Chapter 5 #2
“I’m sure he’d be pleased seeing the condition you’ve gotten it to.
” Liv stepped away from the Bronco, walking towards the dock and motioning for Beth to follow.
“So, are you ready to go on a little adventure?” She nodded in the direction of a small seaplane tied to the end of the dock, weather-beaten boards creaking beneath their feet as they walked, causing a handful of seagulls to take flight.
Beth raised a brow. “This doesn’t look like a restaurant.”
“Excellent eye, it’s not,” Liv said, picking a small duffel bag up off a bench as they moved towards the plane. “Thought we’d skip brunch. Pancakes feel a little overrated when you have the chance to fly over actual whales.”
Flying? In a tiny plane? Whales?
“You’re not afraid of flying, are you?” Liv asked, stopping in front of the plane.
“No,” Beth said quickly. “You have a license, though, right?”
“Yes, Beth, I have my pilot’s license.” Liv chuckled, opening the door to the plane, tossing the duffel bag inside. “Don’t worry, you’re in excellent hands. I promise. And I even packed snacks,” she added, holding out a hand to Beth to help her step into the small aircraft.
Beth had never been in a seaplane before.
Her nerves hummed beneath her skin as they ascended, the island shrinking away beneath them.
But Liv quickly eased her nerves as Beth watched her, smooth and self-assured, at the controls of the aircraft.
Her voice came easily through the headset she had given Beth as they chatted.
As it turned out, she and Liv had a fair amount in common. A deep appreciation for vintage cars, a love of art, and an insatiable love for brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tarts.
“I’m convinced they put something addictive in them,” Liv declared as they reached their cruising altitude, heading up the Puget Sound. “Oh, amazing! Look down and to your right. Do you see that?”
Beth looked down into the water beneath them. Sun sparkled across the surface, broken only by the tiny whitecaps of waves. “What am I looking at?” she asked, still searching below.
“There!” Liv gestured with her hand.
That’s when Beth saw it—a small group of humpback whales at the surface of the water.
“Oh my god, how cool is that?” She looked over at Liv, who was smiling at her, watching her with a look of pure joy.
“Pretty cool indeed.”
They spent an hour flying over the sound, chatting, one occasionally interrupting the other when they thought they spotted something interesting. Silence wove its way between their chatter, but it was always comfortable. That part surprised Beth more than anything.
She had left all of her expectations for today at home. The goal was simply to get herself here without overthinking it. And Beth was surprised how easy that had been. Almost alarmingly easy.
Liv leaned closer, her voice dropping. “So, I’ve got a burning question for you.”
“Burning, you say?” Beth smiled, shooting her a glance.
“How is someone like you still single?”
Beth’s stomach dropped as she hesitated. “I could ask you the same question,” she said quietly, buying herself a little time.
“And if you did, I would tell you it’s because I’m looking for something very…specific… Something I’m willing to wait for until I find it,” Liv said with a wide grin.
Beth looked out the window, unsure how best to answer Liv’s original question.
She could lie, make something up, or deflect.
But Liv’s easy charm and the lack of pressure she put on her today made Beth want to try the truth instead.
There was no reason to hide from it. “One could say I’m single due to a series of unfortunate events, if you want a more dramatic response.
But the straightforward version is that my girlfriend died of cancer a little over a year ago. ”
Her eyes locked on the horizon, not daring to look over at Liv, waiting to see how she would respond to that truth. Talking about a dead ex really didn’t make for the best first date convo, and Beth knew that.
Liv was quiet, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. Her silence felt like respect. Respect for Beth’s admission. Then came her soft voice. “I’m really sorry.”
Beth let out a long breath, relieved. “Thank you, I appreciate that. But I’m good.
” She was good—she wouldn’t have said yes to this date if she weren’t ready.
And when Liv had asked, it had felt right.
It was time. She needed to move forward in life again.
“It is—it was complicated.” Beth shifted in her seat.
“But, enough about my baggage.” She tried to laugh it off, tried being the key word, because what came out of her mouth instead was an uneasy sound that definitely wasn’t adding to the air of confidence she was trying very hard to hold on to.
Liv looked at her, lips curving into a smile. The sun glinted off the frames of her aviator sunglasses as she tilted the plane down, easing it into a gentle descent. “We all come with baggage. Isn’t the whole point to find someone whose baggage goes with yours?”
