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“What’s all this?” Pearl asked, looking at the navigation panel of the boat and all the buttons around it.
“This is how we’ll get around. Here.” Michael reached behind them and found a sturdy box. “Stand on this.”
Pearl got on so she could see everything, her eyes wide with anticipation. Michael gave her a quick rundown of everything, pointing things out and letting Pearl press particular buttons.
“And that’s everything,” he said. “You know what, Pearl? I think you’re qualified to be the ship’s second mate.”
“I am?”
“Yup.” He smiled down at her. “It’s a really important job, but I know you can do it.”
“I can.” Pearl looked so determined that Caitlin couldn’t help but smile.
Michael pulled away from the dock and soon they were in the bay, the morning sun gentle against Caitlin’s skin. She turned her face upward, closing her eyes and savoring it. The sound of the boat’s motor and the splashing water made the tension fall out of her shoulders. And when she opened her eyes to look at the bay, the shore getting smaller and smaller, she was enveloped by the beauty of it all.
Finally, she felt like she could relax. She didn’t have a million things to do for the ship, she didn’t have to take Pearl anywhere, and she had all day to soak in the sun for the first time that she’d been in Blueberry Bay.
Caitlin sat, watching Pearl and Michael navigate the waters. Once they were far away enough from the docks, they spread out their blanket and enjoyed some muffins and fruit from Tidal Wave Coffee. Pearl broke out her games not long after. Thankfully she didn’t start with Uno since Caitlin had played more than enough of it to last a lifetime.
The morning drifted by just as easily as they floated on the water. Between games, Michael showed Pearl more things about the boat and told her about the ocean. Caitlin wasn’t surprised at how knowledgeable he was—he was the perfect blend of smart and kind.
“Can we eat lunch?” Pearl asked a few hours later.
“Yeah, of course, honey.” Caitlin got up from her spot and went to the fridge, where they’d placed the food.
She came back out to the picnic blanket and started to go through the bags she’d brought.
“I wasn’t sure what to bring, so I made a bit of everything,” Caitlin said. Michael had eaten and loved her food before, so she wasn’t sure why she was so nervous about him trying something else. She always wanted people to enjoy what she made. “Chicken salad, some bread, some lettuce wraps. Fruit. Some chips from The Crab since I didn’t have my mandolin to make my own. Some sandwiches… I baked some cookies too.”
“Wow. This is a feast.” Michael helped her spread the food out between the three of them. “Thank you.”
Caitlin flushed. “I went a bit overboard, didn’t I?”
“Not at all. Leftovers are always good.” Michael gave her one of those big smiles of his.
They dug in. Being out on the water, the sun overhead, had stirred up their appetites. Caitlin watched Michael scoop some chicken salad onto some of the fresh bread she’d gotten from Sandy’s. He bit into it and gave Caitlin a thumbs up.
“This is the best chicken salad I’ve ever had,” Michael said, taking a big bite. Caitlin smiled, waiting for him to finish chewing. “I’m not sure what that flavor is, but it’s amazing.”
“It’s tarragon,” Caitlin said, still smiling. “But that’s a secret between you and me.”
Michael mimed locking his lips and tossing the key into the ocean, making them both laugh. They enjoyed their food, looking out onto the water. Eventually Pearl moved on from her sandwich to her grapes, tossing them into the air and trying to catch them in her mouth. One bounced off her nose, making her laugh. When she tried again, she caught it.
“Nice job!” Caitlin said. “Let me try.”
She tried it and so did Michael, both of them catching the grapes.
“Do you think you could catch it if I tossed it into your mouth?” Caitlin asked Pearl. Pearl nodded. “Okay, get ready. Here it comes.”
Caitlin tossed the grape and Pearl leaned for it, just barely catching it. They all cheered.
“Let me try!” Pearl said, reaching for a grape. “Ready?”
Before Caitlin could prepare, Pearl launched a grape at her head. Caitlin laughed, the grape hitting her chin.
“Closer but not quite,” Caitlin said. She plucked a grape off the vine. “Can you catch one, Michael?”
“I think so.” Michael shifted, preparing himself to catch as if Caitlin were pitching him a fastball.
