Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Sam sat at the end of the storage yard, legs dangling over the edge, looking out over the marina. Like Taylor stopping and taking in the view on their walk earlier today, this was her favourite spot to sit and appreciate the outlook. The sun had set hours ago, the moon now glinting off the water, the stars clear and bright overhead. Halyards quietly tink tink tinked amongst themselves in the light breeze, a soft song they all seemed to be in tune with. Her mind was the opposite of the calmness before her, still churning the possible conversations with her dad, mixed with the excitement of making progress with her boat. This was her place to take the time to think, to process, to plan.
She’d looked up the second arrow analogy, and Taylor was right. Not talking really was just hurting herself more. She’d now come up with a plan, and she hoped everything would turn out the way she wanted.
After what felt like hours, Sam made her way back inside and got ready for bed. She flicked off the lights downstairs, grabbing her phone and bag before heading up the stairs. She threw the bag on the chair in the corner and spied the neatly folded T-shirt poking out of the top. She picked it up and inhaled—the woody, musky scent of sandalwood hit her nose as she closed her eyes.
She thought of Taylor’s surprising hug earlier that evening.
Wait . What was she doing?
She laughed at herself and threw the shirt back on the chair.
Quickly getting into her pyjamas, she slipped into bed and set her phone on charge. It lit up with a new message from Taylor. Her cheeks flushed pink as she eyed the now-crumpled shirt. It was just a text Sam. She couldn’t see you being a total weirdo!
Taylor 9:58pm:
Hey sorry to msg again. Random question, would you be interested in coming to a friend’s board game night?
No stress if it’s not your thing.
Cute. She could imagine Taylor asking the question similar to how she’d asked if she needed that hug earlier, always so considerate. She couldn’t remember the last time someone hugged her like that. Making new friends definitely had its perks. If that’s what she could call Taylor yet? It sure felt like the start of a friendship…
Now, board games. She hadn’t played them in… probably years. Did Mouse Trap count?
Sam 10:18pm:
Sure, depending on when. Can’t guarantee I’ll be any good though, it’s been a while.
Taylor 10:19pm:
Sweet! You free next Friday? Also, no experience necessary.
Sam 10:20pm:
That’s what she said.
She cringed at her own response. Was that lame? Oops, she hadn’t even answered the question. She quickly texted back.
Sam 10:20pm:
And yes, count me in!
Taylor 10:21pm:
Great, I’ll shoot through the deets tomorrow. Have a nice night x
Sam smiled at the screen.
Slinking under the covers, she popped the phone on the nightstand and turned off the lamp. It was going to be a good week.
Then she thought about talking to her dad, and the smile fell right off.
Sam knocked on the cabin door, taking a deep breath of fresh ocean air, the saltiness a soothing familiarity. Her teeth started to chatter as she waited.
“Coming!” came a voice from within, followed by the sound of her dad clanking around as he walked up to let her down below. The door unlocked and he slid it aside, beaming up at her.
“Mornin’ Sammy.”
“Morning, Dad. I brought pancakes.”
He eyed the foil wrapped plate, then leaned over to look in the food bag hoisted at her side.
“With yoghurt or cream?”
“You know yoghurt is better for you.”
“And I know cream tastes better.”
She gave an exaggerated eye roll as he stepped up into the cockpit and wrapped her in a tight hug.
“All right, hurry up and come in, it’s chilly this morning,” he noted as she shivered in his arms. “Plus,” he continued, “I’m hungry, and I’ve just popped the kettle on, so perfect timing.”
She wandered in after her dad, ducking as she climbed through the narrow doorway and down into the cabin. Polished wood trim greeted her on all sides, the cream cushions on the lounge and white ceilings keeping everything looking modern and bigger than it really was.
She passed the galley, setting the pancakes down on the dining table and sliding around the L-shaped lounge with practised precision. She landed in her favourite spot, wedged in the corner with her feet up.
“Aren’t you going to help?” Her dad raised an eyebrow, grabbing a second mug from under the counter and pouring each of them a coffee. She watched the tendrils of steam rise from the cups.
“Nope. I’ve done my part.”
She pointed at the pancakes, then yanked the foil off the top and took the yoghurt and maple syrup out from her bag.
