“Fixing potholes, yes. But upgrades wipe out history,” Mom replied, her tone measured.
“They can, but we can’t be afraid of progress,” Harper interjected gently. “The world is changing. We have to adapt or risk losing what we love.”
“I agree. But at what cost?” Mom’s voice dropped, almost wistful. The familiar clash brewed between them, each holding tight to their beliefs. Mom had been at the reins of the resort since our dad walked out nearly two decades ago, leaving all of us behind. It had been a terrible time, but we’d pulled together as a family and persevered.
I wanted to support Harper’s vision for a modernized resort, but honoring Mom’s attachment to our rootsweighed heavily on me. She was our rock and anything that stressed her out made me worry.
The dive shop door opened again, and an excited trio stepped through, my students. All three pairs of eyes were filled with excitement, which was what I liked to see.
“We’ll let you go, Eli.” Harper placed a hand on my shoulder before she, Finn, and Mom headed toward the door. She turned her smile to the prospective divers. “Have fun, guys. You’re learning from the best.”
“All right, team! Welcome to the dive shop!” I called. “Today, we’re going to explore the basics of scuba diving in our first classroom session. By the end of our class, you’ll all be ready to take the plunge. Literally!”
Laughter sounded from my students as we headed to the classroom. I grinned, the rush of adrenaline kicking in. Forget the parking lot debates. Right now, it was all about the ocean and sharing that love with others. With my family fading into the background, I focused on my role as an instructor—a task that brought clarity. And there was nothing better than the sound of laughter and the promise of adventure ahead.
Later that afternoon,I was alone in the shop and working on dive trip assignments for my two divemasters and myself. Though I taught a fair amount of the time, I never missed the opportunity to lead dives on our daily two-tank trips for certified divers. The hum of the air conditioner filled the dive shop as I typed away. I assigned myself my fair share of beginner groups. I never made my divemasters take the newbies while I cherry-picked the experienced divers.
But my focus shattered like glass when the door opened. I raised my head, expecting another eager studentor perhaps Finn looking for an excuse to try out his new snorkeling gear.
Instead, Julianne stepped in.
She hesitated at the threshold, her navy pencil skirt and fitted white button-down contrasting starkly against the backdrop of wetsuits and colorful snorkels hanging from the walls. Her eyes darted quickly around the room before settling on me. She took a deep breath and quietly shut the door behind her before walking along the wall of fins. Hands clasped behind her back, she inspected them closely.
“Julianne.” I tried to inject some levity into the air, thick with sudden tension. “Lost your way to a board meeting?”
“Very funny.”
“Can I help you with something, or did you come to deny me something else?” I waved a hand toward the neatly arranged dive gear.
“No denials today.” She strode toward me, the heels of her shoes clicking against the non-slip floor, each sound echoing like a reminder of our different worlds colliding. “Um. Yeah. I need to discuss your upcoming class schedule.”
That floored me. “Really? You know you can’t dive in a business suit, right?”
She glared at me, and I sent back a blinding smile, knowing it would irritate her more. I was right. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth. But before she could say anything, she snapped it shut and took a big breath.
“Thank you for the information. I am aware.” Her voice was steady but held an edge that hinted at her discomfort. She remained quiet, shifting from one foot to the other, and I was both intrigued and tempted to messwith her. It was like watching a fish swim against the current. She was trying to navigate, yet clearly struggling.
“Well”—I broke the silence— “as much fun as it is chatting with you, let’s get down to business. What do you need from me?”
“I need to talk to you about Lacey’s wedding plans,” she said haltingly.
I wasn’t sure I’d heard her correctly. “Come again?”
Her face flushed scarlet. “You know who I’m talking about. Chase is your best friend.”
“Yesss,” I drawled. “But I’m having a difficult time figuring out what any of that has to do with me. Or my dive class calendar.”
Julianne primly laced her fingers together in front of her. “Lacey and Daniel have decided on an underwater wedding. The wedding party—four of us, that is—all need to get certified to dive.”
“What? You’re in Lacey’s wedding?” Chase had never mentioned anything about that to me. But then again, why would he? I was there to listen to him bitch about the wedding, not get the finer points of it.
She took a big step forward to stand on the other side of the glass counter, her eyes blazing. “Is it so impossible to imagine that I have a friend? Or that she wants me to be her maid of honor?”
Frankly, it was hard to believe, but I managed to wrangle my mouth into not saying that. “I guess not. You caught me off guard, okay?” Then it dawned on me why she was here, and my eyes went wide. “Hold on. Do you wantmeto certify you guys?”
“You’re the natural choice,” she asserted as she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve.
“Natural choice, huh?” I leaned forward, unable toresist a smug smile. “So you’re finally admitting my exceptional diving skills?”
