Page 108 of Changing Tides

I wait on the deck as she goes inside. Returning with steaming mugs.

She hands one to me and takes the seat beside me.

“I’m sorry, Sabel. You and Sebby have been so kind to us, and I never meant to hurt you. Any of you.”

She doesn’t say anything as she lays her hand on mine and lets me do all the talking.

“I didn’t set out to deceive you. I had no idea that you were Sebastian’s grandparents. I had no idea that he lived in Sandcastle Cove, not until the day I found him and Sebby in the garden, working on the tree house. I was in shock when I realized he was the boy I’d met in Hawaii. I never thought I’d seehim again. I know that I should have told him about Leia right then, but I couldn’t speak.”

My eyes flicker from our hands to her face.

“There’s no excuse for not telling you. I panicked. And then, after the initial shock wore off, I kept intending to have the conversation with Sebastian. It just never seemed to be the right time, and then too much time passed, and I didn’t know how because I …” I bow my head as I realize the truth. “I fell for him, and I was afraid to lose him.”

Reckless. Selfish. He was right.

“I planned to come clean the night he found out, but Conrad beat me to it. I honestly did plan to, but Sebastian doesn’t believe me, and I don’t blame him.”

“He’s a stubborn boy. Always has been. He gets it from his grandfather,” she says. “He’s not good at communicating his feelings. Be patient.”

I shake my head. “It’s too late.”

“Oh, dear girl, as long as you’re both still breathing, it’s never too late.”

“You don’t hate me?” I whisper.

She pats my hand. “How can I hate the woman who gave me such a wonderful great-grandbaby?”

A sob escapes me.

“We all make mistakes in life, Avie. Some are bigger than others. What matters is what we do to make it right.”

“I don’t know how to make this right,” I admit.

“That’s why I brought you over here. Ida Mae always says there’s nothing you can’t figure out over a cup of tea. So, let’s get to figuring.”

Sebastian

“Just got off the phone with your grandmother,” Gramps says as I arrive for the day.

“Is there more to that story?” I ask when he fails to continue.

“She was crying. I can’t stand to hear a woman cry. Makes me feel helpless.”

Women’s tears aren’t exactly my favorite thing either.

“Avie visited her this morning. Apologized for everything and asked if she could break her lease.”

I figured she’d head back to New York.

“We’re gonna miss our little great-granddaughter,” he states.

Great-granddaughter.

The weight of those words hit me like a ton of bricks. Leia is their great-granddaughter. My parents’ granddaughter.Mylittle girl. I grab a brush and start scrubbing the interior of the vessel.

“Easy, son. You’re gonna peel the leather off the bench,” Gramps says.

“You want to do it yourself, old man?”

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