“Fair call.” Her dad placed their coffees on the table, then walked around and slid in next to her, a second plate with an assortment of cutlery appearing next to the pancakes. She got busy divvying up the breakfast, wondering how in the hell she was going to get this conversation started. Thankfully her dad went first.
“Alex been round lately?” He shoved in an overly large piece of pancake, which looked painful to chew around. He was never one for manners.
“Nah, she’s been busy with work. We’re meant to be catching up for drinks next weekend which will be good though. Feels like we haven’t caught up properly in ages; we’ve both been so busy with work and whatnot that we’ve fallen out of our routine.”
“Should be nice.” He smiled, mouth still full.
“Yeah.” She paused, and took in a slow breath. “Hey Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I talk to you about something?”
“Course.”
She focused on the bit of yoghurt left on his cheek before he wiped his face with a napkin and continued, “That why you brought your old man pancakes this morning?”
“No,” she said, her chin starting to jut out, “they’re because I love you.”
“All right, I love you too,” he said, playing along. “Now spill.”
“Well…” She took another bite of pancake, delaying the inevitable a little longer.
She swallowed.
“I don’t think I want to take over the shop anymore,” she rushed out, her heart pounding in her chest. She held her breath, waiting for the reaction. She’d finally told him. Half of her wanted to grab at the words as they left her mouth, to not rock the boat and keep the peace. But there was no going back, no more second arrows; here came reality.
Her dad stopped chewing mid-bite. “You don’t?”
He turned towards her, putting down his knife and fork. “How long have you been thinking that?”
“Um, a while?” It came out as a question.
“A while?! Why didn’t you say anything?”
His eyes were wide, surprise written all over his face. It made her feel even guiltier. She was hoping he’d at least had an inkling, seeing through the facade of her cheery answers or avoidance of the topic altogether, but… maybe not.
“We’ve been talking about this for months—years, even. I’m literally planning my retirement with the accountant,” he said, exasperated.
“I know, trust me, I know.” She twisted her hands in her lap, willing out the right words to explain more, giving her dad the clarity he needed.
“I felt like every time I went to say something, it wasn’t right, and I was also second guessing the decision but it just wouldn’t go away. All I know is I want to do everything to still make this work somehow.” She tried to catch her dad’s eyes, but now he was just staring at his plate.
“I’m just confused, Sammy. I’m—” He ran his hand over his face and through his hair, making him look more dishevelled than usual. He blew out a breath and stood up. She watched him silently, wanting him to say more but not knowing what else to say herself in the silence. He took his plate up to the galley, dropping it louder than she expected. She jumped, then scooted out from around the lounge.
“Sorry,” he said, both hands leaning on the back of the kitchen bench, staring at the floor. “I’m just shocked. I half expected you were buttering me up for a little time off to take Manny on a trip.”
“Well, I mean I do want to do that too, b-but…” She looked at the table, her half-eaten pancakes looking sad as one particular dollop of yoghurt began to slide off the top in defeat. “I think I want to go on a big trip, more long term than just hopping over to the other side of the gulf,” she mumbled.
“Oh.”
There was so much disappointment in that one word. “You want to leave —leave, like for good?”
“Not for good,” she rushed, walking up to him in the kitchen. She put a hand on his arm, hoping he’d look her in the eye and see more than what she was saying. “But I really don’t know how long yet. Hell, I don’t even have any of the details finalised, which is why I hadn’t said anything. It’s just this feeling I get, like I need to get out and explore the world.”
Her dad huffed out a soft laugh, his eyes starting to shine as he looked back up. “You sound just like your mum right now.” A sad smile played on his lips. “She dreamed of circumnavigating Australia and beyond, then she got sick, and we never did it,” he shrugged.
“Wow, I never knew that. My idea was to go around the country. But now, hearing that, knowing it’s what she wanted at some point too… Maybe that’s why it felt so right, in here.” She placed a hand over her heart. “In the meantime though, I don’t want to leave you high and dry, Dad. I mean it. We’ll sort something out together for the shop.”
“I’m sure we will,” he replied, a tightness around his face showing through his thinly veiled smile.
