Page 36 of Seal of Approval

“Makes four of us then.”

Rose’s trauma bear sat in her lap. A police officer had given it to her the day Max tried to abduct them. For a year, she’d slept with the bear every night and carted it with her everywhere. From then until last night, it had sat on her bedhead watching over her.

I added some extra coffee to the cup. “I’d like to take the kids to school today so I can explain what’s happening to the principal.”

Ethan took the cup from my hand. My fingers lingered. I needed to feel his steadiness. Yesterday, I’d scrambled away from his touch. Today I was seeking it out. I withdrew my hand. My tired brain was confusing fear for connection.

“And I’d like to make contact with the police. The restraining order has run out, but I’d like them to be aware of what’s happening in case I need to reapply.”

“I’ll cover the morning tour,” Ethan said.

“Thank you. That will give me time to speak to their bus driver as well.” I put bread in the toaster for Bailey and Rose. “It will be your first tour on your own.”

Ethan gave me a lopsided smile. “How will I ever cope without my wife?”

“I’m sure you are fully capable.”

Ethan was capable of many things, making me feel safe and supported were two of them.

“So are you. You’re a great mom, Jasmine. Trust your instincts.”

There he went again with the compliments.

My instincts were telling me to trust Ethan. But the whirlpool of feelings had returned, sucking me into it, confusing me. Were my feelings real, or a product of my fears? Would my instincts keep me safe or lead to further pain?

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Ethan

A light fog surrounded the bay. San Francisco often had fog, but it was nothing like this. Here the fog was delicate, like the white sand on the beach that often blew into house yards. The thick rolling fog that surrounded my home city was chilly and had a briny smell. Sometimes it was so dense the foghorn would be used on repeat. I smiled. That foghorn was the sound of home. I hardly ever noticed it anymore, like most locals. The same way someone who lived near train tracks wouldn’t notice trains going past.

The tourists were waiting at the meeting point.

“Good morning, everyone,” I said, glancing around at the smiling faces in the small group. “We have some light fog over the bay today, but this won’t affect our tour. I imagine it will dissipate soon. Does anyone know how fog is created?”

Heads shook.

“Well, this one had the perfect conditions of a clear sky and light wind. Warm, moist air travelled over the cooler water. The water cooled the air. When the air cools, the invisible water vapour turns into tiny water droplets we can see.”

The small group stared out over the bay. I continued with our usual tour. Running a tour on my own was harder than I imagined. Jasmine had this amazing ability of keeping the tour flowing and everyone organised. I felt like it was mayhem. I tried to have engaging conversations while keeping an eye on the swimmers and sea lions.

I missed her small nods of reassurance and her laughter at the sea lions’ antics. It must have been my tired brain. I’d never missed her before. When we arrived back at the dock, Jasmine was waiting for us. She gave everyone a smile as they disembarked and headed to the change room.

“How did it go?” she asked, taking one of the bags of snorkelling gear from me.

“It’s much easier with two people.”

She nodded. “That’s why I reduced the size of the afternoon tours. It was too hard on my own.”

Guilt stabbed me. It was because I took the afternoons for my research that she had to work on her own. She’d even blocked tours on Tuesday and Wednesday, the quietest days, so I could have the boat if I needed it. I’d grumbled to myself about her lack of support when she’d been giving it to me all along.

We unpacked the boat and started washing all the gear while the guests returned their wetsuits one by one. Then we hosed those off and hung them to dry in the shed.

When we finished, Jasmine said, “Let’s head to the store. I want to let Jack and Lily know about Max.”

“OK. How did it go at the school?”

“The principal said she would call a meeting with the staff to discuss the situation. The teachers will keep a close eye on Bailey and Rose and will let us know of any changes in their behaviour.”

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