Gabri nodded as he pressed call.
‘Have you?—?’
‘Yes, he’s here. He’s fine. I’ve found him. Give us a minute and I’ll bring him back.’ The privilege of being able to say those words made him light-headed – or perhaps that was the relief. Without moving his gaze from the deepening blue of the ocean, he groped for Cillian’s shoulder and found his hair instead, giving it an almighty scruff that he only tolerated for a few seconds. ‘Here.’
He tapped the button for the loudspeaker.
‘You’re okay, aren’t you, Cilli?’ he prompted.
‘I’m not bleeding to death.’
Gabri swallowed a nasty Italian oath, even though neither of them would have understood it anyway. ‘He’s fine,’ he growled instead.
‘Oh, God, sweetie, I was so worried!’ came Toni’s voice through the speaker. ‘Gabri, areyouokay?’
He hesitated for a breath before he answered. ‘Not really. But I’ll recover. Can you call Donatella to let her know? We’ll see you soon.’ He ended the call rather rudely without saying goodbye and then pinned Cillian with a look.
‘I must have come past here at least twice. I don’t think you’ll be in any trouble, because we’re all so… relieved that you’re okay.’ Another narrowly avoided curse. ‘But your mamma… You can’t do that to her.’
His skinny arms crossed in front of him. The lucky kid was perched apparently effortlessly on the slope, while Gabri felt like a prisoner of gravity. ‘We’re going home tomorrow. If the turtles don’t hatch tonight, I won’t get to see them, but I knew Granny would never come with me and if she did, she wouldn’t understand that we need to keep away so we don’t frighten them. I looked it up. They’recaretta caretta, Loggerhead turtles. The babies lose a fifth of their body weight trying to get to the sea and if they go the wrong way, they die.’
Gabri didn’t know where to start – with his own emotions, let alone with Cillian’s. ‘Did you read about the incubation period as well? It’s too early for these eggs to hatch.’
‘But Cristina said we don’t know exactly when the female turtle laid the eggs. What if the nest has been there longer? I thought— I hoped…’
God, how those words cut him. Toni was right; Gabri was an idealist. Thirty-seven years old and he hadn’t accepted that sometimes, he couldn’t fix things for the people he loved.
Not that he loved Cillian. Of course he didn’t. But he could. Hecould.
‘You think it was stupid, running off,’ Cillian accused.
‘No,’ Gabri countered gently.
‘You think I scared Mum on purpose, to get her attention or something.’
‘No,’ he said again. ‘I know you look out for your mum.’
‘We’re fine, the two of us. Everyone seems to think it’s sad or difficult, but it’s not. We don’t need you.’
‘Oh, I know you don’t,’ Gabri agreed emphatically. He tried to fix things while Toni learned to accept them and move on like an adult.
‘I would have gone home on my own later.’
Gabri nodded, giving a non-committal hum of assent in case the gesture wasn’t visible in the dim light. Stars pricked the darkening sky now. ‘I believe you, but we’re very close to the edge right now and I’m hoping I’ve had enough scares for one night. Can we go back now?’
30
Toni was just about to call Gabri again when the two silhouettes appeared on the path leading to the cabin. They were walking slowly and speaking in quiet voices. Her eyes soaked up the form of her son, chin up, his tread light, twisting towards Gabri when he said something. And the broad-shouldered form of her… whatever he was – whatever he’d been – bent slightly to bring his face closer to a child’s level.
It was not the picture of a man who didn’t like kids with a child who’d caused trouble.
When they moved into the porch light, Toni sucked in a startled breath. Gabri had a cut on his face, the blood dried now, and the crisp dress shirt she’d admired was torn in several places. Cilli, on the other hand, looked completely unscathed.
‘Mum!’
She wrapped her son in a hug when he rushed to her, the relief in her veins still as strong as the adrenaline that had come before it. The pounding of her heart steadied and life came into powerful focus.
‘I love you so much, sweetheart,’ she mumbled, swiping at a tear. ‘You scared the life out of me, but I’m so lucky to have you back – to have you. Don’t ever do that again!’
