Twenty-three
Erica turned on her back to float, her eyes on the dawn sky as its hues changed from pink to gold with the rising sun. She loved the peace of her early morning swims, her only regret that, with her changing shifts, she wasn’t able to enjoy them every morning. But this morning, as she lay there, her thoughts went back to the previous day, to Jamie and to the feelings he’d engendered, feelings she’d thought gone for ever, feelings she had vowed never to allow herself to have again.
When she’d heard the knock at the door, soon after leaving Jamie, she’d thought it was him back, and had been about to ignore it, till she heard her brother’s voice, and Coco’s bark.
‘Joe!’ she’d said, throwing the door open and hugging him. ‘And Coco,’ she’d added, bending down to ruffle the dog’s ears as the animal nudged her with her nose.
By the time they came in and were settled down in the kitchen with coffee for Joe, herbal tea for her, and water and a treat for Coco, she was able to tell her brother about her kitesurfing experience. But she recalled his concerned expression and presumed she hadn’t been as successful as she’d hoped in hiding her worries.
Now she’d had time to reflect, she suspected Joe had only mentioned his new project to change the subject, but it would be good to have something to focus on besides herself and what might be happening in Perth. She swam back to the shore, intent on keeping that focus.
‘You okay?’
Erica glanced up and paused in towelling herself dry to see Gill staring at her with a concerned expression. ‘I’m fine. Why?’
Gill appeared embarrassed. ‘No reason, but…’ she hesitated then continued, ‘Joe said you seemed a bit off yesterday.’
Blast her brother! He’d caught her at a weak moment. She hadn’t expected him to tell Gill, but wasn’t that what normal couples did? It hadn’t been that way with her and Geoff, but what she was fast discovering was that their relationship had been anything but normal. The relationships she’d seen since returning to Pelican Crossing, especially this second time, were ones of mutual sharing and trust. Even Gill, who had been so violently opposed to forming a relationship, was now happily playing house with Joe, or would be as soon as they found somewhere to live.
‘He caught me at a bad time,’ she said, in the hope this might satisfy Gill.
‘Hmm. Well, he suggested I make sure you join us for breakfast.’
‘I don’t…’ Erica began, but Gill cut her off.
‘I won’t take no for an answer. The Blue Dolphin Café at eight. That gives you time to go home, shower and change. And if I know your brother, he’ll want your ideas for his new project, so better start thinking about it.’
‘Thanks.’ Erica knew her brother too, and once he got his teeth into something, there was no stopping him. She’d be willing to bet he’d conned all his mates into being involved too. At this thought, her heart sank. Jamie was one of those mates.
‘Joe said you went kitesurfing with Jamie Whittaker,’ Gill said, as they walked up to the car park together. ‘That must have been fun. Freya loves it, and Joe and I have had a few lessons with Gary too. What did you think?’
‘It was amazing,’ Erica replied, remembering the exhilaration, the adrenalin rush, the feeling of weightlessness, and the sensation of freedom. ‘Gary’s a great teacher.’ As she spoke, Erica remembered too, how hot Jamie had looked, his wetsuit clinging to his body, and the flash of emotion she’d experienced. No, best not to remember that. ‘Isn’t Freya with you this morning?’ she asked. ‘Joe said she was home this weekend.’
‘She had a late night.’ Gill laughed. ‘Oh, to be thirty again. She went out with Rory and some of their old mates from school, and I didn’t expect her to be up this early. But I hope she’ll be joining us for breakfast. I don’t see nearly enough of her, but at least she’s back in Australia,’ she said. ‘You must miss your son and daughter-in-law too. You seemed close.’
‘To Briony, yes. Not so much, Kieren. He’s too much like his dad.’
Gill raised an eyebrow.
‘Maybe,’ she said slowly, recognising the direction of Gill’s thinking. She didn’t want to go there. ‘The jury’s still out on that one.’ She needed to call him again.
‘So, see you at eight?’ Gill said as they reached their cars.
‘Will do.’ Erica knew there was no getting out of breakfast, but at least if Freya was there, there would hopefully be no talk about her and Jamie.
*
By the time Erica arrived at the café, Joe and Gill were already there, accompanied by Freya, who looked as if she’d prefer to be still in bed. ‘Late night?’ she asked sympathetically, though it was a long time since she’d been out on the town. Looking back, her youth had been cut short by her marriage to Geoff. But it had been her choice, and there was no use wallowing in regret.
‘Mmm,’ Freya replied, taking a drink from the mug of coffee she was clasping in both hands. ‘Oh, that’s better.’
Both Gill and Joe laughed, though Erica felt some sympathy for the young woman. It would be nice to be Freya’s age again, to have your whole life ahead of you, even if it meant being forced to come to breakfast with a hangover.
‘How are you enjoying life in Sydney?’ Erica asked Freya when they had all ordered breakfast.
