‘We’ll be back in an hour or so. Then … then we can talk about tomorrow.’
I just about stopped myself from crying as I walked outside. We headed down the path and after a few metres, Rue stepped into me and wrapped her arms round my waist.
‘I’m sorry, Margot. I didn’t mean to tell,’ she said.
And when I looked down, her big eyes were filled with tears. I knelt down beside her and gave her a hug.
‘Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter now. Who wants to surf?’ I asked them both.
‘Me!’ they said together.
‘Good, let’s go.’
We made our way to the beach, with me giving Rue a piggyback for the last ten minutes of the walk. It was hard to walk on the sand with her on my back, so it slowed me down.
‘Les filles!’ Delphine spoke directly to Rue and Wren when we reached her. ‘You are here to surf? There is no Antoine today, so it will be me. Is that OK?’ Delphine smiled warmly at them and when they nodded, she walked over to the rack.
‘The most special board.’ Delphine pulled out the board that Rue had used before. The one that Antoine had got for her. My heart swelled at the memory.
‘You are ready?’ she asked my sisters. Delphine acted like it was a normal lesson. She didn’t ask me if I’d made up my mind yet and didn’t bring up our earlier conversation at all.
And I just stood on the sand and watched as she took them on wave after wave, with the sound of Rue’s laugh making my eyes well with tears.
I walked to the water’s edge and studied them both, but especially Rue. How hard it was for her to get into the same positions as Wren, how it must have hurt her legs, but you would never have guessed she was in any pain, not by the smile on her face.
She fell off. Again and again. And she got back up, again and again.
La guerrière.
When they were taking a break, Delphine walked over to me.
She nudged me gently with her elbow. ‘Your sister. Rue. She never gives up, even when it is hard.’
‘She’s amazing,’ I said, pretending not to pick up on the double meaning.
‘Do you know what I see out there?’ she asked. ‘It is difficult for her. Much more difficult than it is for you or for me. But she does not use that as a reason to quit.’
‘This isn’t about quitting. It’s more complicated than that,’ I said, trying and failing to put conviction into my voice.
‘Bien sûr.Of course it is. Life is complicated. But do your family need you to give up on something that you love? Something that matters to you?’
I didn’t know what to say to that. But it seemed like Delphine had enough words for both of us.
‘I told you that when I first met you, I thought you were just another tourist playing at being a surfer. I do not want you to prove me right.’ Delphine went back into the water, leaving me standing there, the weight of her words crushing me.
I tried not to cry as I watched the girls surf, my eyes on Rue and her determination. If she could fight that hard for something she loves, how the hell could I give up so easily?
38
On the way back home, Rue was exhausted but buzzing. She couldn’t stop talking about each wave she surfed, dissecting it and sharing her excitement with Wren.
‘Are you going to win the competition?’ Rue asked when we were close to the Brasserie.
It caught me by surprise, and I laughed, which lightened the darkness in my head for a moment. I stopped to answer her, shaking my head. ‘I’m not doing the competition,’ I said hesitantly. Delphine’s words were turning in my head. ‘I’m coming back with you,’ I explained, even though I thought she knew this. She was far from forgetful.
‘But why?’ She tilted her head on its side and Wren looked at me too, waiting for an answer.
When I didn’t give one, Wren jumped in. ‘Delphine said you are, like,reallygood. And she doesn’t even like people.’
