Chapter 74
Chapter 74
W e checked out, returned to the Zodiac, topped off the fuel, and idled out. Heading southwest, we encountered another clothing-optional beach at an unspoiled cove called Caló d’en Monjo. The gin-clear water was calm, the beach dotted with sunbathers, and off to my right kids jumped off high rocks, splashing into the water with screams of delight. Another half mile along the craggy coastline and we encountered another cove. This entire landscape looked like something out of one of Summer’s favorite movies, The Count of Monte Cristo . We navigated into the cove around massive underwater rocks the size of semitrailers and found ourselves alone in one of the most beautiful spots on planet earth. We moored in the shade of a tall cliff, napped on the bow, swam in the warm water, and watched the world go by. An unusual treat for us both.
I missed her and I wanted to hear her voice. She picked up after half a ring. “Hey, you.”
I loved the sound of her voice. “Hey, I was just missing you and wanted to... well, I wanted to hear you say, ‘Hey, you.’ I’ve always loved how you say that.”
She giggled. “Hey, you.”
“Yeah, like that.”
“You good?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I think I’m doing okay.”
“You go back?”
“I did.” I told her about the tunnel I found and how Bones made it to the ocean with his brother.
She listened and said, “Back where they started.”
“Yep.”
I turned the mirror. “What’re you doing?”
“Shep and I are coloring, and he’s eating a grilled cheese. And Casey’s trying on wedding dresses while Angel, Ellie, and Clay give their opinions.”
I liked the thought of that. My family. Together.
She continued, “I’m not pushing you, but you got a return date?”
I told her about the beach, the water, the sand, and how I wanted to bring her back. “Just us,” I said. “It’s maybe one of the more beautiful places I’ve ever seen.”
“I’d like that a lot.”
“It’s a date.”
A pause. I could hear Ellie giggling in the background along with Clay’s deep voice. Summer broke the silence. “Hey, Shep wants to say something.”
She held the phone for him. “Hey, Dad?”
I sat on the beach and sank my head in my hands while the water lapped over my ankles. “Yeah, buddy?”
“When you get home, can we build a fort?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “When I get home, we can build a fort.”
“Okay, I want to build one up in the trees. Like Robin Hood.”
“I think that’s a great idea. You got a tree picked out?”
“Yep. It’s up on the hill behind the house. When we build it, can we roast s’mores?”
The memory returned. I was a kid. Not even a teenager. Sifting through the sand, looking for artifacts, when I met Marie on what would later become my island. In the evening, we would build a fire and roast s’mores beneath the moonlight, accompanied by the sound of cicadas. The memory was sweet and there was no pain in it. “Definitely. A tree fort is no tree fort at all if you can’t roast s’mores.”
“Can we get the big marshmallows?”
“Definitely.”
“Okay.”
Summer’s voice again. “He’s gone. Back to coloring.”
“Summer?”
I could hear her smile. “Yeah.”
“You’re a good mama.”
She said nothing. We just sat there listening to each other listen to each other.
“Summer?”
“Yeah.”
I wiped the tears. Then I wiped my nose on my sleeve. “I just wanted to tell you...”
A moment passed. Then another.
“I just wanted to tell you... that I love you. And I can’t imagine my life without you. And... I know that you carry a lot, and...”
I broke off. Another moment passed. Tears long stored up flowed freely. I didn’t try to hold them back. I let them fall. I’m not ashamed to say my shoulders shook as they did. Shaking out the pain.
“Murph?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“You sure you’re okay?”
It was the question. I palmed my face and tried to breathe. In. Out. “I been wrestling with something.”
She waited.
“I knew coming over here who I needed to be. Who Bones had trained me to be. I just didn’t know if I wanted to be him without Bones. Didn’t know if I could be, but something about seeing that trail of blood... Seeing Bones not die at the hand of another but on his terms. His way. Seeing the marks on the rock where he’d slid his brother down into the water, and the two of them floated off home. In each other’s arms. Something about that healed something in me that had been broken a long time. I can’t explain that. It just did.”
She was crying now. I could hear it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“These are good tears.” I could hear her blow her nose and the rustle of a tissue. “There’s no hurt in them.”
“Hey, Summer? I need to say something to you and I’m not sure how to say it.”
She waited.
“So, if I don’t say it right, just tell me and let me come at it a second time.”
“Okay.”
I tried to find the words. When a few settled, I put them together. “I’m...” A pause as I doubted my delivery. “I’m not me without you.”
More tissue rustling. More sniffling. Finally, the background noise disappeared, which meant she’d stepped outside. “Bishop?”
I loved when she called me that. “Yes?”
“I’m ready for you to come home. And if it doesn’t happen soon, I’m getting on a plane and coming to you. You hear me?”
I did. “Yes.”
“Okay. Now, I’ve got a little boy in there who needs me to help him color Robin Hood’s hat. He says it needs to be green so we’re searching through 128 colors to find the best one. And Casey... my goodness, I’ve never seen such a beautiful bride. You just won’t believe it. Poor Camp doesn’t stand a chance. He’s gonna pass out at the altar. And...” She paused. “Even with all of this, you are all I can think about. I miss you. And I need you. I don’t care if you’re here with me or I’m there with you, but I need you.”
The breeze dried the sweat off my skin. “I’ll see you soon.”
She hung up, and I sat there in the water. Shaking my head. Staring at what my life had become. What I had become. I wrote stories for a living, and yet I couldn’t have scripted this one.