by Aurora Rey
“You may. Despite what I said earlier, I really do love it. It’s funny, because if you’d told me six months ago this is what I’d be doing, I’d have laughed in your face.”
“And yet here you are. You should let yourself be happy.”
“I am.” Despite the words, a shadow passed through Will’s eyes.
“Are you sure?” Emerson stopped outside the restaurant to let Will answer, but Will opened the door and went in. Emerson followed, wondering if that was the end of the conversation or merely a pause.
They ordered slices and took them outside, sitting on the brick stoop in front of the restaurant. Will took a bite of pizza, chewed it methodically. She sighed. “I think I’m a little bit lonely. Not friends or family or anything. Relationship lonely.”
Emerson nodded. “I know what you mean. It’ll come.”
Will squared her shoulders. “I know. I’m actually not even looking. I think it’s good for me to take a break from all that. You know, get myself together.”
“I think you’re pretty together, but I get it. I’m proud of you for taking care of you.”
Will blinked a few times, then swiped a hand across her eyes. “Come on, dude. You’re going to make me all sentimental.”
“I can’t help it. You make me all sentimental.” Emerson stood. “But there is work to be done, so we shan’t wallow in it.”
Will stood as well. “We shan’t.”
Emerson gave her a hug. “Let’s make a habit out of this.”
“Getting sentimental?”
Emerson laughed. “Getting together, although I don’t mind getting sentimental now and then.”
“Agreed. See you soon.”
Will headed up a side street toward her apartment near the monument and Emerson continued down Commercial Street toward home. The sun was beginning to set and the air took on a slight chill. Emerson increased her pace, weaving on and off the sidewalk to avoid collisions. She paused briefly to listen to the woman singing in front of the library and dropped a couple of dollars into her guitar case.
Back at home, Emerson poured herself another cup of coffee. It was only eight o’clock and, now that she wasn’t keeping Darcy’s hours, her evening was just getting started. She went into her studio area and pulled out the sketches of her day with Darcy on the boat. They captured a playful essence, paired with the joy that comes from being on the water. She had every intention of translating that into a painting, or maybe even a series.
Yet those weren’t the images her mind kept going back to. No, it was the photos that called to her. And since Darcy had given her permission to use them, she had no reason not to incorporate one into her show. Emerson flipped through and found herself transfixed by one in particular—sexy without being overtly suggestive, or revealing. It exuded contentment laced with the promise of more. If she could capture half of that in a painting, it would be stunning. The thrill of it pulsed through her. She’d do it large scale, twice the size of her usual pieces. Smiling, she pulled out an oversize canvas she’d been saving—four feet by six—and looked at it. Perfect.
Emerson quashed the desire to set it up and get started. It would be her reward. All she needed to do was finish the one she was working on now. And maybe one more.
*****
Darcy drummed her fingers on the kitchen table. She’d turned down Emerson’s last two invitations to get together. She told herself she needed the time to catch up on all the things she should have done while Liam was gone, but that was chicken shit, really. She was avoiding seeing Emerson because she didn’t want to navigate new ground rules. But not only had Emerson been asking, Liam had, too. She couldn’t put them off indefinitely.
She picked up her phone and sent Emerson a text about spending the afternoon with Liam. It seemed unnecessarily mean to drag him to work without even asking Emerson if she was free. The reply was instantaneous and included a suggestion of dinner after. Darcy sighed. If she was going to do it, she might as well do it.
Liam came out of his room with one of his new books. “Mom, have I shown you this one yet? It’s a detailed account of dinosaurs by era.”
Darcy smiled. “Not yet.”
“It’s so cool. We just assume all the dinosaurs lived at the same time and that’s totally not true.”
“No?” She had a vague idea this was the case, but had never paid serious attention.
“No. Like the brontosaurus and the T-Rex. Movies and cartoons always show them hanging out in the same jungle and stuff, and it never happened. And some dinosaurs were tiny. Like, baby bird tiny.”
“Wow. Sounds like you’ve got next year’s science project ready to go.”
Liam rolled his eyes. “This is pretty simple stuff, Mom. I’m going to be in the fourth grade. I need to come up with something a little more complex.”
“That’s a perfectly acceptable plan. Rolling your eyes at me, however, is not.”
Liam slumped his shoulders. “Sorry.”
“Apology accepted. Now, you know how I told you Grandma is busy tomorrow?”
“Yeah. And Sara is at her aunt’s. Does this mean I’m going to work with you?”
Darcy smiled. “No, it means you’re spending the afternoon with Emerson.”
“Yes!” Liam set his book down and put his fists in the air. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Darcy’s phone pinged again and she glanced down. “And she says to bring your swimsuit.”
“Woo!” Liam kept his arms up and proceeded to run around in circles.
Darcy sighed. She might be recalibrating, but Liam certainly wasn’t. What was she going to do about that?
Chapter Twenty-eight
Darcy packed a small bag with Liam’s swim trunks, a swim shirt, and some sunscreen. She threw in a beach towel, too, because it felt weird to rely on Emerson to take care of that sort of thing. She resisted sending him with snacks, but she did fill his favorite water bottle and tuck it in with everything else.
