‘Should be snug,’ he recited, ‘so it traps some water to keep you warm.’
‘Basically, yes.’ He’d turned the top half of the wetsuit inside out and handed it back to Jonah. ‘Take it slowly, don’t try to yank on the whole suit at once.’
Jonah still struggled, but it was far easier this time and with a bit of jumping up and down and jiggling it was on.
‘Now you can zip it up yourself.’ Leo took Jonah’s hand to show him where the zip was.
Jonah pulled up the zip and his chest swelled as though this was the best present anyone had given him. And he was looking at the sea as though all he wanted to do was run down to the water’s edge and straight into the waves to test it out.
Leo checked his watch. ‘You only have twenty minutes before you need to leave here. You’d better start trying to take it off,’ he joked.
‘I want to test it out.’
‘Not until I’ve spoken with your mum.’ And now he knew who she was and that she was funny about the sea Leo wasn’t sure how that conversation was going to go. ‘If you get permission I’ll take you into the water or in a kayak, whatever, but not until then.’
Jonah looked like he was going to sulk, but reluctantly nodded.
And Leo saw an opportunity. ‘Back in a sec.’ While Jonah was still transfixed by the water, at each wave crashing to shore, Leo went to grab the end of the hosepipe and turned it on him.
Jonah let out a yelp.
‘You’re testing it out!’ Leo laughed. ‘You’ll be able to see how warm you are in it despite the water temperature!’
Jonah couldn’t stop giggling, jumping about as the initial cold water hit the suit.
He and Leo were still laughing and Leo was about to help him off with the suit and get back up to the boathouse when Jonah’s smile disappeared.
‘What’s wrong, mate?’ Leo wiped his brow as he’d managed to splash himself quite a lot too.
And when Leo turned to face whatever had made Jonah go from fun-seeking to extremely worried, he saw a dark-haired woman marching across the sands. Maeve. And she looked furious as she tried to walk over as fast as she could, her feet unable to get proper purchase on the sand. Her sunglasses pulled down initially, she flipped them up as she drew closer.
She glared at her son. ‘What on earth do you think you’re doing?’
It was then Leo realised she wasn’t angry, she was upset. She was shaking. ‘He’s all right, Maeve.’
‘I’ve been worried sick, Jonah. Why didn’t you answer your phone?’
‘My bag is upstairs.’ His voice quivered as he pointed up to the window of the shop area above the boathouse.
Leo was about to speak again but sensed he shouldn’t, not yet.
‘You’re supposed to be at home after school before you come to meet me from work. I got off early and phoned you to tell you I was walking home and I’d be there soon.’
‘Why did you finish early?’ Jonah asked and Leo wondered whether the boy was worrying this would be the new arrangement rather than the fun he’d found himself without her knowledge.
‘I’m working late tomorrow.’ She shook away the question. ‘And right now, my working hours aren’t the concern. I panicked, Jonah. When you didn’t answer, imagine how that made me feel.’ She breathed in deeply either to calm herself or find patience from somewhere. ‘You didn’t text me to say you’d got home after school either.’
Jonah’s voice trembled. ‘I’m sorry. I forgot.’
‘You can’t forget! Ever!’
‘How did you know I was here?’
‘I tracked your phone when I didn’t hear from you. At first I thought the location must be wrong but then when you didn’t answer either I knew you’d come down here.’
Leo tried again to soothe the situation. ‘It’s OK, Maeve. He’s all right.’
‘Did you take him in the water?’ she snapped as though she didn’t even know Leo, as though he hadn’t been part of a group of friends all those years ago, friends who’d been through a tragedy that had splintered them apart. The sea had changed everything that day and it had taken a little piece of all of them in one way or another.
