TWENTY EIGHT
Mia
I don’t think either of us gets much sleep that night. One thing I hadn’t factored in was Luke’s need to sleep underwater. When he explained it made so much sense to me. I know he’s been waking up sore and dry every day he’s woken in my bed. Now we’re at his house, he can make use of the basement pool. Only I feel restless not having him next to me.
Early in the morning, I finally give up on sleep and creep down the stairs to the basement just thinking to check on him. To be near him. As soon as my toes dip into the water his head breaks the surface and he frowns at me. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“No. ”
“Me neither.” He swims over to the stairs, wrapping his arms around my legs and laying his head in my lap. He’s wet of course, but I don’t mind. I brush his wet hair back from his face.
We’re quiet for a while. I’m trying to figure out the best approach to try talking to Margaret again today. “You know it’s a shame the Rotary Club doesn’t know about this. I bet they’d love to help. You said your parents have been lifelong members.”
Luke lifts his head to look at me. “Yeah.” After a pause, he lifts himself a little higher out of the water. “Yeah.” Then he sighs “I’m not sure if they’d help, though.”
It’s only seven in the morning, but upstairs I hear my phone ring. When I check it’s a missed call from Dad. I swipe to dismiss the notification. I sent a message to let him know why I wasn’t coming back. I’m not ready to talk to him or Mum yet. I will, eventually. They’re my parents after all. I’m not sure things can ever go back to the way they were, though.
Luke has shifted and he comes into the room, slipping a shirt over his head. “All good?”
“Yeah. Maybe we should get in touch with the Rotary Club members. It can’t help to try, right? Do you think your parents would mind?”
He winces. “Mum’ll probably go mad when she finds out, but I’m going to do it anyway.”
I smile. That’s the first real determination I’ve heard in his voice since he had the news.
At least we have something to do today. With everything up in the air, there’s no reason to keep working on the renovation and obviously, I’m not working. I should probably look for jobs, but I’m not sure I have the heart today. I’ll go over my CV tomorrow and begin the hunt. Right now, I’m focused on making sure we do what we can to help Luke’s family.
Yesterday, Margaret just about shut her front door in my face as soon as I explained who I was. I don’t want to pester her, but I need an opportunity to plead my case. I’ll make one more bid to get her to listen.
Luke emails the secretary of the Rotary Club. Half an hour later, we have arranged to meet her for tea at the Coral Breeze Cafe that afternoon.
Meanwhile, I walk down to the local newsagent and buy a card and a pen, and write out a short note. In the end, I don’t say much. I just let Margaret know I’d love to talk to her if she’ll hear me out. I could have told her about the financial risks of a case like this. About the costs she’ll have to pay if she loses. I could have warned her my Dad’s case is potentially unscrupulous. Instead, I tell her about Luke’s dad and the financial pressure his family is under right now. In the end I’d rather appeal to her sense of compassion than stoop to making threats just like my dad.
I guess we’ll see which approach wins at the end of the day.
“I had no idea your father was sick.” Lin Wang is a short woman with flecks of grey in her short dark hair and bright red lipstick that sticks to the side of her teacup when she takes a sip .
Luke scrubs a hand over his face. “Neither did we. We only found out a couple of weeks ago when he said he had an appointment in Sydney.”
Lin nods sadly. “My husband passed away ten years ago. Cancer.”
In the moment of silence, I feel that news hit Luke like a physical blow. I slide closer to him on the bench seat until our thighs are touching.
“What we need is a fundraiser.” Lin sets her cup down on the saucer with a clink. “The biggest fundraiser we’ve ever done. I’ll start making phone calls today. We need items we can auction, and we need a way to raise awareness.”
Luke sits up straighter. “Then you’ll help?”
“Of course,” says Lin. “Your parents have done so much for this community. It’s time for us to give back. Did you think we wouldn’t because they stepped back from being secretary and president?”
Luke shifts uncomfortably. “Actually, I thought maybe...” he trails off.
“The monster thing?” Lin asks.
Luke nods.
Lin makes a dismissive noise and waves her hand. “Don’t be silly. It was only ever the Andersons who went on with that nonsense and Ruth ran them out of town years ago! Well, them and Margaret, but no one listens to her anyway.”
This pricks my interest. “Margaret Nguyen? Did she have a grudge against the Wilsons?”
Lin purses her lips. “She was always weird about it when they went public. Kept saying to everyone who would listen to her ‘I knew they were hiding something’. ”
I file this away and squeeze Luke’s knee under the table. “Well, thank you for agreeing to help us. Is there anything we can do?”
