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7
Rylie
I jogover to Ethan’s house to pick up my father’s car. It’s nice to get out for some exercise and work out my obsessing. I’m surprised my dad allowed me to come over to Ethan’s house alone. I’ve only ever been to the bachelor pad a couple of times when he’s invited my father for dinner. I’m on edge at the thought of being alone with him in his lair. But as I arrive I see the house is definitely shut up. My father must have known he was gone, unless he’s sent him to the wilds of Africa already. That’s not as dumb as it sounds. My dad has the nose of a drug-sniffing rottweiler.
The car’s out front and I have the spare keys. But I can’t resist walking up to Ethan’s door, just in case he yanks it back to pull me inside. Even just to see something belonging to him, get a hint of his home life. I walk around the side of the house to the back yard I’ve spent time in.
“Who are you?” A tiny voice shouts from the yard next door. There are no fences between the open spaces here.
“I’m Rylie,” I shout, “who are you?”
“I’m Caden and I’m an astronaut.”
Wow, Ethan’s little boy. If I wanted something belonging to him, his cute kid is definitely it. But what’s he doing home alone?
“Do you know where Ethan is?”
“Yes he’s on a top secret mission.”
“When will he be back?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know where mom is either. Do you know daddy?”
“Yes, he’s my father’s best friend,” I tell him.
“Does that make me your stepbrother?”
“No sweetie,” I smile.
“Oh too bad. Because then we could go to the beach together. I’d love that.”
My heart nearly tears apart at the sight of this solitary little guy playing in the dirt. I forget all plans to go to school today. I deserve a beach day and it seems more valuable to give a lonely child some fun.
I try to get hold of Ethan as discreetly as I can without success. I’m upset that he’d leave on a mission, even if it was top secret and vital, without making sure Caden had some activities planned and knew when his dad would return.
Part of this, I understand completely, I was raised a military brat. It’s part of the life, not knowing when Dad would return, or even if he’d return. I guess that’s why I was sent to a weekly boarding school on the other side of the island. Now I have an extra urge to give Caden a nice day out.
Without his father’s permission I can’t just kidnap the cutie so I promise to come back soon and take him to the beach.
“Okay,” he says, resigned to it not happening, I can tell.
I get caught up in school work and it’s a few days until I can call Marta’s house and schedule a date. As it turns out, she and my dad know each other, so it isn’t an issue to convince her to let me have Caden for a beach day.
I’m excited as I drive over to get the little boy. This is as close as I can get to Ethan while he’s gone plus his son seems smart and interested in his world. I’m determined to give him a fun day out. I’m surprised he remembers me and even skips out happily and climbs into the car. He’s probably used to relying on strangers and again I’m annoyed with Ethan.
“Are we going to see any whales?” Caden asks me as we pull into the parking lot at Pupukea Beach Park.
“I don’t think so, honey,” I say. “But maybe we can find sea turtles, would you like that?”
“Sure,” he says.
I don’t think he sounds as excited about turtles as he did about whales, but that might change if we get up close to them. Along the North Shore highway, there’s a spot where turtles come ashore to eat algae. But first we’ll swim at Shark’s Cove, a small bay protected by a reef.
“Are there really any sharks around here?” Caden asks, with intense seriousness.
“No,” I tell him. “There are too many tourists swimming here. All the sharks are afraid.”
“Are you serious?”