They drove into town and Liam gushed his excitement to spend the day with his favorite person. When they pulled up behind the café, Emerson was sitting in one of Alex and Lia’s Adirondack chairs. She stood and waved.
Liam hopped out of the car and ran right to her, flinging his arms around her waist. Darcy followed more slowly, grabbing her purse and Liam’s bag. “Thanks for doing this.”
Emerson grinned back. She seemed to be nearly as excited as Liam. “Thanks for asking me.” She slung her arm around Liam’s neck and mussed his hair. “We haven’t hung out in forever, have we, buddy?”
Liam squirmed, but didn’t protest. “Forever.”
“If you’re going to the beach, be careful. Liam, you know the rules.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“We’re just staying on the harbor side,” Emerson said. “Barely any waves to speak of.”
Darcy nodded. “Okay. I’m almost late. Call if you need anything. Otherwise, I’ll see you around five.”
“Got it.” Emerson offered a playful salute and Liam mimicked her.
Darcy shook her head. “Bye, you two.”
She headed inside and Emerson looked down at Liam. “Ready to go?”
“Yep.” Liam nodded, but then made a face. “Are we really not going to Race Point? Or even Herring Cove?”
“We have plans, my man.”
“What kind of plans?”
Emerson shrugged. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Liam pouted a little. “How long do I have to wait?”
“Only as long as it takes you to stop pouting and come with me.”
“I’m not—” Liam looked at her and thought better of talking back. “I’m ready.”
Emerson led the way to her car, which she’d technically parked illegally, but kept in her line of sight. She opened the back door for Liam to get in and enjoyed watching his eyes get big. “Are those surf boards?”
“Not quite. Paddleboards.”
“Awesome!”
“Now you kno
w why we need to be where the water is calm.”
He nodded. “This is so cool. Carlos has gone paddleboarding before and he said it was so cool.”
“It is.”
Liam looked at her with awe. If only Darcy were as easy to impress. “You know how?”
“I do. I don’t have a ton of practice, but I’ve been out a few times.”
“This is going to be so fun.”
Emerson started the car and made the short drive to a parking lot she’d scoped out earlier that had easy beach access. As she paid the attendant, she realized Liam was still in street clothes. “How do you feel about changing in the car?”
“Sure.”
“Okay. I’ll get out to give you some privacy and I’ll come stand by your window so no one can peek in.” By the time she’d rounded the front of the car, he was wiggling out of his clothes. In what felt like less than thirty seconds, she felt the car door bump against her backside. “That was quick.”
It was Liam’s turn to shrug casually. Emerson popped the hatch and formulated a game plan. “Sunscreen first.” Liam made another face, but didn’t protest. When Emerson was sure she’d smeared them both in sufficient SPF 50, she put the bottle back in her bag. She picked up one of the life vests she’d rented. “Let’s put this on, too, so we don’t have to carry it.”
“Okay.”
Emerson handed it to Liam and watch him slide his arms through and snap the buckles in place. She tightened the straps, making sure it fit snugly and couldn’t slide off. “All right, buddy. How does that feel?”
Liam tugged at the vest, then patted his front. “Feels great. Are you going to wear one?”
Emerson didn’t usually wear a life vest, but she knew enough that modeling good behavior was way more effective than demanding it. “Absolutely. Safety first.”
She donned her own vest, then surveyed their equipment. “If I get both boards, can you carry paddles?”
“Yep.” He scooped them up.
She stacked the boards and wrapped her arms around them. She locked her car and they ambled a few hundred feet down the beach, stopping about ten feet from the water’s edge. “Let’s stop here. We’re going to practice in the sand for a little bit.”
“Okay.”
They plopped down their things and Emerson positioned their boards side by side. She guided Liam on where to plant his feet, how to shift his weight from side to side to maintain balance. Then she demonstrated how to hold the paddle and alternate strokes to move through the water. “What do you think? Ready to give it a try?”
Liam nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah!”
“All right. I’ll stay with you at first until you get the hang of it.” She handed Liam the paddle and picked up his board, carrying it into the water. She waded in until it was about knee-deep, set the board in the water, and held it in place. “I’ll hold it steady and you climb on.”
Liam set his paddle on the board, then eased on, ending up on his hands and knees. Even with Emerson holding it, the board rocked under him. “Whoa.”
“You’re doing great. Just take your time, get steady. If you decide you don’t ever want to stand up, that’s okay, too.”
“No, I can do it.”
Emerson couldn’t tell if he truly felt brave or if he was pretending for her benefit. “Okay. Just let me know when you’re ready.”
After about a minute, when everything had stilled, Liam said he was ready. He planted one foot, then the other, bracing one hand on Emerson’s shoulder. The next thing she knew, he let go and was standing up completely on his own. “I’m up!”
She smiled at the triumph in his voice and the huge grin on his face. “Okay, I’m going to take one hand off and hand you your paddle. Remember what we practiced. Try to keep your weight evenly balanced. If you feel like you’re tipping to one side, lean the other way, but only a little.”
“Don’t overcompensate.”
She’d not used that word, so the fact that he did made Emerson laugh. “Exactly. Don’t overcompensate.”
