Chapter 24
A light fogsurrounded the bay. San Francisco often had fog, but it was nothing like this. Here the fog was delicate, like the white sand on the beach that often blew into house yards. The thick rolling fog that surrounded my home city was chilly and had a briny smell. Sometimes it was so dense the foghorn would be used on repeat. I smiled. That foghorn was the sound of home. I hardly ever noticed it anymore, like most locals. The same way someone who lived near train tracks wouldn’t notice trains going past.
The tourists were waiting at the meeting point.
“Good morning, everyone,” I said, glancing around at the smiling faces in the small group. “We have some light fog over the bay today, but this won’t affect our tour. I imagine it will dissipate soon. Does anyone know how fog is created?”
Heads shook.
“Well, this one had the perfect conditions of a clear sky and light wind. Warm, moist air travelled over the cooler water. The water cooled the air. When the air cools, the invisible water vapour turns into tiny water droplets we can see.”
The small group stared out over the bay. I continued with our usual tour. Running a tour on my own was harder than I imagined. Jasmine had this amazing ability of keeping the tour flowing and everyone organised. I felt like it was mayhem. I tried to have engaging conversations while keeping an eye on the swimmers and sea lions.
I missed her small nods of reassurance and her laughter at the sea lions’ antics. It must have been my tired brain. I’d never missed her before. When we arrived back at the dock, Jasmine was waiting for us. She gave everyone a smile as they disembarked and headed to the change room.
“How did it go?” she asked, taking one of the bags of snorkelling gear from me.
“It’s much easier with two people.”
She nodded. “That’s why I reduced the size of the afternoon tours. It was too hard on my own.”
Guilt stabbed me. It was because I took the afternoons for my research that she had to work on her own. She’d even blocked tours on Tuesday and Wednesday, the quietest days, so I could have the boat if I needed it. I’d grumbled to myself about her lack of support when she’d been giving it to me all along.
We unpacked the boat and started washing all the gear while the guests returned their wetsuits one by one. Then we hosed those off and hung them to dry in the shed.
When we finished, Jasmine said, “Let’s head to the store. I want to let Jack and Lily know about Max.”
“OK. How did it go at the school?”
“The principal said she would call a meeting with the staff to discuss the situation. The teachers will keep a close eye on Bailey and Rose and will let us know of any changes in their behaviour.”
“That’s good.”
“And the bus driver said he will make sure I’m there to pick the kids up before he drops them off.”
Jasmine was so proactive, unlike my mother. She’d never put any actions in place. And had never protected me or my brother from our father’s behaviour. I’d done the protecting by sheltering Steve as much as I could and always making sure he was OK.
We walked up the stairs together and through the door. Jack was stacking the fridge and turned to greet us.
“Is Lily about?” Jasmine asked.
“Lily,” Jack called out. “Jasmine and Ethan are here.”
Thirty seconds later she appeared. She glanced between us, her eyes narrowing. “What’s up?”
“My ex, Max, turned up yesterday wanting to see the kids.”
Jack stood up taller, his face tense. I’d never seen him serious before, not even when he was doing a crossword. “Did you let him?”
“No. I told him I would contact my solicitor.”
Jack nodded. “And he accepted that?”
“Not really. He tried to cajole me.”
Lily clasped her hands together so tight her forearms flexed.
“Ethan pretended we were a couple,” Jasmine said, “and told him we’d discussed it as a family.”
Lily smiled at me. I couldn’t decipher its meaning.
“And then what?” Jack asked.
“Ethan told him to leave, and he did.”
I took a deep breath. “He’ll be back. Men like Max don’t give up easily.”
“So now we need to pretend that we’re a couple,” Jasmine said, looking at me.
I wasn’t sure if she meant it to sound like a question or an invitation. Did she doubt what I’d said last night? Did she think I’d have second thoughts?
I moved closer to her, hoping she’d feel my determination. “It won’t be hard. We live and work together.” I took her hand. “And she already refers to me as her husband.”
Lily’s eyebrows shot up. Jack considered us.
Jasmine laughed. “I agreed to that to protect you from women who can’t stop staring at you.”
My stomach lifted. I gave her a nudge. “But you didn’t deny it.”
“Perhaps she wanted to keep you for herself,” Lily said, waggling her eyebrows.
I could only wish. I gave my head a small shake. What on Earth was I thinking?
Jasmine let go of my hand. “Anyway, please keep an eye out for Max and let us know if you see him.”
She gave them descriptions of him and the car he’d been driving.
“We can help with the kids too. Keep an eye on them when you’re working,” Lily said.
Jasmine shook her head. “That’s OK. They can just stay at the office when I’m at work.”
Lily stepped forward. “Jasmine, we will help.” Her voice was firm. “The kids do not need to be cooped up in an office after being at school all day.”
Jack took his place by her side. “Absolutely. One of us can sit on the porch while they play on the beach.”
Jasmine opened her mouth in what I was sure would be a protest. I didn’t let her get that far. “That would be great,” I said. “And they can help me with my research.”
Jasmine swung around, her mouth agape.
I shrugged. “They were helpful over the weekend. If they get too restless, they can go for a swim.”
Lily clapped her hands together. “That’s settled then. You can’t do this on your own. We’re family and we’re going to help.”
Tears brimmed Jasmine’s eyes. “Thank you.”
Jack grinned. “Bonfire night on Saturday. Let’s show everyone you’re a couple.”
Jasmine and I locked eyes. What was Jack up to?