I breathe out, “Nothing good.”
“Don’t think about it, Raya. Think about something else.”
A thought comes to mind and I look at him, “Okay, what did you do while I was…gone?”
“Oh…umm…okay. Well, I went to college and got my degree in Criminal Justice.”
“Yeah, about that. What happened with lacrosse?”
“I…after you left, I didn’t care about lacrosse anymore. I just wanted to do everything I could to find you. So, I figured that was the way to go. And it paid off, didn’t it?”
I frown a little, “Yeah, I guess it did. How are your parents?”
“They’re actually in Connecticut now, but they’ve been well. My mom is extremely happy that you’re home. She’s been raving about it ever since you arrived.”
I smile, “Maybe after all of this I can pay her a much needed visit.”
He squeezes my hand, “She would love that.”
“So, besides Melanie and Rob, have you talked to anyone else from Lehman?”
“No, not really. I heard Taylor got into some MMA a few years back, but haven’t heard anything since.”
I look out the window as the city passes by and we make our way to Long Island. Being back home is still so surreal. It feels like a dream. Like I’m not supposed to be here or something. What if this is not supposed to happen? What if things turn out badly?
I feel Duke gently squeeze my hand again, “Hey, how about a little music, huh?”
I nod, “I haven’t heard music in years.”
He lets go of my hand to touch the dashboard and selects the music app, and “Anything Could Happen” by Ellie Goulding starts to play.
I cheer, “Oh I love this song!”
He laughs at my enthusiasm and raises the volume as I sing along to the words. Hearing music again refreshes my soul and I feel replenished. I sing along to the song word for word; the lyrics are still perfectly memorized. As the beats of the song fuse together and melt into my soul, I feel a sense of solidarity and contentment. I groove in my seat as Ellie sings her heart out.
“She has such a beautiful voice.”
Duke looks at me, “She’s not the only one.”
An hour later, we arrive at his parents’ home on the island and it’s absolutely breathtaking. The beach home is settled right on the waterfront, just a few feet from the vast ocean. The white house has a wraparound porch and a two-seater swing hangs in the corner of the porch. The open living space is decorated with colors of sea foam and coral. Vases filled with seashells are displayed all over the house. The house smells of the natural ocean but it’s not overpowering…it’s just right.
I walk over to the back door and stare at the ocean as a tear slides down my face.
Duke steps up behind me, “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head and wipe away the tear, “Nothing. It’s just…I’ve never seen the ocean before. At least not up this close.”
He stares at me, stunned. “You’ve never been to the beach?”
“No, I haven’t. That’s terrible, right?”
He slides the back door open, “No, it’s not. There’s a first time for everything. Take off your sandals.”
Raya
My eyes grow wide as I look at the ocean and carefully slip off my sandals. Duke kicks off his flip flops and hops off the step, sinking his feet into the sand. He looks back at me, reaching out his hand, and motions me to step down. I put my hand in his and he squeezes, pulling me down the step. I step down as sink my feet into the sand. The hot, tiny grains tickle my feet and I giggle. Duke laughs at my reaction and pulls me further onto the beach. I feel the sand grind under my feet as we make our way to the cool water. The summer breeze blows and whips my hair wildly.
I look down as we walk and kick up my foot, spraying sand all over the place. I laugh and rejoice at this newfound experience. Duke plays along and begins to kick the hot sand toward me. I let go of his hand and run away from his threats, laughing hysterically.