Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Anna
The next morning, the sun was already stretching its golden limbs over the rooftops of Vineyard Haven when Anna, Lily, Cody, and the twins arrived at the dock, a canvas bag slung over her shoulder and her hair pulled back into a loose braid.
The air smelled of salt and cedarwood, and the sea called to her in a way it hadn’t in years.
“Morning!” Tom called from the sailboat, already barefoot on the deck and checking lines. “You’re right on time!”
Anna smiled and stepped carefully onto the wooden planks. The boat rocked gently beneath her feet, but she welcomed the motion. It was familiar, soothing, like returning to a forgotten language she once knew by heart.
Lily was right behind her, hand in hand with Nora, both dressed in light sweaters that the breeze tugged at playfully. Blaze trailed after them with Cody, who was carrying a cooler full of sandwiches and waters, already playing the role of second mate.
The boat, the Seraphina, was Tom’s pride and joy. A twenty-nine-foot sloop with crisp white sails and sleek navy trim, it cut a beautiful figure in the harbor. June waved from the bow, where she was tying down extra life jackets and laying out towels.
“Welcome aboard!” she called. “Who’s ready for an adventure?”
“Me!” Nora shouted as she climbed on deck.
“Me too!” Blaze echoed, already rushing toward the helm like he’d been born to steer.
Tom watched them with a sparkle in his eye. “Well, well, looks like we’ve got ourselves a couple of little captains. Blaze, Nora, permission to come aboard?”
“Yes, Captain Tom!” Blaze saluted, grinning.
“Permission granted!” Nora added, laughing as she tried to mimic the gesture.
Anna laughed along with them, the sound surprising her with how full it was. There was something about today, something lighter than yesterday, easier than the months before. A moment carved out of time where everything just… fit.
She made a mental note earlier to take as many pictures and videos as possible so they could send them to Luke. She wanted to document everything so that when he was found, he wouldn’t feel like he’d missed anything.
She knew, in her heart, he would come home to them. She couldn’t think any other way. Being out on the water always filled her with such peace and clarity; today was no different.
As the rest of the family climbed aboard and got settled, Tom guided them through a short safety rundown, where the life jackets were, how to move around the boat safely, and the basics of what to expect.
Then, with the engine humming low and the sails still down, they began easing out of the harbor.
Vineyard Haven receded slowly behind them.
The masts of other boats bobbed like rows of pencils lined up in cups, and gulls wheeled overhead, their cries mingling with the occasional clang of rigging.
Onshore, people strolled along Beach Road, and kids rode bikes along the harbor path.
From this distance, it all looked like a watercolor, blurred but beautiful.
Lily stood beside Anna near the stern, eyes fixed on the horizon. She had a hand on Nora’s shoulder as the girl leaned over the rail to watch the water churn.
“It’s been a long time,” Lily said softly.
Anna nodded, her throat tight. “Too long.”
They didn’t say it out loud, but they were both thinking about David.
The last time they’d all sailed together had been when she had gotten pregnant with the twins.
As children, the boat had been her father’s kingdom and the sea his sanctuary.
Cody and Anna had grown up with the scent of salt in their lungs and wind in their hair, learning knots and sails the way other kids learned video games and summer camp songs.
“I think he’d be happy,” Lily murmured. “Seeing us out here.”
Anna looked around, at Cody laughing with Blaze as they tried to spot jellyfish near the hull, at Nora leaning into Tom’s instructions as he showed her how to coil rope, at June setting up a small spread of fruit and crackers on a tray.
“Yeah,” Anna said, the breeze brushing against her cheeks. “I think he would.”
Tom cut the engine as they cleared the harbor. The sails snapped open with a satisfying sound, catching the wind like wings. The boat leaned just slightly as it caught speed, and cheers erupted from the deck.
“We’re flying!” Blaze shouted.
“Hold on, Little Captain.” Tom grinned, steady at the helm. “Let’s see how fast we can really go.”
They sailed along the coast, past the soft curve of East Chop, the lighthouse standing tall like a sentinel watching over the sea.
The shoreline was peppered with shingled cottages, long grasses, and little white boats moored in calm pockets of water.
The sky above was the color of worn denim, streaked with feathered clouds.
