The Girl Who Wanted Everything

Megs and Harry deserve their happiness

Ronnie wasn't the only one to take an overlong nap that afternoon. The bad night before, sea air and the soporific sound of the ocean were a killer combo. I woke up to a quiet house. Since no-one else was around I decided to take a walk.  

Westport beach was incredible. The long stretch of fine, white sand and clear swimming area ended in a craggy spit with rock pools. Beyond that was another beach, the main beach. Here a wooden pier jutted out into the ocean – projecting from the town's high street and at the far end of the main beach was a lagoon.

Not far from the house, I spotted Jamie and Sam having their first surfing lesson. They lay belly-down on their boards, floating close together on the back line.  

Jamie had one arm outstretched and her hand anchoring Sam's board close by. She held on while he pulled up into a standing position, wobbled, and fell into the water. There weren't many waves that afternoon and I could hear the echo of Jamie's tinkling laughter. I broke into a sprint and bolted towards the spit, eager to get the image of the two of them out of my mind.

The rock pools helped divert my attention. I waded through the shallows looking for shells and poking at anemones to make them squirt.

I have always loved the ocean. The rolling, seething surface hides all sorts of treasures below. Rock pools are my particular favorite. The water seems so clear, I feel like I can just reach out my hand a grab the mudskippers and tiny zebra fish playing there. But they are much too quick and have darted away before I am even halfway there. It's always an illusion.

"Nadine!" a voice called out from the main beach. I looked down to see the familiar face of a boy called Tyler. I had known Tyler since we had started coming to Westport each summer. He and his brother Steff lived in a house a little further along from ours, and Jamie and I would often see them on the beach. He was about my age, with sandy brown hair and a smattering of freckles over his nose.

"Tyler. Hey!'' I greeted him, "Long time no see.''

"You too. I was just thinking about you guys, wondering if you were coming down for the summer.'' He blushed slightly. ''Is Jamie with you?" 

My inner self was rolling her eyes. He had probably seen me at a distance and come running, sniffing out the opportunity to see Jamie.

"Yeah Tyler, it's her house remember?"

"Course, course. Well, it's great timing I saw you. Steff and I are throwing a little beach bash on Friday. Nothing big; a bonfire and some drinks with a few people. You guys will join us, right?"

"It sounds lovely. I will have to check, but I'm sure Jamie will want to pop in.'' Jamie, the social butterfly, never passed up a chance for a get-together.

"Ok. Great." He made a gesture a bit like a fist pump but seemed to remember I was still there just in time.   

I felt a stab of guilt at not telling him that Jamie had brought her boyfriend along this year, but, you know, if I am not my brother's keeper, I am certainly not the shepherdess of Jamie's love-life.  I turned and headed back home.

I had been out for almost an hour and Jamie and Sam were still floating out at sea, flat on their boards. They looked more like they were chatting than actually learning to surf. Poor Adam, having been ditched for all this time.   

I wondered how he was entertaining himself.  

I was about to find out. 

The moms were back on their loungers on the deck. They were wearing throws and kaftans over their costumes and paging through magazines... and Adam was busy painting my mum's toenails.  

He was seated on a stool at the end of her lounger, her plump foot nestled between his knees as he carefully spread layers of pastel turquoise gloss on each nail. With his head tipped forward, his dark hair fell across his face like a curtain. I could only just make out his grimace of concentration.

"This says that Meghan and Harry are planning to step back as senior members of the royal family", my mum was telling them all. "That's quite a shocker." She waved her copy of Hello! in front of her.

"Can't say I blame them," Adam commented, his focus still on her toes. "They deserve some happiness, don't they?"

I stopped, and there was an awkward silence as they all realised I was now among them. "Did you enjoy your walk love?" my mum asked, a little too blithely.

"Yeah. Um, it was great. I was just going to make myself a cup of tea. Anybody want some?" 

Hurriedly, Adam screwed the cap back on the varnish bottle and stood up. "I'll give you a hand.  I'm all done here Mandy." He seemed a little sheepish.

"Thanks Adam," my mum said indulgently. "That looks wonderful. And I would love a cup of tea, Nades. Actually, make for all of us, would you love?"

"I am good thanks,'' said Ronnie.  She was wearing a thick fluffy bathrobe despite the heat, and an empty cocktail glass lay horizontally on the ground beside her lounger.

"Make the large pot Nades,'' my mum went on, "Ronnie, I think some tea would be a good idea... for all of us.''

Adam followed me into the kitchen, and I filled the kettle and set it to boil. He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and perched himself on the counter-top, biting into it happily.

"Well, that was weird,'' I studied him.

"Was it?" He shrugged. "I am totally used to women that age.   I spend a lot of time with my own mum.  We are pretty close, she and I.''

"Yeah?" I asked. That was quite sweet, actually. "Still, it's not the same as hanging out with your girlfriend's mum and her mates... and painting their toes!" I put a hand over my eyes to demonstrate total mortification.

"I did mine too.'' He looked pleased. ''What do you think?'' I looked at the back of his palm he was waving in my direction. His nails were covered in chipped, uneven, saggy blue varnish. He had obviously applied a second coat before waiting for the first to dry, and then probably painted my mum's nails before either coat had properly set. 

"I think that is the worst varnish job I have ever seen,'' I snorted. ''I am guessing this was your first time.'' I raised an eyebrow at him in question. "And it's still weird.''

"Well Jamie is doing surfing lessons, and you were out walking. I was looking for something to do and they were having fun. Doesn't seem so strange to me at all. I think maybe you just care a lot more about what people think than I do. They are nice women. They have interesting things to say.''

"Sure,'' I scoffed, "Important things, like about Megs and Harry's future plans. How come you didn't just go join the surf lesson? You could have taken turns.''

"I don't surf,'' he said. "I'm actually not even a very beachy sort of guy. It's fun once in a while, but I wouldn't usually want to spend my whole holiday in the sea.  And no, your mum doesn't just talk about Meghan and Harry. I also learned lots of interesting stuff about Jamie and Sam – and you too.''

"What stuff?'' Good grief, what had my mother been saying about me? "What stuff Adam?!" My panic was obvious, but he was tossing his apple in the air and walking out of the room. I wasn't going to get an answer.

The kettle clicked and I looked down at the empty mugs.

"Thanks for your help with the tea by the way!" I yelled after him. "Not".