“Certainly. I’m sure we could use all hands on deck,” Lin tells me.
“I could make some paintings. To donate for the auction.”
Lin smiles. “Perfect.”
“And I could help with flyers and images for social media, too.”
Luke swallows the last of his coffee. His sandwich is still untouched on his plate, though. “I’ll get my brothers in on it. If we’re running a charity auction, Noah will cater it, and we can host it at Inlet Views, at The Snapper. And I’ll do whatever. Odd jobs, packing, shifting stuff. You name it.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Lin reaches across the table and pats Luke’s arm. “And try not to worry too much. There is still a lot they can do, and a lot of chances he can beat this.”
Luke swallows hard and nods.
“Thank you, Mrs Wang,” I give her my warmest smile. “We really appreciate it.”
She waves me off. “Don’t be silly. There is nothing this community won’t do to help Rob and Joanne. Believe me. I’m glad we have this opportunity to show them that they deserve it.”
We pay the bill and wave to Lin as she crosses the road to get to her car.
“I can’t believe they’re going to help us,” Luke says.
“Why not? ”
He shrugs. “Stuff was tense when we first came out. Some people said we’d betrayed them. Because we’d been lying to everyone about who we really were.”
I squeeze his hand. “Not lying, just not telling them everything. There’s a difference. Not like it’s their business anyway.”
He looks down at his feet. “Yeah. It didn’t feel like that at the time. I hated it. For a long time I wished I was human.”
I turn to him. “I’m glad you’re not.”
“Really?”
“Really. You’re amazing just the way you are.”
I get another phone call from my Dad as we are getting into Luke’s truck. I dismiss the call and drop it onto my lap, concentrating on what Luke is saying. “Thank you. For painting for the auction and for everything.”
“Of course. Don’t even thank me. You’d do the same for me.”
I stare down at my phone in my lap on the drive back to Luke’s place. I’m still so mad at Dad. I’ve put the card into Margaret’s letterbox. It’s all I can do short of stalking the woman. That’s hardly likely to help. I just wish I could get through to her and clear this weight from Luke’s shoulders. He still looks like he’s carrying a heavy burden, despite how much success we’ve had already.
When the doorbell rings, I’m lost in my own world with a canvas laid out on the kitchen floor over an old sheet and paint on my hands and knees and arms and probably in my hair. It’s the middle of the day on a Friday. Luke is tied up all day on a job at the Harper place up the road, so I guess I’ll have to answer it.
Setting down my palette knife, I wipe a hand across my cheek to brush the stray hair from my face. I look around until I find the cloth to clean my hands and then go to the front door. I’m so surprised when I open it. Margaret Nguyen is standing there with a younger woman with the same sloped nose and brown eyes.
“Margaret! Thanks for coming by. Will you come in? Can I get you a cup of tea or coffee?” I have to take a breath and tell myself to slow down. She doesn’t need my flustered rambling. This is part of the reason I’m no good at this stuff, but Luke is relying on me and I won’t let him down.
Margaret stays on the doorstep. “I got your card.” Her voice is flat. I notice she’s using a walking stick to support her weight on her right side.
“You did? That’s great.”
Her daughter nudges her. “Mum, you said you wanted to talk to Mia.”
Margaret sighs. “My daughter told me the Rotary Club is organising a charity auction for the Wilsons.”
I blink. This is not the conversation I expected to be having, but perhaps it’s an in on the other stuff I want to discuss with her. “Yeah. I’m actually in the middle of painting something for the auction myself.” I gesture behind me. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in?”
She shakes her head. “It’s always the Wilsons this, and the Wilsons that. What about the rest of us who could have used some help?” As if to emphasise her words, she grunts and shifts her weight onto her good side.
“Mum!”
Margaret rolls her eyes. “Listen, I know what it’s like to have medical bills you can’t afford. And believe it or not, I’m not a total bitch.”
Margaret’s daughter makes an apologetic face. “What my mum is trying to say is that she felt bad for Rob Wilson when she found out he has cancer. She wouldn’t have gone ahead with the case if she had known.”
This is excellent news. I force myself to keep my expression calm. “Of course not. You know, it’s not too late.”
Margaret frowns. “That’s not what my lawyer said. He said we’ve already filed some statement, and there are legal fees. I only agreed to this because he assured me he could win it for me, or he’d waive the fees.”
I tamp down the urge to growl with frustration. I can’t believe my father resorted to tactics like these. “Listen, your lawyer is my father, and I used to work for him, so I know what you’re talking about. Even if he’s filed a statement of claim, you can withdraw it. You’re right, there might be some fees, but I’m sure that we can cover those for you if that’s what you’d like to do.”
