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Aurora thought again of that swirling, inky darkness beneath the boat, an ocean content to swallow human lives without a second thought. The fishing boat had been her first “sail.”Did she really want to do it again… just for leisure?
“I don’t know…” Aurora breathed.
“We don’t have to go for long,” Brooks said. “But there are a few places I want to show you by boat. It’s a completely unique and different way of experiencing the island. Say you’ll come?”
Reluctantly, Aurora agreed. In only twenty minutes, Brooks’ truck was in the front driveway, the soft light in the interior glowing across his face. Feeling like a much younger woman sneaking out of the house (something she’d never done, as leaving her mother behind would have meant tragedy), Aurora tip-toed from The Copperfield House and jumped into the truck, where Brooks wrapped his arms around her, cocooning her in his love.
That night, Aurora and Brooks stayed up late, sipping wine and chatting as the moonlight spilled from the open window onto his sheets. When they did sleep, they laid twisted up in one another, holding hands, legs entwined. Had Aurora told herself this story only a few weeks ago, she would have laughed and said it would never be so.Love? Love was meant for other people. Not her.
Brooks and Aurora boarded Brooks’ sailboat at eight-thirty that morning, armed with supplies: fresh strawberries, freshly baked bread, butter, an assortment of cheese, champagne, and plenty of water. Aurora hadn’t brought a swimsuit, but she wore a beautiful sundress, and her hair whipped around in the wind as the sailboat charged from the harbor and into the open blue. As the island grew smaller and smaller beside them, it seemed as though the sky itself grew exponentially.
“I can’t tell if the ocean is going to swallow us or the sky,” Aurora told Brooks, clinging hard to the railing as she eyed the water suspiciously.
Brooks wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. “I know it’s only your second time on a boat, which boggles my mind. What do you think of it?”
Aurora’s throat was tight, but she wanted to tell him she liked it, that she wasn’t afraid.
“I guess I shouldn’t pressure you into liking this,” Brooks said with a laugh before she managed to answer. “I was raised on an island. This is my life.”
Aurora touched his shoulder gently. “I do like it, Brooks.” It wasn’t a lie, although she was surprised how much she wanted to like it, if only to please him. Horrifyingly, she remembered her mother’s various “hobbies” over the years— bowling, poetry reading, gardening— all of which had revolved around a man who had inevitably left her. Aurora’s eyes filled with sadness, and she placed her face on Brooks’ shoulder and told her brain to behave itself.
Eventually, Brooks dropped anchor in a gorgeous cove, where he removed his shirt to reveal his glistening muscles and pointed at the turquoise water. “Come in with me?”
Aurora felt stricken. “I can’t.”
Brooks tilted his head as the realization fell over him. “You can’t swim?”
Aurora shook her head. “That probably sounds weird to you.”
Brooks didn’t hesitate in coming toward her and wrapping her in another hug. A hug that translated just how “not weird” her inability to swim was. “People have all kinds of talents! I don’t know more than three chords on a guitar, and I sure as heck can’t sing.”
Aurora’s lips twisted into a smile.
“Should I show you?” Brooks pressed it. “Want me to sing you a song?”
“I don’t know,” Aurora joked.
“You should be careful,” Brooks told her. “Once you hear me sing, there’s a chance you’ll lose your appreciation for music once and for all. And then, where will we be?”
Aurora cackled. “You can’t be that bad.”
“Oh, but I am, darling.”
“Sing something easy. Something that everyone can sing,” Aurora urged.
“I’m telling you that I sound like a broken foghorn.” And with that, Brooks turned and performed a perfect dive from the side of the boat into the water below. Aurora was captivated by him, watching his muscles glisten beneath the water before he erupted into the air again.
Aurora sat at the edge of the boat with her feet hanging toward the water. Brooks swam back easily, then held onto the ladder, gazing up at her. After a dramatic pause, he opened his mouth and sang the Beatles’ song, “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” He didn’t hit a single note. Even still, Aurora thought it was probably the most beautiful rendition she’d ever heard, if only because it came from his heart.
“Why are you crying?” Brooks asked, climbing up the ladder to sit beside her.
Aurora hadn’t realized she was. “I’m sorry.”
“Was my singing that bad?”
Aurora laughed and dropped her head against his shoulder, which was chilly from the water. “You really are pretty bad.”
Brooks kissed her on the forehead and exhaled all the air from his lungs. For a moment, they sat together quietly, listening to the caw of a seagull overhead.
