Chapter 18 Wyatt
WYATT
Back at the coasteering centre, Wyatt changed quickly then joined the others at the minibus.
He took some drinks orders then went to the nearest café.
When he returned, they all sat along a low wall gazing at the sea, sipping sweet, creamy hot chocolate and talking about their coasteering adventure.
Wyatt had loved the day — the salt spray, the adrenaline, the laughter — and it had been even better because Edith was there too.
She’d clearly been afraid but had got stuck in with the grit and determination he remembered so well.
Now, with cheeks flushed from the salt and the wind, she was glowing with vitality.
She spoke about making that first leap, there had been more as the day had progressed, and how much she’d enjoyed it despite being nervous.
He knew from experience that overcoming fear was rewarding but never straightforward.
Small wins like this were good for the soul, and he was glad Edith and the rest of their party had found the coasteering fun.
The energy of the group ebbed and flowed like the tide as it caressed the shore.
Voices rose and fell in easy rhythm and, as the sun sank lower in the sky, the sea became liquid gold and the horizon shimmered.
Everything was calm, as if the day were gently sighing into evening and carrying the group of people with it.
When the drinks were gone, they agreed to head back to Porthpenny for a fish and chip supper.
As they packed up, Wyatt caught Edith’s eye as she laughed at something Thora had said.
For a moment, everything else fell away and it was just the two of them.
Warmth bloomed in his chest, as comforting as the hot chocolate had been, and he knew he’d remember this day for a long time.
He closed the door of the minibus, then turned for one last look at the sea, imagining the pull of the tide and the promise of something new rising between him and Edith.
There was something there; of that he was certain.
What it was or where it might lead, he couldn’t yet say.
Time would reveal everything.
It always did.