I lift it calmly and press it against my ear.
Otter: Creed told me everything, you fucking asshole, he says, his voice thick and angry. Oh God, he told me everything. He told me why. He told me what you were coming here to do. I didn’t know Jonah was going to be here! He just showed up out of nowhere. If you don’t pick up the goddamn phone, I swear to God I’m going to kill you.
His voice. His words. They go out to sea too.
Creed: PICK UP YOUR FUCKING PHONE! How dare you run out like that! After all we’ve said to each other over the past week, how fucking dare you! PICK UP YOUR PHONE!
Anna: Bear, we’re all freaking out now. Creed and Otter are losing their minds, and I think I am too. I’m so sorry you had to find out this way. Please. Call one of us back and tell us where you are.
Mrs. Paquinn: Oh, my sweet child. You should have just told me. You need to call me back. I don’t want you to be by yourself right now. Don’t let Tyson find out this way.
Otter: We’re going over to your house. You have to be there. You just have to.
Otter: Please. Bear. Please pick up.
All go out to sea where we all drift away.
MY BACK is grainy. I am cold. There are more phone calls. I ignore them. There are more messages, but I just delete them.
THE sun breaks over the curve of the water when the Kid walks down onto the beach. At first I think he is part of a dream, that he will be swallowed up by the ocean as well, but then he leans forward and brushes his hands through my hair, and he feels so alive.
“How?” I ask.
He snorts. “It wasn’t that hard to figure out where you would be. I’m surprised that no one else knew.”
I sit up, feeling sand caked against my back. He watches me with those eyes, those knowing, intelligent eyes. I don’t look around because I know he couldn’t have come alone. But I can’t feel anyone else on the beach, so I know it’s just us. For now.
“Why didn’t you come home?” he asks.
I shrug. “I couldn’t.”
He shakes his head and crawls into my lap. He’s still wearing his pajamas, and I don’t want him to get wet, but he ignores my protests and lays against me.
We are quiet for a few moments. Then, “Do you trust me?”
I look down at him in surprise. “Always.”
“Do you remember when I said that I was just a little guy, that I couldn’t take care of you by myself?”
I nod.
He leans back and puts his hands on my face. “Do you trust me to take care of you?”
I can’t help it: I crush him into me, feeling his warmth. “I know I messed up, Kid.”
He laughs softly. “You did. But you’re lucky to have someone like me who can tell you that.”
“They lied to me.”
“Anna and Creed?”
I nod.
“They didn’t lie to you about anything. You never asked. They just chose not to tell you. Not until they were comfortable with telling everyone. Sound familiar?”
“But—”
He shakes his head again. “There’s no way around it, Papa Bear. They did the exact same thing you did. And you remember how that turned out, right? They all stood by you, no matter what.”