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“I wanted him to tell you all of this himself. It’s really inappropriate for him to leave it to me. But as usual…” Bea raised her free hand and shook her head.
Dani’s eyes filled with tears and a single tear escaped down her cheek. “Why would he do this? We’re a family.”
“We’re still a family, sweetheart.” Bea looped an arm around Dani’s shoulders and pulled her close. “This doesn’t change that fact. But unfortunately, Dad and his new fiancée want to buy a house in Melbourne, so we had to sell our home.”
“You sold the house?” Dani’s cheeks turned red. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye, Mum. That’s not cool. It was my home too.”
“I kept all your things. They’re in storage.”
Dani crossed her arms and faced out the window. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“I’m sorry, but I was going through quite a bit myself. It was hard for me to take one step at a time, let alone think about how everyone else would feel about what was happening.”
Dani stared out the window for a long time, tears wetting her cheeks. She wiped them fiercely with the back of her hand, then straightened. “It’s not fair, Mum. I wish you or Dad had said something before now. I can’t believe you’ve done all this without talking to me.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. You’re right — we should’ve said something sooner. But you don’t live at home any longer, you’re an adult now. Sometimes Dad and me will do things without talking to you about it.”
Dani’s nostrils flared. “Yes, take a holiday without telling me, or redecorate the living room… but don’t break our family apart and change your entire life without saying anything.”
Bea sighed. “Please try to understand. This has been a hard time for us all.”
Dani loosened her arms and met her mother’s gaze. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Mum. How are you feeling about it?”
“Blindsided, heartbroken, scared…” Bea swallowed around a lump in her throat. “That’s why I’m here. I decided to come to Coral Island with you. We can both live in the cottage, and I can help you renovate. Let’s face it, I’m the queen of renovation.”
Dani laughed through her tears. “That is true. I could do with your help. I’ve been pretty stressed about how I would manage any of it. But I’m still angry at both of you.”
“I can live with that. I’m basically homeless, and I need some time to recover, let my heart heal, figure out my next move.”
Dani leaned into Bea and rested her head on Bea’s shoulder. “I’m glad you came, Mum. And now I won’t starve to death.”
The ferry to the island was huge. Cars filled the bottom of the boat in long lines. Bea and Dani climbed the staircase to the top level and found a chair in the café. They each ordered a cappuccino, then sat by one of the many windows to watch the scenery passing them by. Within minutes, they were out at sea.
The ocean was a brilliant blue that Bea hadn’t seen anywhere else in the world. The unique sediment of the region coupled with the purity of the water gave it an impossibly perfect hue. The sand that showed up in small drifts around the shoreline and on the banks of the islands that rose up alongside the boat was almost pure white. A pod of dolphins dove and splashed beneath their window. The July day was mild and sunny with a crystal blue sky.
“This is amazing,” Dani said, sipping her coffee. “Why haven’t we come here more often?”
Bea knew the topic would come up, but wasn’t sure how to address it. “It was hard after my mother died.”
“Is that why you never talk about Coral Island?”
“I suppose so.” It was too much too fast. She’d already shared so much with Dani that day—she couldn’t face the prospect of diving into her entire family history. Her head throbbed, and she felt as though she’d cried for hours, even though she’d barely shed a tear. She was tired, dehydrated and starving. Deep conversations would have to wait.
“What’s Pa like?”
“Don’t you remember?” Bea squinted against the afternoon sunshine as it slanted through the window.
“Yeah, of course I remember. But I haven’t seen him much in years, and when I was little, all I saw was a man who was quiet and kept to himself. He took me fishing a lot. That’s about all I can recall.”
“And snorkelling.”
“Yes, I loved snorkelling on the reef. The beautiful coral, the parrotfish that swarmed around us and nibbled at my toes. Those were some of my favourite times as a kid.”
Bea smiled. “Mine too. I’m looking forward to doing those things again now that you’re older.”
The boat ride took over an hour. In that time, they stopped at two different islands for passengers to disembark. Finally, the ferry pulled up to Coral Island as the sun sank below the horizon. Dark shadows drifted over the ocean and finally brought a refreshing cool breeze that lifted Bea’s hair from the back of her neck as she descended the stairs, one hand firmly on the rail.
It was hard to see much of the island with the sunlight gone. The streetlights were dim. All of the shops were closed, and the streets were almost bare. A small bus growled by to pick up the few tourists and locals who were left on the ferry.