‘I’m loving it. It’s very different to San Francisco, and the uni is different too. I’m sharing a neat townhouse in Glebe with one of the other lecturers, and we eat out a lot. A bit different to this too.’ She waved a hand to encompass the ocean and the harbour.
During their meal, the conversation revolved around a recent article in The Echo which reported on the council’s decision to remove the shark nets during the period of whale migration. Joe had been in favour of it, as had most of the councillors, but there were a few who worried about the risk of shark attacks.
‘It was a good move, Joe,’ Freya said, more alert after her breakfast of smashed avocado on rye. ‘There have been so many cases of baby whales becoming caught in the nets. It’s up to us to protect our wildlife.’
‘Thanks for your support, Freya. But I’m afraid there will always be those who believe it’s more important to protect our surfers and swimmers than the whales, despite the fact that, on this part of the coast at least, there are more incidents with whales than humans. And we will reinstate the nets in November before the main tourist season.’
‘It’s not easy for you,’ Gill said, laying a hand on Joe’s arm. ‘As mayor, you have to listen to all points of view, and you can’t please everyone.’
Erica listened to the exchange with interest. It had never occurred to her that her brother might often have to walk the line between different factions both in the community and the council. It couldn’t be easy for him.
‘At least most of the old guard are on my side,’ Joe said with a sigh. ‘Both Cam and Jamie are in favour. They’ve seen firsthand the damage the nets can do.’
Erica’s stomach clenched at the sound of Jamie’s name. She’d hoped to avoid any mention of him. Maybe… She glanced at her brother, but he appeared not to notice. It was Gill who picked up on it.
‘Speaking of Jamie,’ she said, looking at Erica, ‘are you seeing him again? Erica and he went kitesurfing together,’ she explained to Freya.
‘With Gary?’ Freya asked. ‘He’s the best. How did you like it?’
‘Yes, with Gary. It was amazing.’ Erica hoped that would be an end to it. She was wrong.
‘So?’ Gill asked. ‘Joe says you and Jamie were together back when you were in your teens, before you left Pelican Crossing. It must have felt strange to meet him again after all this time. He’s well-liked. Everyone has a good word to say for him, believes he’s had a raw deal with his wife leaving him to bring up his two boys. Well, it’s true,’ she said to Freya who was rolling her eyes.
‘Gill’s right,’ Joe said, joining in the conversation. ‘Now you’re on your own again, you could do worse than…’ His voice trailed off as Erica glared at him. ‘Sorry, sis, but it’s true. I know how my life has changed since meeting Gill.’ He smiled at her and took her hand. ‘I didn’t think I’d ever feel this way again, but here we are.’
‘I’m not like you, Joe… or you, Gill,’ Erica added, seeing Gill open her mouth to speak. ‘My experience of marriage was not one I wish to repeat. Oh, I know what you’re going to say. Jamie isn’t anything like Geoff. And I know you’re right, but I can’t trust myself.’
‘Are you talking about Gary and Rory’s dad?’ Freya asked, suddenly becoming aware of the conversation and looking up from her phone. ‘I know they’d love it if he found someone. He’s been on his own since their mum left when they were teenagers. What?’ she asked when the other three laughed.
‘We were saying exactly that,’ Joe said.
‘Oh!’ Freya went back to her phone again. ‘Rory has just sent me a message. He and his dad are going sailing today and he wants to know if I can join them. Is that okay with you, Mum?’
‘Of course. It’s lovely you’ve come to visit but there’s no need to spend all your time with me.’
‘Thanks. I’d better go home and change first. Have a great day, everyone.’ She dashed off, leaving the others staring after her.
‘Are she and Rory…?’ Erica asked.
‘No.’ Gill shook her head. ‘When she came home last year, I thought there was a chance, but they’re just good friends. Rory isn’t interested in a relationship. I suspect there may be someone in Sydney, but I’m not game to ask. I’ll wait till Freya decides to tell me.’
‘I remember what it was like when Kieren started dating Briony,’ Erica laughed. ‘It was ages before he plucked up the courage to tell us. He said he was afraid it wouldn’t last.’ She smiled at the memory, at how delighted she’d been when she and Briony finally met, how she had immediately warmed to the young woman who had stolen her son’s heart. That had been before he’d become so close to his dad.
They continued to talk about Freya, and how grateful Gill was to have reconnected with her. Erica couldn’t imagine how difficult it must have been for her when Freya took her dad’s side in Gill’s difficult divorce. It wasn’t until his behaviour became too much for even his daughter to stomach that Freya became reconciled with her mother.
When breakfast was over, Erica farewelled Joe and Gill with promises to catch up again soon. She was glad there had been no more talk of her and Jamie, but as she made her way home, she couldn’t help but remember what they had said, about what a good man Jamie was, how he was alone, just like her. And she began to think that, if he invited her out again, then maybe…