A Thousand Salt Kisses (Book 1 of Salt Kiss series)

><> Chapter Sixteen <><

When I got home at around four o'clock, I found Dad sitting on the bench in the back garden staring out to sea. 

I sat down on the bench and put my arms around his neck.  

"Are you okay, Darling?" he asked, placing a hand on my arm.

"Oh not too bad Dad," I said resting my head on his shoulder. "School was a bit stressful. This girl hates my guts but asides from that... all is good."

"Ah well, you've always had a problem with other girls," said Dad. "And you probably always will."

"Oh great, thanks Dad." I cried. How reassuring.

"It's the price you have to pay for being beautiful and lovely," said Dad. "Trust me, a lot of girls will be very jealous of you."

"I don't know if she's jealous of me. She's just annoyed that she doesn't have Rosie all to herself anymore. Anyway, I'm not that pretty," I muttered at the end.

"I bet she wouldn't be so annoyed if Rosie was friends with a door mouse-type," said Dad ignoring my last comment.

I giggled. "Maybe, who knows. She's just seems like a petty person."

"Well, you can always quash nastiness with niceness," said Dad wisely.

Interesting idea. 

"Unless you're your mother, of course," continued Dad. "And then you quash nastiness with brutality. Or maybe even execution." Dad let out a small laugh at the thought of Mum and her aggressive qualities. I could see how much he still loved her, even despite her recent episodes.

"Well, you never know, maybe she'll have a fight with her boss at SKANX and bring the whole company crashing down," I said, with a sudden surge of optimism.

Dad rolled his eyes in a display of exasperation. "That would be great."

"Are you two okay?" I asked, hesitantly.

Dad smiled. "Yes, Crystal, we'll be okay. She's just rebelling, or something."

He does get it after all.

***

It was a little colder by seven thirty and so I changed out of my shorts and into my light denim ripped jeans.  I rummaged around in a mound of clothes for a jumper before locating  my red cardigan with the hood.  

I looked quickly in the mirror before I left and was struck by how long my hair had grown since coming to Starfish. It used to rest around my shoulders but now it tumbled over my arms in wild blonde waves.  

I thought about Llyr and the inevitable tow of gorgeous mermaids that must swarm around him. Maybe he would like this look if Rosie's description of the mermaid on the rock was anything to go by. I  hurriedly pressed pause on that thought.

Surely I can't go out with a merman?  I sighed, running my fingers through my mane. I mean - how? What? Where? 

George will be able to tell you more. Bloody hope so anyway.

I came down the stairs and saw Dad was watching the TV on his own with a beer. I remembered Mum would be out all evening at the port.

"Dad, that beer will go straight to your stomach," I warned as I tugged on my boots in the hallway.

"I beg your pardon. young lady?" he said dryly sitting up and turning around.

 "Your stomach!" I repeated, giggling mischievously.