“Madelyn. And this is Zack.”
“Hi!” Zack chirps, then giggles again. “You kissed him, Mommy!”
Madelyn looks extraordinarily flustered by that. “I know, Zack,” she says in that clipped voice mothers the world over use when they need their offspring to chill out. “You do that when someone saves your baby’s life.”
“Oh.” Zack leans up and pecks me on the chin.
I melt.
Literally, all the tension goes out of my tentacles, and I practically dissolve, sinking down several feet until I’m burrowing in the sand. Madelyn finally notices my tentacle was crushed to her cleavage as it pulls away, leaving a series of round marks from my suckers.
She’s such a pretty shade of pink and peach when she blushes.
“Uh. Here. Let me just help me get your things,” I say to cover up the fact that this kid just stole my heart right out of my chest. “You gotta go home and rest for me, Zack, but I hope I see you here tomorrow.”
“Mommy has to work,” he whispers.
“I can make time for swimming lessons,” Madelyn says, still blushing, but nodding in a serious fashion. “How early should we be here?”
“Seven?”
“That sounds fine. We’re early risers,” she says, folding up her chair with one hand, Zack still clutched in her arm, his little legs wrapping over her like a koala clinging to its mother.
I don’t mean to pry into her personal life, but I pick up her phone along with the other scattered sand toys and towels, and I see the texts on her screen as the motion awakens the phone.
Linda: This is an emergency, so I’m using Mom’s phone, like you said, Your Highness. Or should I sayYour Bitchiness? Mom says if you block me, you’re being a negligent parent. You’re a single mother in a house you can’t afford, in a town full of monsters and freaks. I can get custody any time I want. I won’t even have to take care of him. Mom wants him. Unblock me now, or things get ugly.
My heart starts to hammer. Rage fills me.
“I’ll take that—and don’t worry. I’ll never look at my phone again while we’re at the beach. I’ll have it with me, of course, in case of emergencies, but I won’t use it,” Madelyn whispers guiltily.
“Good plan. Uh. If your husband wants to ask me any questions about the incident, or if he would feel better going to the hospital—”
“Zack’s dad isn’t around,” she says, face suddenly tight, voice even tighter. “It’s just us.”
“We just moved here today ago,” Zack pipes up.
“He means yesterday,” Madelyn continues to gather things, working with one arm, with fluidity and grace that amazes me. Shaking out the beach towel, finding the sippy cup, gathering toys faster than I can process what things to grab. I know I need to return to my duties, but I’m also mesmerized by what Madelyn can do with one free arm. I suddenly feel like my eight tentacles and two arms are not enough to keep pace with this single mother.
“Please... Do you have to report this or anything?” she suddenly blurts.
“What? No! No, no. This sort of thing happens quite often. It’s why lifeguards exist. To be fair, the winds are strong today. I’m sure Allison allowed Zack to sit on the board for a second, and then the wind picked up, and they were out at waist height before you could catch it.”
“I really can’t thank you. I don’t even know,” Madelyn trails off, hugs Zack more tightly to her chest, and clears her throat. “I don’t even know what krakens would like as a thank-you gift. I guess a card would get soggy?”
“Just you two being okay is present enough. Although, I’m new in town, too. I only moved here a few weeks ago. Having a friendly face to see while I give Zack some swimming lessons will be reward enough.”
“Would you like to come to dinner in a few days, once I get the kitchen unpacked?” Madelyn blurts.
I blink.
Zack nods. “We’re growing a pizza garden.”
“Ha. It’s not ready yet, sweetie,” Madelyn gives a nervous laugh.
“I love pizza.”
“Krakens eat pizza? Oh, God. Forgive me. I’m rattled. I probably sound so ignorant.”
