Page 15 of One Last Secret

“Celeste! I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

She shook her head. “I was already awake.”

“Ah. Well…” I look out at the ocean, and an idea comes to me. I smile at Celeste. “How would you like to spend today at the beach instead of in class? There’s no marine layer, and if it’sanything like yesterday, it will be pleasant and warm in a couple of hours.”

Her eyes brighten a little. “I’d love to.”

“Wonderful. I’ll change into my swim clothes and meet you downstairs.”

She nods, and I even see a little smile on her face as she returns to her room. I feel a touch of triumph. I might be too late to be a mother figure to her, but I can still give her the care and support she needs.

And perhaps when she is separated a little from the stress of this house, she will have answers to some of my questions. Perhaps that’s expecting a lot, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

When I meet Celeste downstairs fifteen minutes later, I am stunned by the change. It’s as though I’m looking at an entirely different girl.

She is beautiful. She is certainly not ugly when I first meet her, but like many introverted children, she wears baggy clothing and hunches when she sits. Seeing her now, I wonder how she could lack the confidence of a beautiful woman.

It’s not just her appearance that strikes me, though. She stands tall and straight, and her eyes are bright and eager. I wonder how long it’s been since she’s left the house. Clearly, she’s excited to have the opportunity.

She hands me a towel and says, “I’ll go down the path first. You kinda have to watch your step, so just follow me.”

I can’t help but smile at the joy in her voice. She sounds like a young woman and not just a shell. “Lead the way, my princess.”

She giggles and practically bounces through the door to the gate. The path is, as she warns me, steep and slightly treacherous, but I follow her lead and I’m able to avoid the more dangerous portions. The sun is already warming the air, and thebreeze is just soft enough to refresh without chilling. It really is a good day to be outside.

I remember her telling me that she didn’t like the ocean. In hindsight, I think it might be her father that doesn’t like the ocean. She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her.

The beach doesn’t reveal itself until we are near the bottom of the path. A staircase—hidden by an outcropping for most of the journey—descends the final twelve feet to a soft white sand beach about thirty yards long and twenty deep. The back ten yards of the cove are sheltered by a smooth limestone outcrop.

“This is beautiful!”

She grins at me. “I call it Fairy Cove. It’s hidden at high tide, but at low tide, it looks like this.”

“It’s wonderful.” I return her grin. “And you said you didn’t like the ocean.”

She blushes bright red, and I’m so glad to see it that I forget about Annie for a moment. These beach outings will have to be a regular thing.

“I want to show you something,” she says.

She sprints toward the water, and old woman though I am, I follow her. The freezing water causes my teeth to chatter almost instantly, but I couldn’t care about that in the slightest. I am witnessing a young girl bloom in front of me, and I will gladly brave the icy waters of the Arctic if I’m called upon to do so.

We wade out about forty feet. The beach slopes very gently, and the water is only at hip height right now. The rocks at the front of the inlet keep the surf mellow, and I’m easily able to keep my balance.

She kneels down and points behind me. “Look.”

I turn around and see sparkling under the water. The sun is behind us now, and the sparkles are soft, but I can easily imagine the fire I would see if the sun was at its opposite point. “How gorgeous! Are those crystals?”

She nods. “Quartz and amethyst. Which I guess is just a different kind of quartz that turns purple because it has iron in it.” She sighs. “It’s so pretty, though. It’s like a buried treasure.”

“A fairy treasure, though, not a pirate treasure.”

She giggles. “Maybe they’re fairy pirates.”

“That would be interesting. Perhaps you should draw a fairy pirate.”

Celeste laughs. “Okay. I’ll draw you one.”

“Mary! Celeste!”

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