Cursed Hearts

Out in the Ocean

For the first time in forever, Caroline actually enjoyed going to school. The hope of spending more time with her mother fueled her through the day, giving her a particular smile that she hadn't had in a long time. Snow noticed, as did everyone else. Giving out the invitations to her party had been easier than she had expected it to be- maybe her classmates liked her more than she thought they did.

"I can't wait to go," her friend Lucy told her, glancing over the invitation with curious eyes, "your Mom better make the same cake she did last year- it's always so good!"

Caroline laughed. "I'll talk to her about it, don't worry. We're going on a boat after school today."

The girl's eyes lit up with interest. "A boat? That sounds awesome!"

"Yup. Right after school too. Did you know you can go out thirty miles into the ocean before you hit the boundary?"

Right as Lucy shook her head, the bell that announced the end of school sounded, causing an eruption in the fourth grade classroom.

"You better be careful!" She shouted back to her, just as Caroline started for the door with swift feet. It only took a few seconds for the hallways to fill with students of all ages. She was quick to find her brother in the crowd, who was talking to August, and tug on his backpack.

"You jealous you don't get to come with us?" She asked, placing herself right in between the two teens.

Roland laughed. "Jealous about going on a boat? Hardly."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You know you are. I get to be with Mom for the entire day- good luck eating whatever Dad cooks for you."

She then took off towards the line of cars parked outside of the school, immediately recognizing the red corvette that belonged to Ruby Lucas.

Immediately, she was welcomed into the vehicle, her mother and the younger brunette in the front two seats.

"How's it going, buttercup?" Ruby asked, turning to face the girl.

Smirking at the nickname, Caroline pushed aside the stack of blank white canvases to make room for her backpack. The jeep reeked of old paint and burgers.

"Nothing much, just learned all day," she replied, accepting a pre made peanut butter and jelly sandwich from her mother.

"You don't mind that Ruby's coming along, right?" She asked, a kind but concerned smile on her face. "She promised food."

Caroline noticed something very quickly about her mother; she was in one of her really good moods. It wasn't that Regina was usually in a bad mood, because she wasn't, but she had a mood where she laughed more than just once or twice, where her smile shone a little brighter, like a piece of light stolen from the sun itself.

"Yeah, that's fine," the girl replied, between bites. Ruby was basically family; sure she was her uncle's girlfriend, but she was definitely more than that.

She and her mother had been close friends before Caroline could even walk.

"It's a nice boat, promise," Ruby confirmed, starting up the jeep and pulling out of her parking spot. Soon the three were heading down the dirt backroads towards the shoreline.

Surprisingly, the weather outside that afternoon was strange, completely out of the ordinary for the beginning of March. Though winter was still coming slowly to its end in Maine, the sky was a stark blue, and for once, the air wasn't carrying a frozen feel to it.

"Do you think it'll be spring soon?" Caroline asked, being the first one out of the three to speak.

The two front doors slammed as the two women got out, slinging knapsacks on their shoulders and surveying the scene.

"It's only March, we still have a little ways to go before spring hits." Her mother replied, setting her hands on her small shoulders and gazing out into the endless blue valley of ocean before them. The modest little sailboat seemed picturesque, something that could've easily been taken right from a magazine- white sail, a curved frame, and a fishing net hanging off the far side.

The three began walking towards the docs, their hair all tied up to keep the wind from getting in their way too much.

Caroline liked being out by the ocean. It was calming to see the waves roll into the sandy shoreline, to see the ivory foam lapping on the surface of the blue salt water. Now she was actually going to go out onto the water, to endeavor on a journey unlike anything the girl had ever done before. However, their epic quest was simply watching whales swim around from thirty feet below the surface. Not that she was complaining, though.

"Watch your step," Regina warned, eyeing her daughter closely as she took the step from the wooden docs to the boat, stepping over the lurking water beneath.

"In a couple of days, we'll have to start putting up decorations at the diner," Ruby said, loosening the rope binding the ship to land. "I really cannot believe your birthday is coming up so fast."

Caroline watched in wonder as she started up the creaky motor, the boat slowly coming to life in a low hum that vibrated against their palms as they overlooked the sea out before them.

"I already like being out here," she said, a smile gracing her small face, "you actually think we'll see any whales?"

The boat was moving then, slowly at first, though it picked up speed second by second.

"Of course I do! You don't know what you've missed all these years," Ruby continued, "they're huge, the North Atlantic fin whales. You wouldn't think such a big animal would be so fast under the water... But they are."

She could already feel herself drifting off with the waves, her worries melting away with the wind.

"The ocean is so peaceful during afternoons like this," Regina said, looping her arm around her daughter's shoulders and gazing off into the sky. "I'm so glad we're doing this- just you and I."

Caroline gave her mother a sideways smile, her hair whipping around her face due to the wind. It was nice to hear that statement from her- it had been a while since she had done something just with her mother. Henry was probably doing something with Paige, and Roland was probably doing something with August. But Caroline, she was the luckiest of them all at the moment. She was with her mother.

"We should be far out enough to see some," Ruby said, popping the lid off of a small white cooler and taking out a drink. "I brought lemonade."

Hours out on the sea seemed to fly by faster than time spent in the town. In no time flat, the sun was setting, and the three girls were all sitting side by side, sipping lemonade, and chatting away like they were long lost friends. They had so much to catch up on. It wasn't like it was anything huge they were talking about- just simple things, like chatting about the shows they watched and the current fads of the world.

"I think I see another one!" Caroline announced, gripping the black binoculars as she spotted a sudden burst of water. She pointed towards it, causing her mother to give her hand a squeeze and a hug around the shoulders.

"Would you look at that," Regina remarked, "they must know it's almost your birthday."

Ruby gently took the binoculars from the girl and looked through them. "I've never seen so many at one time- Regina, we need to go out and do this more often!"

She was right; they needed to go out and have fun together more often. But then there was life... There was her job in the way, school, responsibilities, even little things that kept her from what was really important. Right in that moment, though, everything that was important was right there with her on that boat. Right in that moment, she was happy.