02 The Moon And The Tide - Marina's Tales Read Free Page A

his long bangs. “Spending time
with Evie– I totally feel like a different person, like someone who
gets taken seriously...”
    “I know what you mean,” I commiserated,
“Going back to school’s going to be weird.”
    Cruz sighed, “I guess nothing lasts forever,”
he said dolefully, “Except mermaids,” he added with a wicked smile.
I cast a scathing look at him and got up.
    “What’s going on in there?” I rapped softly
on Abby’s door and opened it a crack. I was surprised to see Evie
sitting on the bed with her arm around Abby, who was wiping tears
from her cheeks. Evie looked up at me.
    “Give us a few minutes honey. I’ll be right
out.” I sat back down with Cruz, perplexed.
    “How’s mom?” Cruz asked.
    “I don’t know,” I said, “But I don’t think
she’s upset about the coat.”
    Evie bustled out of the room, “She’ll be
fine,” she announced, “She just needs a little rest before dinner.
That gives us just enough time to visit the hotel spa for our
treatments– they do a fabulous seaweed facial... and I hear the
salt scrub pedicure is to die for!” She pulled us up by the arms,
surprisingly strong for a woman of her age, “Let’s go you two! Time
is flying!”
    Evie never met a spa treatment she didn’t
like, and she’d made reservations for a variety of exotic
ministrations. Cruz and I were overcome with the giggles, peeking
out at each other from under cucumber slices, faces covered in
green goo. We returned to the room a few hours later, scrubbed and
buffed till our skin glowed. Abby was up and dressed for dinner,
and she gave Cruz and me both a reassuring hug, telling us she was
feeling much better.
    “I think the lack of sunlight is making me a
little blue,” she smiled, with just a touch of stress around her
sad blue eyes.
    It was our last night together with my
father, who was itching to get back to work early the next morning.
Everyone said their goodbyes at the restaurant; I followed him up
to his room for a final talk before we parted ways again.
    “Next time I see you you’ll be seventeen,” he
said, getting sentimental. My birthday was coming up in January,
and dad wasn’t due back until August. “How about you fly out to
meet me for a spring break vacation? We can celebrate your birthday
then.”
    “That would be nice,” I was surprised, “I can
come to Afghanistan?”
    “I was thinking about meeting you in
Greece.”
    “Greece?” I asked, confused.
    “I’ve been thinking about how we talked about
visiting the islands someday to see some ancient ruins. This could
be our last chance before you start college. You can fly into
Athens and I’ll meet up with you at the airport.”
    “OK... sounds like fun.”
    “I’ll plan it then. Have you decided on a car
yet?” he asked with a smile.
    “I was thinking about something I can carry a
surfboard in.”
    “Surfboard?” he exclaimed, looking
surprised.
    I smiled, “Yeah, it turns out that I really
do like swimming, and I’m learning how to surf. Ethan’s been
teaching me.”
    “I don’t know if I like that idea,” he said
with a frown.
    “Don’t worry,” I said soothingly, “he’s even
more cautious than you are.”
    “Just be careful,” he said meaningfully. He
handed me a bankcard, “For gas, and whatever you want. You can use
it when you find yourself a car. I made Aunt Abby your legal
guardian, so if you need anything signed...”
    “Thanks Dad, but I was thinking about getting
a job or something.” I was tired of always being seen as a spoiled
girl by everyone.
    “I want you to focus on your studies,” he
said earnestly, pressing it into my palm, “I want to make things
easier for you. They’ll be plenty of time for working after
college. Besides, we’ll be back in the city soon, and you can get a
summer job then. Didn’t you want to train to be a docent at the art
museum?”
    I wasn’t sure how to break the news to him,
but I tried, “Dad, I’ve been thinking about