02 The Moon And The Tide - Marina's Tales Read online

  I turned to face Ethan, reaching in my bag to pull out a soft blue cashmere scarf. I draped it around his neck.

  “For you,” I said with a smile, “It makes your eyes look so blue.”

  “Thanks,” his eyes smiled back at me, “I missed yours,” he leaned over to kiss me.

  “It’s good to be back.”

  He answered me with another kiss, wrapping his arms around me and leaning back on the sofa. I laid my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes and sighing with contentment.

  “So, are you ready to get back to school?” Ethan asked, bringing me back down to earth.

  Cruz and I had taken a week off and were going to have to do a little extra work to slip into our old routine. The school administrators were so thrilled to have a Nobel prize winner’s daughter and nephew in attendance that they’d bent over backwards to facilitate our little break, and agreed to let us make up any work we’d missed.

  “I’m ready to get back to surfboarding school!” I said with enthusiasm.

  Ethan shifted away from me ever so slightly, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “Why?” I asked, more than a little disappointed.

  “I think you know,” he looked at me reproachfully.

  I frowned, “I don’t think that’s any reason for me to never surf again... it’s not fair!”

  He looked at me warily, “I don’t trust them.”

  “No, you don’t trust me,” I said, hitting the nail on the head.

  “It’s not that,” he took my hand, “What if you change your mind– I mean, what if they change your mind?”

  “Not possible,” I said firmly, squeezing his hand, “They didn’t change my mother’s mind and they won’t change mine,” I set my jaw determinedly, “I want to go surfing again, and I want to go with you.”

  He heaved a sigh, and I could tell he was thinking about it, weighing his options. Ethan always planned his life far out into the future, as though if he didn’t, something might go terribly wrong. He was different from other high school kids, and I both loved this about him and found it irritating. He hated to be out of control, and my situation aggravated him.

  The phone in the kitchen rang and I got up to answer. It was Abby, and the connection was crackling with static.

  “Where are you... what happened?” I asked her, alarmed.

  “I can’t talk right now, but would you please tell Cruz I’ll be back late tonight? I’ve got to go now.”

  “Abby? Abby?” The line went dead and I hung it up, puzzled. I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad news.

  “What was that all about?” Ethan asked.

  I shrugged, “I could hardly hear her, but she said she’d be out late.” I went down the hall to Cruz’s room and ducked my head in the door, “Your mom called, she wanted me to tell you she’d be back late tonight. Do you guys want to go get something to eat with me and Ethan?” I asked.

  “You two go ahead,” said Megan with an understanding smile, “It’s your first day back.”

  I smiled back at her, “See you later.”

  “Come on,” I said, pulling Ethan up from the couch, “I’m taking you out.”

  We climbed into the convertible and I turned to him, “Have you ever had Thai food?”

  “Only Lue’s cooking... if that counts.”

  Ethan worked for Lue Khang at the local farmer’s market, and we had both been treated to his excellent cooking. Lue spent a lot of time fishing on the pier, and was the only other person I’d met in Aptos who seemed to know about the mermaid’s existence.

  I nodded, remembering Lue’s Thai inspired fish soup, “Then I predict you’re going to love it.”

  “I love you,” he said, and we kissed again, the stick-shift keeping our bodies apart.

  I drove him to a place in Santa Cruz I’d heard was good. It was just before the dinner service, but they seated us anyway, and we had the entire place to ourselves. I could smell familiar scents coming from the kitchen, and I didn’t even need to look at the menu. I ordered all the best dishes I could recall from my time living in Thailand.

  “My dad wants me to thank you for everything you’ve done,” I told Ethan, taking his hand in mine across the little table.

  “I don’t think I deserve any thanks. I didn’t keep you away from them,” he said solemnly.

  “Are you kidding?” I said, “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  “Did you tell your dad you wanted to stay in Aptos?” he asked, a little anxiety in his eyes.