“I guess when you put it like that,” Beth mused, grateful for the way Liv seemed to exist so easily, like nothing could weigh her down.
The plane glided across the water with a splash, sending ripples across the surface as it moved towards the end of the dock. Liv hopped out to secure the plane before holding a hand out to Beth, helping her down.
Beth’s head was still buzzing from the excitement of the flight, their conversation, and the way Liv had made everything feel so effortless.
“Seriously, that was incredible. What an experience.” Beth turned to face Liv. “I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun. Thank you for inviting me out today.”
Liv tilted her head, smile wide. “I had a good time too.”
The sun peeked out from behind a cloud, the light hitting them, making Liv’s hair glow a fiery red.
Their eyes locked, and a moment passed between them as Beth nervously fiddled with her sunglasses.
There was a beat of something, a flash she thought she saw in Liv’s eyes, too.
Beth instinctively leaned in, following that feeling, her gaze dropping to Liv’s lips as her pulse quickened at the thought of kissing someone who wasn’t Jamie, but as soon as that thought entered her mind, a louder voice saying it was time pushed it out.
Liv was leaning in too, but to Beth’s surprise, instead of a kiss, Liv hugged her. Firm and friendly. A swift sucker punch to her ego.
Beth blinked because what was that?
“Oh,” she said, surprise covering up the embarrassment that was slowly creeping in. “I—I thought…”
Liv met her eyes. “You were reading it right, don’t worry. I did have a great time. And I’m not going to lie, the physical attraction is definitely there.” Her gaze dropped the length of Beth’s body, which confused her even more.
Beth tilted her head. “But?”
“But I’m not feeling it. I don’t think you and I are supposed to go past this,” Liv said gently. “It’s just not the vibe I’m getting.”
“Not the vibe?” Beth said, trying to follow.
“And it’s not because of the dead girlfriend thing,” Liv added quickly. “I actually think that part of your story is fascinating. I’d love to hear more about it over a glass of wine sometime. But just…as friends.”
“As friends.” Beth exhaled, nodding as she rearranged her expectations.
She was a big enough woman to admit her ego was perhaps the tiniest bruised in that moment.
But that was the risk of dating, right? “You know what? That sounds like what I need more of right now anyway.” She smiled, juggling her keys in her hands.
“Thanks for the day, Liv. It was fun. Text me when you want to grab that drink,” she said, pulling her car door open, sliding in, and driving away.
At home, Beth pushed her way through the front door, the whine of the hinges reminding her that she needed to WD-40 them.
Jamie had always taken care of that. Excited chatter coming from the back of the house met her ears.
Sarah was here, her familiar Porsche parked in the driveway.
Beth slipped off her sandals and placed her keys in the dish on the entry table.
Lily was propped up on the couch, exactly where Beth had left her before heading out for her date. Sarah, however, was a new, though not unwelcome, addition.
“Hey, you two,” she called, making a last-minute pivot into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. Sarah and Lily looked up at her with matching smiles.
“Hi! How was your date?” Lily asked excitedly.
“Oh, a date?” Sarah looked at her from her spot on the sunken couch opposite Lily, eyes bright.
“Yeah, Mama has some serious game,” Lily said, launching into a retelling of how Beth had given Liv her number at the coffee shop. Heat rose in Beth’s cheeks as she sipped her water. It was interesting hearing her daughter talk about her flirting game.
“Ah, yes, I am familiar with your mother’s game. Sounds like it’s gotten better since the last time I experienced it.” Sarah winked at Beth over the frames of her tortoise shell glasses, making her pause.
The teasing was back.
Sarah was using the same teasing tone that had always been so quintessentially them.
It had waned over the years, disappeared completely when Sarah had taken her space the year before Jamie died, but it was slowly slipping back into their interactions.
Beth had first noticed it back in the hotel room before Lily’s trials, when she had pretty spectacularly managed to mishandle their daughter’s coming out.
“I’m extremely suave these days,” she said sarcastically, crossing the room and plopping herself down onto the couch next to Lily.
“So how was it?” Lily pushed, wanting all the details.
“It was good. I had a lot of fun,” Beth said, attempting to keep things on the surface.
Sarah studied her—a feeling Beth wasn’t used to anymore.
Lily groaned, tossing a throw pillow at her. “Details, Mama.”