as we piled into the Jeep. It was amazing how quickly the hunger came on after I no longer had a lead ball of anxiety taking up all the space in my stomach. I hadn’t eaten all day, but like Chase, it felt more like a week.
We passed a fun looking fifties themed restaurant on our way to the prison. I looked it up using my phone’s GPS, and we were soon at a table, laughing at all the funny names on the menu. I ordered a poodle skirt punch with an Aioli Caponie burger.
When we all had our food and our bellies were full enough to focus on other things, we delved into the visit with my father.
“Did you get what you needed today, Breeze?” Chase asked, his voice full of concern and understanding.
“Yes, I think I did. Did you?”
“Yes, I did,” he replied. “I really needed it. The closure. Seeing him reminded me that he’s not some big scary monster that I had built him up to be. He’s just a weak, miserable man who couldn’t own up to his horrible actions. Instead he chose to take something precious from this world.”
I nodded my agreement. I had done the same thing. In my mind, my father had become eight feet tall with horns and a forked tongue. That was the only way I could reconcile him with his crimes.
Kai turned to look at Chase and patted him on the shoulder. “You got your point across without punching a hole in the wall. I’m proud.”
Chase wiped an imaginary tear from his eye with his middle finger. “And you didn’t go all caveman and carry Honeybum out of there like the overprotective asshole you are.”
“We’re all making progress, huh?” I said sarcastically.
“Who would have thought the three of us would be here, doing this?” Chase asked, his tone softer now.
“Who would have thought the two of you would actually be friends?” I asked.
“Friends, us?” Kai joked. “Never.”
“Yep. Still totally hate the dude. Kai’s the worst,” Chase added with a roll of his eyes.
I sipped on my punch and looked at the guys. It made me so happy to just be sitting here with the two of them, eating, drinking and laughing. We had all fought through hell and back and made it out stronger. Better. With my surfing necklace resting delicately on my neck, I felt Violet’s presence in that moment.
We’re okay, Violet. We’re going to be okay.
Sunday morning surfing had become our new tradition. Every week, we would meet at a new spot where we would surf for hours. Afterward, we would grab lunch and compare the waves to the beaches we had surfed in earlier weeks.
Today the weather was absolutely perfect. The winds were offshore, creating flawless swells that peeled down the break. I was the first one. I liked this time of day when it was quiet and peaceful. I watched the water ebb and flow while the sun came up.
I grabbed some wax and got to work on my board. By the time I had finished and kicked off my shorts, both Kai and Chase had arrived, but there was no way they were going to beat me into the water to catch the first wave.
I ran into the ocean, laid my board down and worked my arms through the water. As I matched the speed of the wave, I turned to face the shore and felt the familiar lift of the tail. I popped up and crouched down low; the wave was smooth, and riding felt effortless. I whooped and hollered as I approached the beach to let the guys know what they were missing out on.
“Can’t let you have all the fun!” Chase yelled as he and Kai passed me on their way into the water as I was coming out.
I hung out on the beach and watched them expertly navigate the perfect swells the ocean was giving us today. I grabbed the sunscreen out of my bag and rubbed some into my skin, breathing in the subtle scent of grapefruit and smiling at the memory of Kai giving the bottle to me. When they got back to the shore, he ran over and kissed me.
“Come on, let’s go!” Kai said, playfully pulling on my arm.
I got up, and all three of us ran back into the water. We spent hours like that. It didn’t happen overnight, but as time passed, happiness took root in my soul. I found myself smiling more. Living without