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“I was thinking of hitting up the Seaview. Check out what Cian’s done to the place. Maybe find a cute tourist to charm.” He waggled his eyebrows.

Niall sat down on one of the high stools. Pocket rested her head against his knee and he stroked her ears thoughtfully, sipping his coffee.

“What’s that mile-long stare about?” Colin said.

“I was just thinking . . .” Niall began.

Colin waited. “For fuck’s sake, Niall, the suspense is killing me.”

Niall scratched behind his ear. “I thought I might cook dinner.”

Colin put his guitar pick down on the table. “Plans canceled. Count me in. Christ, man, I’ve been wondering when you’d start making good use of this kitchen. Should we call Alison and invite her? Cordelia too?”

He should say yes. It would give him an opportunity to let her know how much her words had helped mend things a bit with his father. But the thought of asking her to come to his house had his stomach churning.

“No,” Niall said. “I don’t want to make it a big thing. Maybe next time, though.”

“All right, suit yourself. Whatcha making?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Niall said slowly. “Thought I’d go down the market and see what’s fresh.”

Pocket followed Niall as he walked to the market and then left to do her own thing. She was always keeping track of the animal life on the island, checking in on sheep and cow and horse alike – as well as popping by the houses for pets and treats. Niall took his time, letting the menu slowly come together as he perused the fresh vegetables, sniffed bunches of herbs, and examined the butcher’s stock. As he walked back to the house with a full tote bag slung over his shoulder, the cloud cover broke and the sun shone down on the road, dew drops on the grass glittering like crystals.

Maybe, Niall thought to himself, coming home for the summer hadn’t been such a terrible thing after all.

Cordelia returned from a long bike ride, exhausted.

The sun had decided to make an appearance and she hadn’t wanted to miss out on the opportunity. She was getting better at biking too – today she’d finally made it to the Seal Colony. Róisín had been hired by a group of Australian tourists for two days of sightseeing and Cordelia felt ready to do some exploring on her own.

The seals had been marvelous subjects, sleek bodies lounging on the rocks, plump tummies facing the sun. Their eyes had a startling amount of depth, like wise old souls who knew the untold secrets of the sea. It really did feel like she was getting a fresh start with this new camera. She parked the bike in the shed and walked back to the cottage, perusing some of the pictures she’d taken as she went. She knew she should start posting on her Instagram account, but she didn’t know if she was ready yet. She was rediscovering the simple love of photography again. She didn’t want to ruin it.

Just then her phone began to ring.

“Hey, Toby. Shouldn’t you be in school?” she teased. Toby taught English at a public school in Brooklyn.

“Last day was this past Thursday,” Toby said. “I’m officially on summer break. How’s it going over there, little sis?”

“Oh, grand,” Cordelia said in a poor imitation of an Irish accent. Toby laughed. “I just got back from this amazing place called the Seal Colony. It was – ”

“Full of seals?”

“Ha ha. I was going to say incredibly cool but yes, it was also full of seals. How are things with you? How’re Nikki and the kids?”

“We’re going away next weekend. I booked an Airbnb in the Berkshires. With a pool. The kids can’t wait.”

Cordelia laughed. “I bet. That sounds great.”

“Mom and Gary are coming too.”

“Oh.”

Silence hung between them.

“Look, Cordie, I know you don’t like Gary but – ”

“Gary’s fine,” Cordelia snapped. “Who said I didn’t like Gary? I never said that.”

“No, but your dislike is literally pouring out of the phone and slapping me in the face from an ocean away.”