  “I mentioned it,” I said, looking down.

  “What did he say?” he looked alarmed, and his grip on my hand tightened.

  “He wasn’t too thrilled about it, but he said if it was okay with Abby...” I suddenly realized that Abby would have a baby by next summer. She’d certainly need the room.

  He seemed relieved, “Abby told me she doesn’t want you to go.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek. Should I tell him? I decided it wasn’t my secret to expose.

  The food started to arrive, distracting us. It was fragrant and delicious, evoking nostalgic memories of easier, less complicated times spent with my father. We took our time eating and talking. I told him about my plans for a spring break vacation with my dad.

  “You’re going all alone?” he asked, brows knit together.

  “He’ll meet me in Athens,” I replied, a little annoyed at his tone. I’d be seventeen by then, and I was more than capable of traveling solo.

  “Hmm,” he sounded skeptical.

  “I’ve flown alone before, you know,” I protested, “I’ve been bouncing back and forth between Evie and Dad my whole life.”

  “Can we not talk about you leaving? You just got back,” he looked so earnest I reached across the table to take his hand again.

  “Do you have to work tomorrow?” I asked him, thinking about surfing.

  “Yeah… But why don’t you stop by and hang out with me at the farmer’s market?”

  “OK.”

  The dinner hour was in full swing and the place was buzzing with activity when we got up from our chairs. I thanked the server, complimenting her with a few phrases of Thai that came rushing back to me all at once. We turned to leave, fielding curious glances from the kitchen staff.

  Ethan took my hand, leading me out into the darkening evening air. A sweet scent wafted by on a light breeze and I looked around, sniffing. There was a small tree by the restaurant door with huge dangling trumpet shaped flowers. I leaned over to smell a bloom and it was beautiful; jasmine, honey and citrus all mixed together into one delicious smell.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “Brugmansia,” he answered, “but they call it Angel’s Trumpet.”

  “That makes perfect sense,” I said, as I reached around to embrace him. We kissed under the blossoms in the sweet cloud of perfume.

  I took his hand and started to walk to the car when I was stopped in my tracks. A sharp pain right behind my eyes seared into my brain and I staggered back, blinded by the images flashing through my mind.

  My father was struggling with a strap around his waist. I was trying to free him but he was yelling at me to take a little girl I could see sitting to my right. There seemed to be something moving very fast by a window and water poured through a crack in the glass. I was getting dizzy.

  The picture darkened and my ears were filled with a roaring sound.

  “Marina!” I could hear Ethan’s voice calling and I struggled to open my eyes. I was leaning on the hood of Evie’s car with Ethan holding me up. I sucked in a deep breath and raised my head to look at him, a stabbing headache making me wince.

  “Are you alright?” I could hear the panic in his voice. I took another breath and my vision started to clear.

  “Yes,” I said weakly, “I just need a second.” I exhaled slowly and started to feel better.

  “What happened?” he asked with a frightened face.

  “My dad,” I said, “I saw... I think there’s going to be some kind of accident.” I could tell by the look on his face that he believed me; I was relieved, it was worse when I had to keep explaining.

  “What did you see?”

  “It’s hard to say... it was like the inside of a car or something. He was stuck, and I wanted to get him loose. There was a little kid there he told me to help first... and water,” I stopped, confused.

  “You were there?” he asked, alarmed.

  “Yeah.”

  “Come on, I’ll drive.”

  I handed him the keys without arguing.

  I regained my equilibrium as we drove along, Ethan nervously casting glances my way.

  “I’m good,” I said trying to reassure him, “Stop worrying.”

  I gritted my teeth. Another vision. Just my luck, I thought ruefully as I tried to act normally. I hated the fact that I was always having problems, always weak and needing help. I wanted to be the girl that was surfing with him, the girl that was strong and happy and free. I started thinking about how powerful the mermaids were, how amazing it felt to swim with them. I closed my eyes and imagined having that strength back, that feeling of wild, unencumbered freedom. I had an intense urge to go surfing, swimming... anything in the water.

