‘Do you want to know what I think?’ Delphine asked.
‘Sure,’ I said, with no idea what was coming. But I was broken anyway. Someone else telling me how much I’d messed up? Big deal.
‘I think you have real potential. Unpolished. But true potential –’
Lili cut in. ‘Delphine …’ It was like a warning, but Delphine continued.
‘I have watched you in the water. From the beginning. You read the waves better than students who have been learning for years.’
‘Antoine said that too.’ I shrugged.
‘Antoine is complicated. And you being here, it is more complicated than you know, but sometimes it is best to notthink of these complications and to focus on what you really want. And what you really want is to surf,non?’
‘Yes,’ I said immediately. I noticed Lili looking between us with worry in her eyes.
Delphine nodded briefly. ‘The qualifier forLa Vague d’Oris at the end of the week …’
Delphine let that hang in the air between us and Lili sighed and mumbled something in French.
‘The end of the week? It’s not long enough.’
‘What if I told you it is just as long as you need?’ Delphine didn’t break my gaze.
‘Delphine has helped a lot of people get ready for competitions.’ Lili touched Delphine’s hand supportively, like she’d abandoned any attempt to dissuade her.
‘What do you mean?’ I asked. I wanted her to spell it out to me, because in my head she was offering to coach me. And that was just too good to be true.
‘I think you should enter the qualifier,’ Delphine said matter-of-factly.
‘But Antoine sai–’
Delphine waved away my words. ‘Antoine is not the only coach in Biarritz. I will train you.’ Her eyes were filled with determination. And it was contagious.
‘Delphine trained me for my first competition,’ Lili added.
‘I could work with you every day this week. It would be intense, but you would be ready.’
And the butterflies were back. Thousands of them, colliding with each other in my stomach.
‘You think I can really do this?’ I looked at her for reassurance.
‘Listen. Margot. I did not like you at the beginning.’
‘Delphine!’ Lili looked horrified.
Delphine shrugged. ‘It is true. I thought you were just another tourist. One who would break the heart of Felix and one who treated surfing like a hobby. But I was wrong. I have really watched you …’
‘And?’ I asked.
‘You are different. You have natural ability. And the fact that you want to get back in the water after your accident? It tells me everything I need to know.’
‘Really?’ I asked, fishing.
‘You lack confidence and competition experience,’ she continued. ‘That is what I can give you.’
Emotion flooded my chest, making it hard to get the words out. ‘Thank you. So much.’ I pushed away thoughts of the disastrous last swimming gala.
Lili looked at me. ‘Now you will have something that is just yours. Something that is not about anyone else,’ Lili said.
