Page 20 of Tide Over

But I don’t think that’s a good thing. The old me fucked everything up.

Theo pulls into the driveway of a charming coastal home with weathered wood siding and a seafoam green front door. As I step out of the truck, I take a moment to appreciate the view of the water from up here on the hill, overlooking the marina below.

“Uncle Theo!”

A little boy runs towards Theo as he pulls a cooler out of the truck bed.

“Hey, little man,” Theo says with a smile, as the boy stops before him.

He’s a mini version of Theo, probably about four or five, with a soft sprinkling of freckles over his nose and cheeks, messy brown hair, soft brown eyes, and dirt smeared all over his shirt. He immediately pushes up on his tiptoes, peering at the cooler in Theo’s hands and tries to open the lid. “What did you bring?”

Theo chuckles, opening the cooler for him. “Mackerel.”

I can't help but smirk as mini Theo peers into the cooler, his forehead scrunched in concentration. After a moment, he solemnly nods and looks up at his uncle. “Six.”

Theo smiles. “That’s right.” Then he glances at me and narrows his eyes slightly, the competitive spark between us still present. Because four of those are mine, and only two are his.

And of course, I gave him some shit about it. Because I outfished the fisherman.

The boy suddenly turns to look up at me. “Who are you?”

My eyes flick to Theo, then back to the curious boy before me. “I’m Liam.”

“Liam lives at my house,” Theo says, closing the cooler lid. Then he ruffles the boy’s hair. “This is my nephew, Mason.”

Mason observes me carefully with a furrowed brow. “You live with my uncle?”

I nod slowly as I get a small taste of the potential scrutiny I’m about to face inside the house with the rest of Theo’s family. “Yeah… I just moved in a few days ago.”

He continues to stare up at me as a moment of silence passes between us, and my nerves start to grow. If I can’t make it past this kid, how the fuck am I going to manage in there?

But Mason just nods. “Ok.” Then he turns to Theo. “Me and Isla are playing in the backyard. Will you come play with us?”

Theo chuckles. “In a bit. We’re going to go say hi to everyone first.”

“Ok, but don’t take too long. Isla won’t dig for worms with me,” Mason says, then turns to run around the house to the backyard, yelling, “Isla, diggers are for worms, not dolls!”

I release a breath of laughter as Theo shakes his head.

“He takes bait catching very seriously,” he says, walking towards the front door.

As I follow him, I take a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for whatever this is going to bring.

He pushes the door open, and immediately we’re met with warmth, the smell of baked bread, and laughter from within the house. As Theo leads me around a corner towards the voices, my heart beats faster, and I rub my thumb over my blistered fingertips, urging the pain to override the nerves.

The room that opens up before us is cozy and inviting. An older man and a guy about mine and Theo’s age are sitting on the couch, chatting in front of a crackling fire in the wood stove. The room opens into the kitchen, where I recognize Theo’s sister sitting at the island with a glass of wine, talking to a woman who I assume is their mother as she mixes something in a bowl.

“Hey,” Theo says as he steps further into the living room, and I cautiously trail behind him.

All eyes turn to us, and as they land on me, the nerves take over. I’m on full display, and those feelings quickly rush in again, telling me I shouldn’t be here. Every muscle in my body tenses, as I get ready to turn around and run.

But as Theo turns to give me a soft smile and I look into his eyes, I stay right where I am. The safe and content feeling I had today rustles beneath the apprehension and fear, and the tension inside me slowly fades away. I’m not sure why I feel this sense of ease around him, and I’m confused about why I’m notfighting it. But it doesn’t seem to matter as I let his smile pull one from me as well.

“This is Liam.” Theo gestures to me, and I give everyone an awkward wave.

The older man smiles, pushing to his feet and holding out a hand. “Welcome, Liam. I’m Jimmy, Theo’s grandfather.”

I shake his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

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