Page 70 of Fish Out of Water

“I think I’ll miss it too,” Jake admitted. “I got pretty used to the routine.”

“Well, you can always keep volunteering. No one’s going to stop you.” She laughed.

“No,” Jake said slowly, “I guess not. Hey, uh, could I have one of those papers that the supervisor is supposed to sign?”

“Oh, honey, you’re all done. You don’t need anyone to sign anything if you’re just volunteering out of the good of your heart.”

“I know, but my sister wanted to see what they look like. I should’ve copied one when I still had blank pages, but it totally slipped my mind.”

“Well, sure, then.” Sarah handed him a blank form, and Jake stuffed it into his previously empty folder.

He practically ran out of the town hall and back to his car, not stopping for anything until he got home. Isabel’s little printer in the corner of the living room had sat unused the entire time he was there, but Jake booted it up anyway, praying that for once, something in his life would work without any tinkering.

A few minutes later, he had a dozen copied forms ready to hand over to Robbie like nothing had changed at all. Robbie would figure it out eventually, but it might buy Jake an extra week or two; long enough to give them a few more uninterrupted conversations without worrying about their implications.

The beach was empty when he arrived that afternoon—not only was Robbie absent, but no one else was there either. He sat down on a log and watched the waves break against the shore as he waited for Robbie. A month ago, he would have relished this time.

With a sigh, he rested his elbows on his thighs and leaned forward. Up above him, seagulls flew past, calling to him before they disappeared beyond the horizon. A gentle wave washed across the sand, water dampening the toes of his sneakers before waning.

“I’m doing the best I can,” he muttered. “I already know it’s not enough, but I’m trying.”

“Talking to Mier?”

Jake jumped, jerking his head back to catch Robbie standing behind him, hands in his pockets, gaze fixed on the water stretching out before them.

“How long have you been there?” he asked sharply.

Robbie shrugged. “A minute, maybe two.”

“Sneaky little bastard. I was talking to myself, not the water, you dimwit.”

“I thought we agreed that the name calling was getting a little too comfortable.” Robbie grinned and patted Jake on the shoulder, which was enough to get him on his feet again.

“Yeah, well, old habits, I guess.”

“There’s no shame in talking to Mier, you know. It likes human connection. Look.” Robbie pointed to a fin that breached the water before diving back under the waves.

“What was that?” Jake asked. “A whale?”

“A dolphin. We’ve got whales, but none as small as that.”

“I’ve never lived by the water before.”

“I know. But you do now, and it’s time you learned how it works.”

“I’m only gonna be here for another few months. I talked to the realtor last week, and he’s coming by tomorrow to check out the house.”

Robbie raised his eyebrows. “Oh, wow. It’s happening faster than I thought it would.”

“It’s been over two months, Robbie.”

“Has it really? Your aunt’s going to miss you when you’re gone.”

“She’ll have a new life to look forward to,” Jake said.

“So will you, I suppose. Come on, Jake. Let’s get to work before it gets too dark.” Robbie held out a hand, and Jake took it without a moment’s hesitation. “You picked a good time to get in trouble with the law, you know. Any later in the year, and you would’ve had to work in the mornings.”

“I should’ve done that anyway,” Jake said, following Robbie into the treeline, where cleanup from a birthday party earlier in the day awaited them. “At least then maybe I could’ve avoided you a little easier.”