Page 88 of Changing Tides

Luckily, the last trip of the evening consisted of a couple of middle-aged dads who wanted to come in before sunset to watch the fireworks with their wives and kids.

This means, if I hurry, I’ll be able to catch the island’s huge pyrotechnics show myself.

Once the boat is clean and docked for the night, I weave my way through the crowd at the wharf toward our office. It’s located in a strip of retail spaces, just past the Boathouse Restaurant.

I tap the code to gain entry and make my way to the set of metal spiral stairs behind the desk to the left of the back entrance. They lead to the rooftop, where I’m surprised to find Avie, Amiya, and Leia with my parents, grandparents, and Ida Mae.

We’ve spent every Fourth of July I can remember up here, where there is an unfettered view of the Sandcastle Cove fireworks display. Nana pulls out the charcoal grill so one of us boys can fire it up. While she sets up a buffet of potato salad, baked beans, and cherry pie for us to enjoy before the spectacle begins.

This year, my father is the one flipping burgers. The rest of them are lounging in the portable camping chairs surrounding the outdoor rug, where Leia is tinkering with a patriotic-themed pinwheel while Minnow tries to tug it away from her.

I fish a beer out of the cooler and quietly take a seat on it as I watch Avie in deep conversation with my mom. They share a moment of amusement, and something about the sound of their intermingled laughter causes my chest to tighten.

“Sebastian, you made it just in time,” Nana calls when she notices me.

“Bastian,” Leia shouts as she stands and hurries over to the table that’s lodged between Avie and Amiya. She picks an object up and skips to me, Minnow on her heels. “I got you something,” she says as she hands me a bright-red-cellophane-wrapped candy-coated apple.

I take the stick from her fingers and hold it up. “You bought this for me?”

She nods. “With quarters from my piggy’s bank,” she declares proudly.

“Wow, thank you. Candy apples are my favorite,” I say as I coil a finger around one of her curls and tug.

She beams at me, and then she and the pup return to her spot on the roof and continue playing with the assortment of trinkets she collected today.

Avie stands and walks over to the buffet table, which is just a folding card table, covered in a red-white-and-blue plastic tablecloth, and refills her wineglass from the bottle perched in a bucket of ice. Instead of going back to her seat, she comes and bumps my shoulder, prompting me to scoot and make room for her on the cooler.

“You look tired,” she muses.

I rake my free hand over my face.

“It’s been a long day in the sun,” I say.

“I bet. It looks like running that charter boat is a helluva workout.”

I cut my eyes to her and grin. “You watching me, Doc?”

“Maybe,” she whispers.

Dad calls out for a tray, and Mom carries one to him. She unwraps slices of American cheese to top the patties, and then Dad transfers them from the grill to the platter.

“Your parents are nice. Especially your dad. He’s funny. He’s had Leia laughing all afternoon,” she says.

“Yep, he’s got a dad-joke arsenal,” I quip.

“You two look alike.”

“Wait until you meet my brother. He’s the spitting image of Dad,” I say.

What the fuck am I saying? She’ll be long gone before Lennon gets leave again.

She opens her mouth to respond, but before she can say anything, Mom turns, looking around the space.

“Can I get you something, Milly?” she offers.

“Yes, do you see where Mom put the silicone trivets? I don’t want to set this hot platter on the plastic.”

Avie hops to her feet and walks over to Nana’s bag by the table.

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