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He made a move to kiss her, but then his brother’s words stopped him. Put yourself first. Letting her go didn’t feel like putting himself first, but ultimately he knew he was. He was choosing himself and sticking up for what he wanted. And eventually, she would see that too.
He let her go, took a step back, then turned and left her alone in his cabin. He clipped on the life jacket hanging on his porch, still fully clothed in jeans and a sweatshirt, and walked over to his boat.
He knew he was right about this. But he wouldn’t allow himself to watch her leave again. He already did that once, and it destroyed everything he had in him.
Chapter 27
Tea
Once a loon baby hits week twelve, it moves into the fledgling age. Their primary feathers are fully formed, they are able to swim and fish similarly to their parents, and they learn how to protect themselves from predators. This is the stage where the fledgling will take their first flight and will separate from their parents when the mates leave the lake and migrate to the ocean.
Tea stood on the beach, watching Archer’s sailboat in the distance. She couldn’t stop crying.
His words pinged around in her head.
You’re scared to be with me fully because like you said, our future together is not guaranteed.
A slender hand rubbed her back. “You ready, sweetheart?”
She exhaled. “Sure.”
She followed her mother to her car, the back packed to the brim with her suitcases and her snake plant. The sun was making its descent, and they needed to get on the road so they could make it to the motel they booked outside Madison before it got too late. She reached for the car handle.
“Wait, I think your grandparents are walking over here.”
Tea frowned. “Didn’t we already say goodbye?” She really didn’t want to face Nan’s disappointment again.
Her mom squinted at them as they made their way across the lawn. “It looks like she might be holding a present?”
They waited patiently. A soft loon hoot echoed from nearby. She looked at the lake, then realized the sound was coming from the sky.
Three loons were in flight, soaring across the lake. One of them was still relatively brown, the other two in their usual black, white, and grey feathers.
It was the loon family.
Her mouth fell open. “Mom, do you see this?”
Mom glanced back and forth. “See what?”
She pointed to the sky. “The loon baby! Pebble is taking his first flight!”
Mom’s eyes widened as she looked up at the sky. “Those are loons?”
She grinned, watching the birds as they circled the lake. Eventually the mates veered off, giving the baby the space to fly and be on his own. The sight of it made her sentimental, sadness squeezing her ribcage. The circle of life, in one short summer.
She was still watching Pebble fly circles around the lake when Nan approached.
She shoved a white box into her hands, tied with a green ribbon. “Take it.”
“What is it?”
Nan shook her head. “Do not open it until you drive out of here.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“Because Tough Grandma said so.”
Her grandmother didn’t even hug her, simply turned on her heels and walked off.
