Caribbean Cruising Read Free Page A

cruise director if nothing else."
    "You're right. I need to get used to the fact that you're almost a young woman," she said wistfully.
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    And before this cruise was over I planned to cross the threshold into complete womanhood.
    I followed Mom into the salon. It was way upscale. Nothing like the Cut 'n' Curl where I usually got my hair done.
    We planned for this time to be our last afternoon together as mother and daughter before Walter came into our lives on a permanent basis.
    Mom and I had a wonderful afternoon of bonding. While we had our facial, manicure, and pedicure, we talked about old times and how our lives were about to change.
    Mom, being typical Mom, wanted to reassure me that our relationship would never change.
    But I knew it would. It was changing now, before our very eyes, as our makeup was applied by professionals and our hair was moussed and spritzed and twisted and curled.
    The changes weren't so much brought about by Mom getting married as they were by me getting out on my own. No curfew. No having to account for my whereabouts.
    Mom might believe that things wouldn't change.
    But I knew differently.
    I knew that they've already begun.

CHAPTER 3
    A fter my French manicure dried, I gave Mom a quick kiss on the cheek and promised to meet her on the top deck a little before eight. Then I returned to my cabin where Julie was sitting on the balcony.
    "How was the pool?" I asked.
    "Awesome." She glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes widened. "Wow! You look more beautiful than you did prom night."
    We'd both done the glamour thing for prom night. As a matter of fact we'd done so many things together that Mom was always teasing that we were like Siamese twins joined at the hip. That made going on this cruise without Julie seem like it had the potential of being a lonesome idea.
    I mean, I'd taken vacations before—a few where Julie hadn't come along. But I'd always been with Mom. This would be my first one where I would be completely and totally on my own.
    "Is your mom nervous?" Julie asked.
    I sat on a deck chair. "A little I think."
    I wanted to remain patient, not rush through one of the most important evenings of my mom's life. But I was also ready to begin my best summer ever, my best vacation ever, and I couldn't do that until after mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
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    the ceremony.
    Midnight was the witching hour. My obligations to Mom and Walter would be over, and I would truly be on my own, with my list in hand.
    In the distance the sun was only just beginning to set, painting the sky in oranges, pinks, and lavenders.
    The water became a rich blue.
    "You are going to have the best time," Julie said.
    "I'm counting on it."
    She held up a hand. "Don't tell Ben, okay? But I met at least half a dozen guys at the pool."
    Ben was one of the reasons that Julie wasn't coming with me. She didn't want to be away from him. And he didn't want her to be away from him. Part of me thought it was wonderful to have that kind of commitment with someone—where you wanted to be with that someone all the time. But part of me also thought it was a little confining.
    Maybe that was also one of the reasons that I'd never gotten serious with a guy—because while I longed to have a relationship, I also wanted freedom to do as I wanted.
    "Were they cute?" I asked.
    "Every one of them was too hot to believe."
    My excitement level soared at the prospect of meeting several cute guys. "I can hardly wait for this cruise to get underway," I told her.
    "You are so going to have a blast."
    "Ya think?"
    "Definitely."
    I smiled at her assurance and enthusiasm. It was contagious.
    "Well, I suppose I need to start getting dressed," I said.
    Julie was already in her dress. I figured she'd changed after she returned from the pool.
    I went back