Not knowing what else to say or do, she made a move to go. “I should leave you to finish your breakfast. I better get back and start getting ready for work anyway.”
“Sammy. At least finish your pancakes and coffee.”
She sighed and moved back to the lounge, eating quickly while she gulped down as much coffee as she could without burning her throat. Her dad stayed standing in the kitchen, the awkward silence growing between them. She quickly packed everything away and took the plates up to the sink.
“See you at the shop.”
He grunted, busying himself with the dishes as she dashed up and out of the cabin, thankful to get away from the boat and back out into the fresh air.
She gulped it in as she briskly walked along the pontoons and back up to her place. The conversation had gone both better and worse than she’d imagined.
But she’d done it.
She felt so much better getting it off her chest, but seeing the swirling emotions of worry, disappointment and sadness from her dad was hard to watch. She hoped that given time, they’d be okay; she really did want to make it work, and she’d do everything to ensure the shop would still run without either of them. It had to.
When she got back home she surprised herself by grabbing her phone to message Taylor of all people. While she’d spoken with Alex before about her wild exploration ideas aboard Manny—many times, over many glasses of wine—it wasn’t until she spoke to Taylor that she’d gained the confidence to actually go through with talking to her dad and to start taking her future plans more seriously.
Sam 8:08am:
I did it.
Dots appeared almost immediately.
Taylor 8:09am:
Did what?
Oh yeah Sam, helps if you give a little context… She rolled her eyes at herself.
Sam 8:10am:
I spoke to my dad.
Taylor 8:10am:
Oh wow, that was quick. How’d it go?
Her thumb went to text back, then she hovered over the call option. She clicked it without thinking further.
“Hi,” Taylor said at the other end of the line.
“Sorry, it’s so much easier to talk than text. I just figured I’d let you know how it went after your help and chat yesterday. Wow, was that really only yesterday? Anyway?—”
“Sam?”
“Yeah?”
“Breathe.”
Sam could hear the smile in Taylor’s voice. She puffed out a laugh and took a loud, exaggerated breath.
“Better?” Taylor asked.
“Yep.” She let the rest of the air out slowly. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Now, what happened?”
“I went to see Dad this morning, kept it straight to the point and pretty much said what I’d told you: that I don’t want to take over the shop and I want to head off on the boat.”
“How’d he take the news?”
“Quieter than I expected—shocked. I’d hoped he’d have some inkling or had already worked it out, but I think I really did blindside him. Especially with the one-two punch of both not taking over the shop and wanting to leave.”
“Oh yeah, that’s a lot.”
“He sounded pretty disappointed, which is completely understandable but almost worse than him just being angry. I pretty much ran out of there as fast as I could.” She winced and sat down at the kitchen bench, absentmindedly peeling the stickers off the apples in front of her.
“I don’t blame you; I probably would’ve done the same thing,” Taylor replied. “So, what now?”
“I thought maybe now I’d just give us both a bit of space and time to let it all sink in, then work it all out. I hate hurting him like this.”
“It sounds like you’ve been helping him for a very long time, especially when you mentioned about your mum. So making these choices— your choices —and stating them loud and clear? That’s hard. Really hard,” Taylor said seriously.
“Yeah,” she said, feeling her eyes starting to water as the emotion of it all caught up to her. She sniffed, forgetting who she was on the phone with.
“Shit, you okay?” Taylor asked, sounding concerned. “Do you need me to come around or something?”
“No, no.” She pinched her eyes shut and looked up at the ceiling, trying to will the tears away. “I’m fine, I gotta get to work anyway. I just wanted to let you know, say thanks for yesterday, and, um, yeah, anyway, have a great day at work!”
The fake cheerfulness wasn’t fooling anyone.
“Sam—” She hung up on Taylor before she could protest anymore, feeling foolish for asking this almost-stranger-maybe-friend around for… What? Emotional support at eight on a Thursday morning? She was a big girl; today would be fine.
Today was not fine.
She’d texted back and forth with Taylor while she got ready for work, excusing the abrupt end to their call as her not realising the time. They continued to chat about random things all the way up until she walked into the shop. Then things went downhill.
