We walked along the aisles past imported biscuits, raspberry licorice in old-fashioned packaging, and tiny jars of artisan honey. As we browsed the shelves, I wondered what Rad had planned. I felt a flicker of excitement, and I let my imagination run wild. Then I immediately felt guilty because a majority of the scenarios I imagined were X-rated. I bit my lip and tried to get my mind out of the gutter.
We walked by a section of fresh fruit and picked up some grapes and mandarins. We added a couple of bags of Kettle chips and Diet Cokes and put them on the counter. The lady looked up at us and smiled.
“Will that be all?” she asked, as she tallied up our purchase.
Rad nodded. “That’s all, thanks.”
We arrived in the small seaside town of Newport and drove for a short time through the hilly streets, the ocean slipping in and out of view.
Rad slowed and turned into the drive of a charming cottage painted a muted turquoise with gray-and-white striped awnings over the windows.
“What an adorable house,” I said.
“It’s my dad’s place. We used to come here all the time before he and Mum split up.”
The inside was quaint and cozy, decorated with conch shells and antique oil lamps, wall hangings of old maps, and nautical paraphernalia. In the center of the room was an overstuffed couch with candy-striped pink-and-red cushions that faced an old stone fireplace. Toward the back, there was a tiny kitchenette and an alcove with a small bedroom. Rad threw open the bifold doors to reveal a large wooden deck and a jetty, with the sea stretching out into the horizon.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, looking out at the view. Suddenly, I got an overwhelming sense that everything was going to be okay. Tonight I would tell Duck about Rad, and he would be fine with it. Then I would be able to see Rad anytime I wanted without feeling guilty.
“Dad and I used to fish off that jetty. We caught a bluefin once. It was huge.” He smiled at the memory.
“So does this place just sit empty now?”
“It’s mostly rented out as a holiday house, but it’s pretty quiet this time of year. Dad comes up with my stepmother whenever they can.”
“I don’t blame them—I would live here if I could.”
We were putting our supplies away in the fridge when Rad pulled out an unopened bottle of rosé.
“Do you want a glass?”
“Are you having any?”
“I shouldn’t,” he said, shaking his head. “But no reason why you can’t.”
“Sure.”
He rummaged through the cabinets and found a wineglass.
“Are you hungry?”
“A little,” I said.
He opened up the freezer. “There are some frozen pizzas in here. I can put one in the oven.”
“Sounds good.”
“Pepperoni was your favorite, right?”
I smiled, touched that he remembered. “Yeah.”
The day seemed to slip away as we nibbled on our makeshift banquet set up on the small wooden table that overlooked the sea. The sky was a perfect blue as we watched the seagulls glide through the cool breeze while the sun dived in and out of the thin, translucent clouds.
“I bet the sunsets here are amazing,” I said with a sigh.
“They are. It’s a shame we have to leave soon. Looks like it will be a stunning one.”
“I can imagine.” I smiled and took another sip of my rosé.
“This is also the perfect spot for stargazing. You can almost see the outline of the Milky Way.”
“I bet it would be magical.”
Rad turned to me. “Well, why don’t we stay? I can always drop the car off tomorrow morning.”
“Your dad’s friend won’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
I thought about it. I did have dinner plans with Duck, and I wanted to tell him about Rad, but there was no reason why I couldn’t do it on Saturday night instead. I could always text him with an excuse. The truth was I would rather hang out here with Rad.
“Yeah, what the hell,” I shrugged. “Why don’t we stay?”
“Great. Well, in that case, I’m going to pour myself a glass of wine.”
The bottle of rosé was almost empty when the sun began its slow descent.
“Do you want the rest?” Rad asked, his hand on the bottle.
“Are you trying to get me drunk?” I teased.
“I thought you already were. I know I am.”
He poured the rest into my glass, then he got up and positioned his chair so it was next to mine. We were quiet as we watched the sky transition from pink to gold to orange in a stunning interplay of color and light.
“You weren’t kidding about the sunsets, were you?” I said, downing the last of the rosé.
“No.”
“God, it’s so beautiful.”
“I’m glad I brought you here. This place has always been special to me. It reminds me of a time in my life when things were less complicated.”
“How old were you when your parents split up?”
“I was fourteen. Mum moved away, so I chose to live with Dad. A few years later, he met Sophia, my stepmother. She’s great.”
“So the two of you get on?”
“Yeah. She’s a belly dancer.”
“No kidding!” I had never known anyone with that job title before. I imagined it would be a great topic of conversation at a dinner party.
“She performs with a band. They do the odd birthday or office party. She’s really good.”
“That’s so cool.”
“It is. I’m just glad Dad’s happy.”
“Mum cheated on Dad when I was a kid.”
“She did?”
“Yeah,” I said, thinking back to that dark period. “She always wanted to be an actor, and I get the feeling I came along and took her off that trajectory. When I was about eleven, she ran off with some hotshot producer who promised her the world. Dad and I never saw it coming. One day she was there, acting her normal self, then the next she was gone.”
“God, how awful.”
“She called us up the day after she disappeared and said she wasn’t coming back. Just like that. She sounded so cold on the phone—like a stranger. Then a few months later, she turned up crying on our doorstep, and my dad took her back. But it was never the same. It was like something vital was missing. It didn’t feel like we were a family anymore—we were just going through the motions.”
“That must have been so hard.”
“Yeah.”
“I knew my parents were having problems, but it was still a shock when they split up.”
“Was there someone else in the picture?” I asked.
“No, I don’t think so. I suppose they just grew apart. My mum was probably in a similar situation to yours—she wanted more.”
“Did she ever get to do that road trip?”
Rad shook his head. “Strangely enough, no. It’s not like there was anything to stop her. She had the freedom and the means to do it. But she moved back to the small town in New Zealand where she grew up. Now she lives with her partner, Miriam, and their brood of horses.”
“Do you visit her often?”
“I used to spend my school holidays there, but it’s been awhile now. We talk on the phone regularly, though.”
“That’s nice.”
“I think I resented her for leaving, but in hindsight, it was the right thing for her to do. I mean, the alternative would have been worse. I think if my parents had stayed together purely for my sake, the bitterness would have eaten away at them.”