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“Zennor Williams, what on earth are you doing?” She laughs as I start pulling out her drawers where she used to keep her beachwear.
“I’m having surf lessons with Tegan and Natalie,” I defend and find a black one-piece that will suffice at short notice. “This one?” I hold it up to Mum, and she nods as she looks at me in astonishment. “It wasn’t my idea, but Natalie wanted us all to learn. And I’ve hardly been a model Aunt up until now.”
“So, you’re making amends?”
“I’m trying.” And taking another step forward in laying those ghosts to rest. “Thanks for the suit.”
“You’re welcome. Now go and have some fun.”
Fifteen minutes of wrestling my body into the skin-tight suit, I feel like I’ve done more exercise than I have in the last year. Still, I’m in, zipped up, and ready, even if I feel ridiculous. Although this will be better than facing the bracing waters without protection.
I bend and stretch my legs a little before plaiting and securing my hair and leave for the surf shop.
We arranged to meet at the shop, although walking through Tregethworth in only a wetsuit makes me feel more self-conscious than I have in a heap of years. It’s not like it’s an unusual sight; people walk to and from the beach all the time. It’s just not something I’ve ever done.
My heart skips up a beat as I see the sign to the shop, and I take a steadying breath before opening the door.
“Hey,” I greet the guy at the counter and tiptoe further into the shop.
“Out the back.” He gives me the direction I don’t need, and I continue to where we parted yesterday. But as I round the corner, I only see Jayce.
Jayce with his wetsuit around his waist, showing me all of his torso glory, including the silver bead still around his neck.
“Where are the others?” I squeak, trying to keep my eyes from roaming over his abs.
Friends. Friends. Friends.
“Ah, well, I’ll explain on the way. Come on.” He hands me a board, and he grabs his own.
“Jayce?” I follow him out of the back and around to the road and cross to the beach. “Jayce, hold up.” But he keeps walking.
The sand is warm and soft as I sink my bare feet onto the beach. I scrunch my toes for a second in the sugary sand before following Jayce.
We’re approaching the high-tide mark where the sand turns cold and compacted before he pauses and looks at me.
“Tegan and Natalie cancelled. Something about an emergency on the farm.” He gives me the news, and now I know why he left it until now to fill me in. I’m already on the beach. I would have found an excuse if we were still in the shop.
“Okay. So that means it’s just us.” My heart does that skip thing again.
“Yeah. And I didn’t tell you because I wanted us to have this. Together. And, if you let yourself, I think you could have some fun.” He chooses this moment to dig his board into the sand and cover his chest with his suit. The cynical side of me sees this as a distraction technique. But I just take a breath and keep the snide and cross remarks to myself.
I can do this. With him.
“Fine. But I’ve not tried to surf for twenty years. You might have to start at the beginning.”
“I’ll have you ready to beat Natalie in no time.”
I appreciate that he keeps this focused on my family. It stops me from falling too far into the past.
“Right. Do you remember anything?” Jayce claps his hands together, and it’s like he’s switched into teacher mode.
I shake my head.
“Come on. We’ll go over the basics.”
I don’t know how I managed to stand up before because there was no way I had the balance to do it now.
“Jayce! Don’t let go. Don’t!” I cry above the waves as I try and hold onto him rather than stand on the board. I’ve fallen off, fallen over, and tripped into the water in every possible way over the last hour, being dunked so many times my eyes were sore from the salt.