  I startled, and my whole body jerked like I was having a dream of falling. Ethan’s hand shot out to steady me and I took it and squeezed it hard. We pulled up into our driveway and I looked up at him.

  “I’m so sick of this,” I said bitterly, “I’m sorry.”

  He got out, coming around to my door in a flash. I stepped out into his arms and he held me, “It’s not your fault,” he said, rocking me side to side.

  “Ethan?”

  “What?”

  “I want to go surfing.”

  He was quiet for a second.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Because it’ll make me feel better.”

  “OK,” he said quietly.

  “I need to call my dad. It’s morning there now.”

  He walked me into the dark, empty house. Cruz and Megan must have gone out somewhere. I sat on the couch and dialed. He picked up right away.

  “Dad?” my voice was tense.

  “Marina, what is it?” he asked in alarm.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, what’s going on?”

  Great, I thought, now I had him worried too.

  “I just– I– well, I had a feeling that something happened to you,” I was starting to feel foolish.

  “I’m fine, are you alright?” I reassured him that I was and that he should just forget it, that I was being silly. I was flooded with guilt for calling and worrying him. We said our goodbyes and I hung up.

  Ethan was pacing by the window when I looked up.

  “False alarm,” I said. He came in and sat down next to me.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” I said firmly, “Please, let’s just forget about it... there’s no reason to–”

  “You said you were in this one,” he interrupted, “has that ever happened before?”

  Ever since my first contact with a mermaid I’d been having premonitions, and so far they’d all come true. I thought about everything I’d seen.

  “The one with you.” I remembered the way he looked as the mermaids dragged me under the water. “You know, when…” my voice trailed off when I looked into his tight face. I was so tired of always worrying him. “Hey... it’s probably nothing. Nobody was hurt in it or anything, right?”

  “If you say so,” he frowned.

  We could hear a car pull up outside; it was Cruz and Megan in Evie’s Jaguar. They tumbled in the door, laughing and bringing their happy energy into the room.

  “What happened?” asked Megan, “You guys look serious as a heart attack.”

  “Nothing,” we said simultaneously, our eyes meeting.

  “Wanna see a movie?” asked Cruz, “It’s zombie flick night...”

  I smiled happily, for they were just what I needed at the moment, “Sounds good,” I shrugged at Ethan and he leaned back on the couch,

  “Bring it on,” he said, pulling me into his arms. We all got comfortable and soon were laughing, cringing and screeching at the crazy movie. Cruz was in hysterics at all the sarcastic comments Megan was making. Just watching the two of them banter back and forth was entertaining. It finally felt like a normal evening and I sighed with relief as the last little bit of headache disappeared.

  Abby’s car pulled into the driveway, flashing headlights in the window. A minute later Dutch and Abby burst into the door, hand in hand. It was exactly the vision I had seen of them weeks ago, come true. We stopped the movie.

  Abby looked tired, but unmistakably happy. Dutch put his arm around her waist and they exchanged a look.

  Dutch cleared his throat, “We just got back from Tahoe,” he said, looking at Abby warmly.

  “I know this is kinda sudden,” Abby added.

  “We got married.”

  We all sat in stunned silence. I was the only one who knew why and I couldn’t stifle a happy smile at Abby. Ethan looked at me suspiciously.

  “Congratulations,” Megan said, elbowing Cruz.

  I got up to embrace them each in turn. I was relieved for Abby; only I knew how much she’d been suffering the past week.

  Ethan and Cruz looked at each other and back at their parents. Little did they know that they would soon have a baby brother or sister in common. I studied them, a smile broadening on my face. We were all connected now, and a whole new family was taking shape whether they liked it or not.

