“Brando’s different. He has respect for the job, for the ocean. He knows he doesn’t belong in that world, but he braves it anyway. He has a quiet confidence and is competent. He mentors the new divers instead of treating them like peons.”
She sighed, resting more comfortably against the station wagon.
“I was beside him in Paris, for your first performance asÉtoile, and I kid you not, the look in his eyes mademecry. You know how tough that is to do. I’m not a brittle broad. He was so damn proud of you, like you hung the stars and were getting celebrated because of it. You need to do the same for him. You need to make him feel that you are proud of him, Scarlett.Tellhim.”
“I do,” I said, my voice breaking. “I am. I’m just terrified of losing him. I know the risks. And they’re too close. Those shadows, the noises, the pressure, all of it, I feel it too.”
“I know you do,” she said, taking my hand. “I know the fear—he isn’t mine, and I know. But danger lives in your career. You could seriously damage yourself; that’s why dancers only enjoy their careers to the young age of forty. Look at you! You probably went off in the airport. And yes, his career is more dangerous, but that’s all the more reason to tell him. To make him feel it. Those boys have each other out there, but they also have families and lovers who are depending on them to come home. They should know what they do makes their families proud—Paul Lewis!” She turned away for a second. “Stop throwing rocks!”
“Ya, ya, ya…”
She turned back to me, fluffing my hair. “As much as Brando loves it, he hates it, because he knows you do. You have to let him be a man, Sandy. If not, you’re going to break him, and you don’t want half of a man, you want a whole one. You need to woman-up and do what he did for you. Letting you go aged him, it really did. But he did itfor you.Now you need to show him the same respect, no matter how afraid you are.”
I nodded, took a deep breath, and then released it slowly. A helicopter landed and a crew of men stepped out.
* * *
Around twenty crewmembers disembarked from the helicopter, all of them chatting and laughing amicably. Probably reliving their two weeks offshore, looking forward to two weeks inshore.
They were all dressed in overalls with name patches and boots, some carrying hardhats, all carrying a bag—and they all looked like hard workers, men who risked life and limb for bread and butter.
A few of them clumped together, walking straight for us. One of them let out a whistle of appreciation when he came close, checking me out. The other wore thick glasses and asked me if I was from corporate.
I ignored them, cheeks flaming, giving Violet the stink eye. She pointed two fingers at her eyes, and then pointed two fingers ahead of me.
Brando and Mitch were walking side by side, laughing with a few guys around them. Brando’s bag was slung over his shoulder, two fingers keeping it in place, Ray-Bans covering his eyes, a bandana around his head to keep the sweat from his face. He was finer than any law of nature should have allowed.
Oh God, was that man really my husband?
“I can’t breathe,” I whispered to Violet.
“Makes you feel all tingly inside, doesn’t it?” She nudged me.
All I could do was nod, not able to move my stare. Not a tingle but a surge of pride washed over me, strong enough to knock the air from my lungs.
“Yo, Fausti!” a young guy shouted. “Yourbeautifulballerina wife is here!”
“You better shut up, Jenkins!” Mitch yelled back. “Or you’re going to end up barracuda bait come two weeks, buddy. Better fatten that scrawny ass up so maybe it won’t hurt as much.”
“I’m being serious!” he screeched. “Look!” He pointed at me.
Sixteen pair of eyes, at least, turned on me at once.
Effing Jenkins! And Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. His eyes are frozen.Therefore, so was I.
He halted his stride, bag falling to the ground with a loud thud. Though the guys around him were catcalling, making jokes, and being, well, men, he wasn’t paying any attention. I had never seen his face so…stiff. His skin turned to ash, and I could tell by the bobbing of his throat that he was swallowing hard.
He blinked. I waved.
He lifted his hand but didn’t move any further.
Reality hit me then, hard, like a blow to the chest. He never had anyone waitingfor him. Of course, I waited for him to come to me, but I had never been here with Violet and others who waited to welcome their loves home.
Brando.I started to cry.
I took off, almost knocking myself backward when I hit him. His mind must have caught up to his emotions then, because he moved, catching me before I met the ground. Hitting him was like hitting a solid boulder.
Throwing my arms around his neck, I kissed him on the lips and then fastened my head to his chest. “Welcome home, Fausti,” I said.
