny, meticulously detailed mermaids, carved to stand up on their own, all in different poses.
A noise outside meant they were back. She grabbed the camera from the closet shelf and bounced out the front door, running out to the curb where Alex had parked.
One look at Alex said he passed—and it must have been with flying colors! The driver-side window was rolled all the way down, and Alex was excitedly looking out at her, flashing a big, brilliant smile with his perfect white teeth. His blue eyes were sparkling. He looked happier than she’d seen in him a long time.
She hopped right up to Trey, throwing an arm around him and plopping a kiss on his mouth. “My chess set sold down at Barb’s! Can you believe it?” A second later, seeing the surprise on his face, she remembered that they didn’t kiss like that anymore. She quickly dropped her arm and stepped back. Hot color ran up her neck and onto her cheeks like flame up a dry barn wall.
“Wow, that’s great, really great!” He said, several emotions playing on his face. She could almost see him questioning if that kiss meant anything. “Wasn’t that a big ticket item?”
Giddy again, she mouthed, “Two grand!” Her mouth tingled from kissing him and remembering so many things she shouldn’t think about anymore. Then she turned away to face Alex. “Congrats to the new driver in the family!” No one needed to tell Alex to smile.
She held up the camera and snapped a shot. Looking down at the screen, her heart nearly stopped. The camera had caught exactly what she saw: her little boy was turning into a man.
Trey stepped up beside her. She looked up and caught her breath at the look in his eyes. He felt it too.
“We should celebrate tonight,” Trey said. “Alex, where do you want to eat?”
“Can I drive to TJ’s house?” Alex asked, still in the car. “Oh, yeah, let’s go eat Chinese tonight, but I can go to TJ’s first?”
“Of course. Go have some fun,” Trey said, his words light, but his voice full of emotion. Rosette could remember when Trey got his license. They were just friends then, but he drove Ricky, her, another girl named Emily, and Angel all to the beach and then the movies. He’d been spectacular—that was the only word that described the light of excitement in his eyes, that new glow of coming adulthood and freedom. She saw it in Alex now.
Together, they watched him drive off and stood still for a minute, gazing down the road. In another couple of years, Alex would be out on his own. So little time. Had they equipped him with the wisdom he would need?
She shivered, feeling bare standing next to Trey without the buffer of Alex or the other kids there.
“He knows what he’s doing,” Trey said, nodding his head, then heaving a sigh. “He’s smart. He’s not a risk taker, either.”
“He’ll be fine.” She knew Trey needed that reassurance as much as she did. The
street was empty now. Somehow that made her feel empty inside.
Trey took a step and waited for her to follow. “Can we talk?”
Her heart sank at his tone. She’d been hoping they’d just let that little slip-up kiss go by. “I didn’t mean to do that.” Heat threatened to creep up her face again.
Trey gave her his brow-creased head tilt before he remembered what she meant. Shaking his head, he said, “No, don’t worry about it.” His gaze dropped to her mouth, and a different kind of heat spread through her.
Was there any chance her husband still wanted her? Needed her? She tried to pull in a breath but couldn’t.
He gestured toward the side of the house and the path that led out back. She followed him and they walked to the back edge of the yard, overlooking the ocean. They watched the waves roll in for a few minutes, the silence building like the tide gradually pushing in the sea below.
“All this has me thinking,” he said at last.
About us? She didn’t want to ask that. Instead she took off in another direction with, “Losing Ricky and Amanda? Getting Hope…and I guess Summer?”
At her words, he turned to look back toward the house briefly. She didn’t think the kids would think anything of them standing out here to talk…but then again, they picked up on the weirdest little details.
She thought again of kissing him, and how she couldn’t anymore. There was so much distance between them. Leena was between them.
“Trey, one nice day on the beach doesn’t fix everything.”
He jerked his head back to stare at her, unbelieving. Shocked. Angry. It looked like this was news to him. How could that be? He raked a hand through his hair. “I know that. But I didn’t want Alex to look back on his sixteenth birthday and remember it as the day we split up.”
He was going to freaking guilt her into this?
“That again, huh?” She spun around to glare at him, ready to let loose.
“Rosette!” he held up his hands. “Amanda’s funeral is Saturday, for Christ’s sake. We made a deal, remember? We would pull ourselves together for the family and get everyone through this.”
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