Cody sat up near the bow, sunglasses on, guiding Blaze and Nora through how to read the wind.
“See those ripples? That means the breeze is coming from that direction,” he explained, pointing. “So we angle the sail like this.”
Blaze leaned in, wide-eyed. “Cool.”
“You’re so smart,” Nora added with admiration.
Cody shrugged modestly, flashing Anna a look that made her smile. He’d grown into such a steady, gentle man. Reliable. Like their dad, in so many ways. Watching him now with the kids filled her heart.
They passed a group of seals sunning themselves on a rocky outcrop, their dark eyes watching lazily as the Seraphina cruised by. Nora gasped and pointed.
“Seals!” she shrieked. “They’re just lying there!”
“I think they’re judging us,” June said with a laugh. “Look at that one, he’s giving us the side-eye.”
Blaze imitated the seal’s expression, making everyone burst out laughing.
They took turns at the wheel, Tom guiding their hands, always close by but letting the kids feel the thrill of steering. Anna even gave it a go, and for a few minutes, she was twenty again, carefree and sun-kissed, the wind wrapping around her like an old friend.
Lunch was simple but perfect. They anchored in a quiet cove near Tashmoo Pond, the water shallow and a brilliant blue-green. Everyone sat on towels or leaned back against the railings, eating turkey sandwiches, grapes, and chips with sea salt. A few gulls circled overhead, hopeful for scraps.
Afterward, they went swimming. Blaze and Nora were the first to jump in, their laughter echoing across the water. Cody followed, doing a neat cannonball that earned cheers. Even Lily dipped her legs in, holding Anna’s hand as they sat side by side on the edge.
“This feels like a memory I’ll want to keep forever,” Lily said quietly.
Anna nodded. “Me too.”
June floated on her back a little way off, her hair fanned out around her like seaweed, her arms spread like wings.
“This is the life,” she sighed. “We should do this every weekend.”
“I’d settle for once a month,” Tom replied, his feet dangling in the water from the swim ladder. “But yes, we should.”
After a while, they climbed back aboard, wrapping themselves in towels and letting the sun dry their skin.
Tom made lemonade from the cooler, and Cody started humming an old song that David used to sing.
Lily joined in softly, and before long, they were all singing, a little off-key, a little out of sync, but happy.
The sail home was slower, easier. The wind had mellowed, and the boat glided over the water like it had all the time in the world. Anna leaned on the rail, watching the coast come back into view, Vineyard Haven slowly growing clearer, the lighthouse now behind them.
She thought about all the times they’d sailed as a family, how her dad had taught her to read the clouds, how he’d let her steer even when she was too small to see over the wheel properly, how he’d whistle when the wind was just right.
She closed her eyes and let the memories wash over her. It didn’t hurt like it used to. Today, it felt like coming full circle. Not replacing the past but carrying it forward in something new.
Behind her, Nora laughed and Blaze was excited as he described the seals again to Cody, who listened with real interest.
Lily came to stand beside her, brushing damp hair off her forehead.
“I’m glad we did this,” Anna said.
Lily looked at her. “Me too. It was a good day to get out of the house and focus on living.”
Anna smiled. “That’s the perfect way to say it.”
As they neared the harbor, Tom called for the little captains to help lower the sails. Blaze and Nora ran to him, proud and eager, and Cody followed to assist with the ropes. The three of them worked like a seasoned team under Tom’s guidance.
June gave Anna a wink from where she was wiping off the deck with a towel. “We’ve got ourselves a future sailing crew.”
The boat glided back into its slip, and the lines were tied off with care. The harbor buzzed with life, kids fishing off the docks, a man tuning a guitar on a bench, the scent of fried clams drifting from a nearby shack.
As they disembarked one by one, sun-tired and happy, Anna looked back at the Seraphina. The deck still shimmered with salt water, the sails neatly furled. It had carried them through more than just waves today; it had carried them through memory, through joy, through something like healing.
Anna turned toward her family, her mother, her brother, the kids, and the people who had folded themselves into their lives like sails catching wind, and her heart felt full.
It was nice to remember her father in this way, to remember the good times and not just the sadness of his death. It was nice to get her mind off the worry for her husband, too. Being out on the water and keeping the shore in sight, she was confident that Luke would find his way home soon.