She frowns at me. “Whose side are you on, anyway? I don’t really understand how you’re involved in this.”
“I’d tell you I’m on the side of justice, but you won’t buy that!” I half giggle at my own joke, but Margaret doesn’t crack a smile. I give her a serious look. “I’m on Luke’s side. If there are sides, but I don’t think it has to be like that. ”
She sighs. “Whatever. I don’t really care. If you think you can get rid of the legal fees, I’ll happily drop the case. I don’t even think your father could have won it anyway. To be honest, there are some things I wasn’t up front with him about.”
I open my mouth to ask, but she keeps going.
“I shouldn’t have been up on that ladder. I knew that. It was unstable. I was rushing to get the job done, and I’ll suffer for it every day of my life. But I wasn’t expecting a sea monster to walk right out of the basement!”
“Mum—” Lucy reaches for Magaret’s arm but she shakes her off. “How was I supposed to know it was my employers? I think it’s weird that everyone just accepts they lied to us for years.”
“Mum, you know how things were. Would anyone have believed it?”
Margaret sighs. “They just about drove me out of town calling me crazy. Telling me I was seeing things. Not a single one of them believed me and now—” She makes a dismissive gesture. “Now they’re just running around town being monsters and no one bats an eye. Did you know?” She narrows her eyes at me.
“I know. And from what Luke has told me, they felt bad keeping it secret too. I think they really just want to be accepted.”
Margaret grunts. “It just would be nice, you know, if people who had so much could have had a bit of sympathy.”
I nod, not sure what to say.
Margaret sighs again. “If you and your boyfriend are going to cover my legal fees, then you have my word I’ll do whatever it was you said about withdrawing the statement. Just make it happen.” She turns awkwardly on the doorstep.
“Thank you!”
Margaret doesn’t turn back or say goodbye. As she hobbles to her car, her daughter leans in to whisper under her breath. “Thank you. I think sometimes she just needs someone to listen to her.”
“Lucy!”
“Coming.” Lucy gives me one last harried smile and hurries after her mother, opening the door to help Margaret into the passenger seat.
I close the door and I’m still standing with my hand on the handle, when Luke calls out from the back. “You home, babe?”
I’m still so stunned about what just happened I can’t even find the words to reply. When he peeks around the door from the living room I see him from the corner of my eye. I’m still staring at the front door like it might open again so Margaret could snatch it all back again. Luke’s brows raise. “Everything OK?”
I turn and give him a dumbfounded smile. “You know what? I think everything is OK. That was Margaret.” I gesture at the closed door. “And she’s dropping the case.”
“She is?”
“She is!”
He catches me up in his arms and I shriek as he spins us around. “Baby, you’re a miracle worker!”
When he finally sets me down I shake my head. “No. It’s all down to your parents. She heard about your dad and felt bad about it. Simple as that. ”
Luke squeezes me tight one more time. “You still had a hand in it, I know.”
I bask for a moment in his relief until he finally sets me down with a chuckle. “You know you have paint smeared on your face, right?”
I brush a hand over my cheek and laugh. “It must have been there the whole time I was talking to Margaret and her daughter! God, I’m so embarrassed.”
He pulls me into another hug. “Don’t be. You’re adorable. Can’t believe you’re mine. When do I get to put a ring on this finger and make a proper kraken’s mate of you?”
I give him a guilty look. “Luke...”
We’ve talked about this. Of course we have. Even though he recognized me as his mate the very first time he shifted near me, there’s still another side to the mating that relates to me accepting his claim. A ritual that will transform me and allow me to breathe underwater. I won’t turn full kraken, but I will grow gills. The trouble is, it’s irreversible and I have to be sure.
He sets me down and puts a hand over my mouth. “Shhh. I’m only teasing. You know I’ll wait until you’re ready. Just need you to know that it’s happening one day.”
I grin. “You’ll never give up, will you?”
“Nope.”
I pull him down for another kiss, then I sigh. “You know you’re perfect, right? You always know exactly what to say. I think you know me better than I know myself sometimes.”
“You’re not hard to figure out. Just gotta pay attention.”
I smile. I don’t think anyone has ever paid attention to me the way he does. I don’t think anyone ever could. But it’s just like him to play down the effort he puts into building his life around my wants and needs. The way he’s built something here that’s bigger and better than I could have ever dreamed.
There’s no doubt in my mind we will perform the ritual one day. Just as soon as I get over the trauma of having to pick wedding stationery!