Her knee screamed with phantom pain, though the surgery and PT were behind her. She’d been told it was safe to try again. She’d been told there were no guarantees. She’d been told her championship days were almost certainly over, but surfers before her had pushed past all barriers to once again compete. She’d been told it was all up to her.
Little good that did.
“I just have to teach,” she said aloud. Bagel hopped over at the sound of her voice, sensing distress. Ears twitching, he sat his furry butt on her bare feet and dug in.
The grounding helped.
Rowan smiled and cleared her mind. No need to dredge up bad memories. She’d keep the lesson short and allow Kelsey to enjoy herself. Her goal was to wipe out the first bad experience and give the girl some of her confidence back.
“Bagel, back in the cage for a while. It’s another scorcher. I’ll get you ice.”
He didn’t move. Underneath six pounds of stubborn rabbit, her feet began to sweat.
With a sigh, she scooped him up, grabbed the chopped ice and shredded lettuce, then made her way to the beach. Kelsey met her at the shore, practically beaming with excitement. “Hi! I’m ready. So excited to try this again.”
Rowan nodded with approval at her simple bikini and absence of body decor. Not that she didn’t adore a good piece of jewelry, but she sensed it was important for Kelsey to reconnect with who she really was—not what everyone told her. “Great. Go grab your board. It’s the red one by the door.”
If Kelsey was surprised to be carrying her own equipment, Rowan couldn’t tell. The girl bounded away. Rowan shaded her eyes with her hand and studied her as she dragged the oversize board across the sand. It looked ridiculous next to her—like a kid hauling around a dining room table—but the girl’s determination was written all over her scrunched-up face.
“Tell me again about your first lesson,” Rowan said.
Kelsey groaned and dropped the board onto the sand. “The guy barked like twenty instructions at once, then yelled when I fell. I couldn’t keep up. He kept trying to show me the pop-up and I kept failing and I just ...” She shrugged. “I felt stupid.”
That tug again—sharp and familiar in Rowan’s chest. Lord, thirteen was rough. The self-consciousness was the worst. Her dad had never tried to play the mom role, so she’d learned early to bring her battles outside, speak her truth with kindness, and let the ocean help with forgiveness. But Kelsey had a father who missed dinners and believed money was the true teacher. Maybe for a little bit, she could show Kelsey something different.
“You’re not stupid,” Rowan said simply. “Surfing just needs the right teacher.” She dropped the leash end of the board toward Kelsey. “C’mon. Let’s start from the top.”
Rowan crouched in the sand beside the board. “First, this is your leash. It always goes on yourbackfoot—so if you ride regular, it goes on your right ankle. If you’re goofy, it goes on your left. You know which one you are?”
Kelsey blinked. “Um ... I put my left foot forward that time I tried to skate?”
“Then you’re regular,” Rowan said with a small grin. “Right ankle.” Rowan clipped the leash around the girl’s slim ankle. “Good. That’s the easy part.”
She motioned for Kelsey to lie flat on the board. “Now, paddling. Pretend you’re swimming freestyle. Arms straight, pull through the water—not slapping at it. Chin up, chest off the board. Weight centered. Otherwise you’ll nose-dive.”
Kelsey tried, elbows flailing. Rowan chuckled and adjusted her shoulders. “Relax. It’s not a fight. Think smooth, like slicing water. Good. Now the pop-up. That’s where most people panic.”
Kelsey pushed up on her arms and scrambled awkwardly.
“Stop.” Rowan crouched beside her, her voice softer now. “Hands right under your ribs. Push up into a cobra stretch like in yoga. Then swing your front foot through and land low. Knees bent. Arms out. Eyes up.”
“Not down?”
“Down is where you go if you look there. Always look where you want to go.”
Rowan demonstrated, her body remembering the move like muscle memory carved into her bones. The ache in her knee hummed, but she ignored it. “Try again.”
She tried twice. The third time, Kelsey popped to her feet in a crouch, wobbling but balanced.
Rowan grinned. “There it is.”
Kelsey flushed, pride sparking through her nerves. “Really?”
“Really. That’s a surfer’s stance. All you need now is a wave. I’ll show you a few more moves and we’ll practice till you’re comfortable.”
Rowan took her through the beginning maneuvers, focused on making sure Kelsey began to relax with the board and within her body. She knew exactly when the girl stopped thinking and began moving instinctually.
Huh.She’d imagined it would’ve taken much longer, but Kelsey was exceeding expectations.