She handed him the paddle. “If you fall, it’s no big deal. You’ll just land in the water. I fell at least a dozen times when I first learned.”
“Okay.”
“Are you ready for me to let go?”
After only the slightest hesitation, he nodded. “Yes.”
She did and he rocked back and forth a little, but didn’t tip. “Nice. You’ve got it.”
He dipped his paddle into the water on one side, then the other. From everything she could tell, he was a natural. More so than she’d been at least. Maybe it had to do with him being smaller and having a lower center of gravity. He repeated the motion and, in the still water of the cove, managed to move himself a good ten feet away from her. She climbed onto her board and followed him.
“This is awesome.” Liam turned to look at her as he spoke. The abrupt movement threw off his balance. After a few seconds of flailing, he landed in the water with a splash.
Knowing the water was shallow enough that he could still touch the bottom, Emerson didn’t immediately jump off her board. Liam bounced up, wiping water from his eyes, but laughing. Emerson took a deep breath. “So, big rule of paddleboarding. No sudden movements.”
With impressive dexterity, Liam hauled himself back onto his board. “Now you tell me.”
Emerson let herself laugh then. “I think it’s a sub-rule of keeping your weight balanced.”
She watched him plant his feet and come to a squatting position. He picked up his paddle and stood up slowly. “Right.”
“You really are good at this for it being your first time.” She would have praised him no matter what, but it was true.
“Thanks. It’s a lot of fun.”
They paddled along the beach in relative quiet. Emerson liked that, for as chatty as he could be when excited, Liam wasn’t one of those kids who talked constantly. She glanced back at where they’d left their things. She didn’t want them to get too far away. She’d learned the hard way that fatigue could come on quickly. “How about we circle back?”
“Okay.” The fact that he didn’t protest told Emerson her instincts were right.
“We can jump off and turn our boards around or we can try to steer a U-turn.”
“I can steer.”
“Cool. Let me go first, then I can guide you.”
Emerson went a little past Liam and started pivoting herself. She was just perpendicular to the shore when she caught Liam out the corner of her eye. Instead of staying put, he’d followed her. Only he was turning wide and heading straight for her. Emerson tried to speed up, but it was too late. She saw the fear in Liam’s eyes as his board t-boned hers and they both went flying.
Emerson stood and looked around for Liam. His head was above water, but he didn’t stand. Instead, he clutched at his arm and started screaming. Panic rose in her chest as she sloshed over to him. “Liam, it’s okay. I’m right here.”
The screaming stopped, but in its place came tears. Fat, genuine, in pain kind of tears. Emerson resisted the urge to scoop him out of the water. “It’s okay. You’re okay. Tell me what hurts.”
“My…arm…” He choked out the words and Emerson thought her heart might break.
“Can you let me see it?” He moved the uninjured arm out of the way. “Can you point to where it hurts?” He used his good hand to point at his wrist. “Can I touch it? I promise I’ll be gentle.” He sniffed and nodded.
Emerson ran her fingers along his wrist and forearm. He flinched, but didn’t cry out. Nothing felt out of place, so that was good. Still, it could be fractured. She needed to get him checked out. Which meant she’d also need to tell Darcy. She swallowed the new wave of panic. One thing at a time; focus on Liam for now. “Everything’s going to be all right. First, we’re going to get you out of the water, okay?”
Liam nodded. She contemplated trying to get her car closer, but didn’t want to leave him alone. She walked him to dry sand. “I’m going to go get our boards
and stuff, okay?”
“Oh…kay.” He continued to cry, but with less intensity.
Emerson sloshed back into the water and dragged their stuff in. She made a split-second decision to impose on Will’s day off instead of taking the time to lug it down the beach. “Do you think you can make it to the car?”
“What…a…bout…the…boards?”
The fact that he was even thinking about them was a good sign. “I’m going to ask my sister to get them. Don’t you worry about it.”
It seemed to take ages to walk back to where they’d started. In truth, it probably wasn’t more than a hundred yards. Emerson grabbed their bags and guided Liam to the car. “I’m going to leave your vest on so we don’t jostle anything. How are you holding up?”
“It really hurts,” he managed, although he was breathing normally and got the whole sentence out at once.
“You’re being super brave. I’m going to call your mom and ask her to meet us at the doctor, okay?”
Emerson helped him into the backseat and buckled his seat belt. He blinked at her; the tears had stopped, but some still clung to his eyelashes. “Do you think we’re going to be in trouble?”
“No, buddy. You are most definitely not in trouble.” She wished she could say the same about herself.
Emerson climbed into the driver’s seat and tried to stay calm, which proved to be no easy feat. It might be nothing but a bump or he could have a broken arm. Not knowing, combined with knowing she needed to tell Darcy, made her sick to her stomach. Before starting the car, she picked up her phone to call Darcy. As it rang, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Darcy hung up the phone. For a moment, she stood in the kitchen, frozen to one spot, unsure what to do next. Before she could sort herself out, Alex came into the kitchen. She stopped just short of running into Darcy.
“What’s wrong?”
“Liam got hurt.”
“Just now? Where? How serious?”