Her dad was definitely avoiding her and all of their most delightful customers had decided to grace her with their presence today. She’d had one particularly painful guy who came in and had literally asked her what size split pin he needed to fit onto his prop… How in the hell did she know? She was all about good service, but some people expected her to be a walking encyclopaedia and a psychic.
She blew some stray hairs out of her face, tightened her ponytail and got to work putting some stock away, anything to give her a little space away from everyone for five minutes. Halfway down one aisle, the box she was carrying let go, dumping out small tins of anti-foul everywhere.
Farrrrrrk.
She took a big breath and looked down at the mess. Thank god. All the tins were intact, no spills. That could’ve been bad. She almost growled at the crappy day she was having, willing the time to go faster as she bent down and started putting the tins in their rightful place.
The intercom sounded over by the counter, and she heard a customer requesting a fuel up.
“I’ll get it!” she yelled out to her dad. Maybe fresh air would turn this day around. She quickly finished with the tins and made her way down to the fuel berth.
“Hey Sam,” George called as he hopped off his boat and tied it up to the wharf.
“Oh hey George, didn’t realise it was you.” George was another regular who did maintenance work for the same marina where her dad’s boat was moored.
“Fill her right up,” he said, jumping back in the boat and fiddling with something down the end.
“You got it.” She grabbed the diesel pump and set it up, leaning against his boat to wait. Face towards the sun, her skin tingled from the warmth. Yep, this was just what she needed.
Coughing and spluttering shook her from her reverie. She whipped her head around to see George spitting out water and wiping his mouth.
“George? Are you okay?” she said, alarmed as she moved to him.
He waved an arm at her, his coughing dying down enough so he could gulp in a lungful of air.
“ Ack. I think I just swallowed a jellyfish,” he stated matter-of-factly, though still sounding a little strangled as he rubbed at his throat.
“Wait, what! How? Can I get you anything? Water?”
He nodded quickly and pointed to a bottle by the steering wheel. She quickly hopped into the boat and fetched it as fast as she could. He took a few big gulps, then shook his head.
“ Blech , that was nasty,” he said with a look of disgust, holding up a hose in his other hand. “Clogged sea inlet. I was trying to get a syphon going and, well, I found the blockage!”
“You sure did. I’m just glad you didn’t choke.”
She’d heard of sea inlets clogging with all matter of sea muck, but it was usually just sand or seaweed, not sea creatures .
“Me too, at least he was a slippery little sucker.” He cracked up as Sam joined in.
“I mean I know people say they like their seafood fresh, but that’s something else,” she said.
So much for a calming moment. She felt her heart just starting to slow down back to normal. The rest of the fuel up, thankfully, went by uneventfully. She waved goodbye as George made his way back around to the marina, the small waves lapping at the berth as he disappeared around the corner. She turned to go back up the ramp when her phone buzzed.
Taylor 2:48pm:
Nice shirt.
She looked down at her Feelin’ Nauti shirt and smiled. She hadn’t even thought about what she was wearing when she threw it on this morning. She looked around the marina and spotted Taylor waving from the mast of one of the boats.
“Ahoy there, sailor!” she called out with a grin.
“Ahhhoooy!” Taylor shouted back with an exaggerated wave.
Sam shook her head, still smiling.
This woman definitely had good timing for popping up and making her feel better. It was nice that she also seemed to have picked up more work in the area; one of the perks of working on a peninsula, everyone knew everyone. You did a good job, and people would talk, no marketing necessary.
It was how the marine shop did so well. Service was top priority, and people appreciated that. It was one of the things Sam admired most about what her dad had done with Garner Marine as a business. It’s also what made it so hard to find someone else to replace her or her dad when it was time, but there had to be a way. That was a problem for another day. She texted Alex as she made her way back to the shop.
Sam 2:51pm:
Dude just swallowed a jellyfish.
Whole.
Alex 2:52pm:
HA! What!?
I mean you come up with some kicker customers but this is a new one. Do I even ask what happened?
She gave her a quick rundown.
Alex 2:57pm:
Just wow. Save some of these juicy stories for our catch up on Saturday. Happy to meet at the usual?
Sam 2:58pm:
The Wharf at 7? Don’t worry I’ll save some good stuff to tell!
Alex 2:58m:
Done and yay!