For You, Forever

“I never really thought about it that way,” he said. “It’s just a job to me, you know.”

“Just a job! You’re too humble for your own good sometimes,” Emily continued. “How many people do you really think have that kind of skill? You have a talent, Daniel. You just have to think bigger sometimes.”

Instead of her words encouraging him, Daniel seemed to retreat then.

“I do think big,” he mumbled, defensively. “I’m just not as good as you seem to think I am.”

“It’s not just me,” Emily told him, gently. “Jack clearly thinks so, too.”

She hadn’t meant to push so hard. She’d only meant for Daniel to understand he had a talent and that it could take him far. But he seemed to be shrinking, deflating under the weight of her perception.

Quietly, he turned his face down to the sand, picking pebbles up and throwing them across the beach.

Just then Emily’s cell phone began to ring. She sighed, on one hand relieved to have been saved by the bell but on the other frustrated to be robbed of the chance to get to the bottom of Daniel’s apparent mood change.

She rummaged in her purse and plucked her cell phone out. With surprise, she saw that the caller ID was the real estate agent for the island. It flashed at her like a beacon.

“It’s them!” she exclaimed aloud, feeling excitement warble in her chest.

Daniel looked up sharply from where he’d been flinging pebbles. From the shoreline, Chantelle turned at the sound of Emily’s voice.

“It’s the broker!” Emily called across the beach to Chantelle.

The two dogs mirrored Chantelle’s movements, all three pelting across the beach toward Emily, kicking up clouds of sand behind them.

Once Chantelle reached Emily, she skidded to a halt, and the dogs ran around them in circles, salty sea water clinging to their fur, yapping with their instinctive understanding that something exciting was about to happen.

With uneven breath, Emily answered the call and put it straight onto speakerphone. The family crowded forward, looking down at the cell phone expectantly. It was as if the little block of plastic held their entire futures in its power.

“We’re all here,” Emily explained. “On tenterhooks. So, what’s the news?”

Ever since they’d put the offer in, Emily had prepared herself for the worst. In fact, she’d pretty much convinced herself that it wouldn’t come to fruition, that they wouldn’t get the island. It just wasn’t the sort of thing that happened to normal people. But despite telling herself over and over that it just wasn’t going to happen, she’d been unable to dampen the small glimmer of excitement inside of her, that sliver of hope that challenged the pessimistic part of her mind with the simple mantra, what if…

The broker spoke, her voice coming through the line in crackles.

“It’s good news,” she said. “Your offer was accepted. The island is yours!”

Emily couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Had static on the line made her hear what she wanted? But when she looked up into Daniel’s eyes, she saw them sparkling with surprise and elation. When Chantelle leapt up in the air and jumped up and down, waving her arms, Emily knew there was no doubt.

The dogs began barking at Chantelle’s commotion, leaping up with soggy paws, making wet sand marks all over her clothes.

“Really?” Emily stammered, straining to hear the crackly line through the din. “We really got it?”

“You really did,” the broker replied. Emily could hear the smile in her voice. “Of course there’s still some paperwork to sign and file. But you’re very welcome to go and visit in the meantime.” She finished with a chuckle.

Emily was so stunned she couldn’t find her voice. Daniel took over, leaning closer to the cell phone between them.

“You mean we can actually go there now?” he asked, his gaze fixed on Emily rather than on the phone. “As the official owners?”

From the speaker, the broker’s voice came, tinny and robotic, “You can indeed.”

Chantelle crouched down then and threw her arms around her father’s neck, so exuberant she almost knocked him clean to the ground.

“We’re going to the island now?” she cried in his ear.

Daniel winced, but he was grinning broadly. Chantelle’s arms were wrapped around his neck like an octopus’s tentacles and he brought his hands up to loosen her grip as he raised his eyebrows at Emily.

“What do you think? Shall we go and look at it through the eyes of its owners?”

Emily touched her stomach, feeling Baby Charlotte’s form inside. She was growing increasingly protective as the weeks passed, not wanting to subject her growing child to any unpleasantness. But the sea was calm today, and she felt certain that she wouldn’t experience any seasickness on the ride over.

“Let’s do it,” she said.

Chantelle screamed with joy.

Daniel leaned down to the phone, almost yelling now over the noise of dogs and children, straining as Chantelle yanked him roughly around with her excitement.

“You’ve made us extremely happy,” he said to the broker. “Thanks for everything.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Morey,” the broker replied.

They ended the call and Emily and Daniel sat back with matching stunned expressions, both looking as dazed as the other as their new reality began to sink in. Chantelle whizzed around, throwing their things haphazardly into a bag, moving as though on fast forward.

“Come on,” she cried. “Let’s go!”

Daniel snapped into action, standing and helping Emily to her feet. The harbor was a short walk away but Emily knew she’d have to take it slowly. Chantelle ran on ahead with the dogs, stopping periodically to hurry back, effectively doubling the distance she was covering in comparison to Daniel and Emily.

On the way they passed Cynthia and Jeremy out on a bike ride.

“We bought an island!” Chantelle called out to them as they passed, waving.

Cynthia frowned. “It sounded like you said an island?” she called back.

“I did!” Chantelle cried, jumping up and down.

Emily laughed. No one was going to believe what they’d done, that they’d bought themselves an island off the coast of Maine! She could hardly believe it herself.

“Look, it’s Amy and Harry!” Chantelle cried then.

Emily squinted ahead and saw that the loved up couple were sitting together on a bench at the harbor’s edge, deep in conversation. It looked as though it might be somewhat intense, with Amy leaning in and gesticulating widely, Harry shaking his head emphatically with what looked like a stern expression on his face. Emily wondered again what was going on with the pair. It really looked to her like they were arguing.

“Do you think they’ll want to come and see our island?” Chantelle asked.

Emily was about to tell her to leave them be, but before she had a chance to reply, Chantelle had already hurried off. Chantelle was on a mission and Emily’s waddle was too slow to catch up to her.

She saw Chantelle reach them, and watched as they sprang apart, shocked by the interruption. She couldn’t hear anything from this distance, but she could see the false smiles on each of their faces, and the strained looks hidden in their expressions.

By the time she and Daniel made it to the trio, Chantelle had already broken the news. Amy turned and hugged Emily.