‘Me too.’ She proffered the container of fudge.
‘Oh no, you enjoy all of that. I’ve had plenty.’
She treated herself to another piece. She supposed there were benefits to your parents being so busy with this, that and the other that your grandparents took over. It formed a bond that was everlasting, special and something Nina had always treasured in the absence of a closeness with either of her parents. They weren’t estranged, they spoke, albeit infrequently, but something had been lost along the way. Or perhaps it was because she was so close to her grandparents that it was hard for anything or anyone else to measure up ever again. And whereas Walt and Elsie had always been a support and encouraged her with whatever she wanted in life, Nina had always felt as though she had to strive to be better for her mum and dad. She’d always blamed herself that she must’ve done something along the way for them not to want her enough.
Nina took her grandad through her plans for the cabin. She’d already talked about what she planned to do, but with him here now it was far easier for him to visualise.
‘Seems a shame to be doing it all for someone else,’ said Camille as Nina described the changes she envisaged.
Nina agreed but she didn’t want to make her grandad feel bad. ‘If Grandad wasn’t selling up then the cabin would probably stand here neglected for even longer. It wouldn’t be doing its duty as a beautiful abode by the sea.’
Walt nodded. ‘It wouldn’t, you’re right Nina. And I wholly approve of your ideas, it’s going to look wonderful. We’ll get a buyer in no time.’ When he exchanged a look with Camille, Nina had to wonder whether he was really as OK with the sale as he claimed to be when he spoke to Nina or William, or whether he’d confided something different to his friend. She really hoped not. It was all well and good going down memory lane inside the cabin and wishing things were different, but that wasn’t going to pay the bills. The sale was a practical solution, it couldn’t be emotional, not when he really needed the money for his future, if it would make him feel safe and secure. And there was a lot to be said for anything that could make you feel that way.
As they drank their tea they moved out onto the veranda to discuss the cabin some more, its surroundings, all the while Nina conscious Leo might be close by if he was home, although Camille’s speedy visit suggested she might have left his container of fudge at his door because he wasn’t around.
Walt recalled a particular game of hide and seek with the kids and the time Leo and Nina had hidden so well he’d begun to panic when he couldn’t find them for almost an hour.
‘My heart was in my mouth,’ he admitted, ‘it wasn’t a good feeling at all.’ Hand on his chest he advised her never to try it with little ones. ‘I only found you in the end because Elsie had the bright idea to call out “Doughnuts!” at the top of her voice. That got you coming out from your hiding places and we took you straight to the bakery in town to buy you the biggest doughnuts we could find. I’ve never felt so relieved seeing your little faces.’
‘I remember,’ Nina laughed. ‘I was wearing a white t-shirt and it it was filthy on one arm from where Leo and I had hidden beneath an overturned boat and then I got jam from the doughnut all down the front.’
‘Leo was always getting dirty,’ Camille shared as she looked over in the direction of the boathouse. ‘He’s never been a neat freak. Neither has Adrian.’
Nina had heard from her grandad that Adrian was back. ‘How is he?’ Camille was looking out at the bay and Nina sensed that much like hers, Adrian’s return hadn’t been a case of coming back and picking up where he left off.
‘He’s not too bad. Divorced, although those two were never right for each other anyway, and at least he’s home. Leo sees a bit of him but he’s yet to come down here to the boathouse or the beach.’
As she listened to the lapping of the waves against the shore in the distance Nina understood his reticence to come this way. It must’ve been a huge step to return to the area as it was. She wondered whether he’d ever be able to enjoy sailing the way he once had. She wondered whether he’d battled the water in the way she had herself, not wanting to go in, knowing how treacherous the sea could be, how it could change just like that. She could still remember how distraught he was the night Rhianne drowned, because he’d been the one to try to save her. They’d all told him not to jump in the water, it was dangerous, he could’ve died too, but he’d ignored all of them and had tried in vain to find Rhianne, but couldn’t. It was the coastguard who’d finally dragged her body from the water. And by then it had been too late.
‘I hope he makes his way down here eventually,’ saidWalt diplomatically, a support for Camille whose eyes misted over.
‘Me too.’ Her sprightliness had given way to a dulled version of the usually upbeat woman. ‘It’s a shame, a real shame. That boy was all about family. All about the water, sailing, boats.’
‘He still is,’ Walt assured her. ‘He’s just a bit further away from it all at the moment. Not physically, but in his head. He’ll get there, I know he will.’
Camille patted Walt’s hand that had landed on her shoulder. ‘I admire your certainty, so I’m going to choose to believe it too.’
‘Grandad is right, I think he’ll get there too,’ Nina encouraged.
When Walt asked whether Nina wanted to join them both for lunch in town Nina shook her head. ‘I really want to keep going with the cabin today. I’ve got the walls to finish, scrubbing the kitchen, the bathroom. All the boring stuff has to be done before I can even think about painting.’
‘Don’t you forget to eat properly,’ said Walt as they took their empty cups inside.
‘Grandad, you worry about me too much. I’ll probably treat myself to afternoon tea at the café on the pier.’
‘That sounds like a good idea. You might catch up with Maeve.’
‘I will do if she’s there.’ She wouldn’t mind seeing someone else who’d left and then come back. Perhaps the solidarity would help her feel less like she was sticking out like a sore thumb around here.
Walt picked up the light grey jacket he’d worn here and pulled it back on. It was still decent weather for Septemberbut catch the breeze in a certain direction and it was nippy. ‘There’ll be storms later on though, could you call me to let me know you’re safely back at the cabin.’
Nina was about to assure him that of course she would when Camille patted him on the arm and said, ‘She’s a grown woman.’ But she understood. ‘A text message will be enough, don’t you think?’
‘It will,’ Walt admitted. ‘And I’ll see you for dinner tomorrow night?’
‘Of course.’ She kissed them both goodbye on the cheek and turning to go back into her cabin, she caught a glimpse of Leo’s place and thought of the fudge Camille had left there. The veranda was a sun trap no matter the mild temperature and the fudge might be ruined if Leo didn’t collect it soon. And inside, when she sneaked a piece of her own fudge, she didn’t want Leo’s tub of sweet treats to spoil and waste Camille’s hard work.
The least she could do was go and make sure it was in the shade. She was being kind, neighbourly.