  Coming from a family of two, I took a great deal of comfort in that fact.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Surfing

  I woke up, disoriented for a moment. I rolled over to see Charlie staring at me, intense golden eyes focused on a spot right between mine. He’d been fed by a neighbor for the week we were gone and had been standoffish; in the middle of the night he suddenly forgave me, clawing at the door frantically and bursting in purring like a maniac. I figured he just needed a little time to get over his temporary abandonment and forget about being offended. I scratched him behind the ears and he started kneading the pillow.

  I smiled to myself, thinking how shocked everyone was when Dutch and Abby dropped the bombshell news that they had eloped– gotten married at a quickie wedding chapel in Lake Tahoe. We were all blindsided, but Cruz and Ethan were both utterly stunned, wondering what the big rush was. Dutch had Ethan drive him home, and no doubt got the rest of the news last night. Megan left right away, giving the shocked Cruz a reassuring hug and promising to come by the next day.

  I’d slipped away to my room, leaving Abby to talk with Cruz in privacy. We were all jet-lagged, running hours ahead of the time and seriously in need of some rest. I quickly fell into a deep sleep, exhausted by the intensity of the strange vision of my father. In the quiet of the early morning it seemed less menacing, and I decided to put it out of my mind. The one thing I had learned about my visions was that there was no telling how far out in the future they would take place. It occurred to me that they could simply be nebulous images of what might be, and not events written in stone.

  I remembered the way Abby and Dutch looked when they burst into the room last night and smiled. I was happy for Abby; I knew what it meant to her for Dutch to make the commitment. Aunt Abby always led with her heart, impulsively acting on feelings and emotion, and it hadn’t always worked out so well for her. She was the opposite of my father, who in contrast was invariably logical, scientific and methodical. I think he hid behind his work sometimes, using it to avoid engaging with the world of people and events that might disappoint.

  Ethan was like my dad, a planner, a worker, and someone who protected his heart. He was solid and reliable, but harsh when it came to honesty. He wanted everything to be black and white, yes or no.

  I was somewhere in the middle, starting to see shades of gray everywhere I looked. I remembered the way Ethan glanced at me last night, realizing that I knew something more about what was going on with Dutch and Abby. I sighed heavily, hoping he wouldn’t be upset about my keeping Abby’s confidence.

  I was the first one up, eating my breakfast in an empty kitchen. The sun was just beginning to light the sky on a typical cool and foggy Aptos morning, and I bundled up to step out into the garden. It was still and calm, and I took a long slow breath, inhaling the fresh ocean air deep into my lungs. I’d promised to stop by and see Ethan at the farmer’s market but it was still a bit too early. I paced around, feeling antsy, and finally set out to take a walk down to the beach.

  I decided to go looking for Stella, guardian of the feral cat colony that lived in the dense stands of pampas grass that clung to the coastal cliffs. Stella was almost as old as the cement ship, a tiny and sometimes confused elderly woman who wandered wraith-like along the bluffs, looking out for her family of wild cats. I met her on the first day I arrived in Aptos, and since then I’d been looking out for her, supplying food for her beloved cats and checking in with her occasionally.

  I reached the end of the stairs in the early morning fog, and looked around. Having no luck spotting her, I tucked the bags of food in a place I knew she’d look. I wandered down to the shore, kicking off my shoes to wiggle my toes in the cool sand. The waves were pretty high; it promised to be a good day for surfing. The thought made me sad when I remembered Ethan’s reluctance to take me out. After everything that had happened I supposed I couldn’t blame him.

  Ambling to the waterline across the nearly deserted beach, I spotted a dozen sea lion heads bobbing in the surf just past the breaking waves. Lorelei the mermaid’s golden coppery hair stood out among them, and when our eyes met across the breakers my spirits lifted instantly. We beamed at one another in unison. She swam closer to shore as I rolled up the legs of my jeans to meet her in knee deep water.

  “Marina!” her smile was as bright as a sunny day, and her voice sounded like wind chimes. “Can we go wave riding now?”