The Waffle House on the Pier - Tilly Tennant Page 0,26

dive was a new adventure as thrilling as the one before, and even on those occasions when she saw hardly a single creature, just the act of swimming in the sea itself left her feeling as relaxed and content as any bottle of wine or yoga session.

‘It has been,’ Kat said. ‘I don’t think we’ve been out together since last year.’

Sadie raised her eyebrows. ‘It’s been that long?’

‘Honestly,’ Kat said. ‘Think about it – we haven’t been out yet this summer and you won’t go in the winter.’

‘Nobody in their right mind would come out to snorkel in the winter,’ Sadie said.

Kat laughed. ‘No, but I do, so what does that say about me? Besides, get the equipment right and it’s fine.’

‘That’s because you’re a diving addict.’

‘That’s what comes of marrying your brother. You know what they say – if you can’t beat them join them. I have missed swimming with you though,’ Kat added, winding her hair into a neat coil which she fastened with a ponytail band.

Kat was almost forty, just like Ewan, but she could have passed for something much closer to Sadie’s age. She was trim and petite, her arms and legs toned and smooth from the amount of swimming she did, and despite her tiny frame, she was incredibly strong. She lowered herself into the sea now with barely a ripple to trouble the surface, cutting through like a dart as she pushed herself away from the rocks.

‘Oh, it’s not cold at all, is it?’ Sadie called, half laughing, half gasping as she followed Kat into the sea. The sun might have been shining, but the water temperature was still a little on the cool side as the waves lapped at the exposed skin of her face.

‘See, you’ve gone soft,’ Kat shouted back. ‘That’s what comes of being lazy.’

‘I’m not lazy – I’ve just had a lot of other things on my mind.’

‘I bet they weren’t as much fun as this, though.’

Sadie struck out to catch up with Kat, who was now bobbing in the water, waiting for her, savouring the taste of salt on her lips. She’d missed days like this – she just hadn’t realised how much until now.

‘Ready?’ Kat asked.

Sadie nodded, and as one they dipped their faces into the water. Sadie let herself become weightless and felt her body rise to float on the surface. With her hands tight over her chest, she began to kick and move through the water. The sun had been playing peek-a-boo with the clouds all morning, so although Sadie and Kat were swimming in fairly shallow water and the sediment was nicely settled, it was still a little murky when the sun dulled. Aside from the relaxation of the swim, there might not be anything really to see. But as they continued to move along a path that Kat knew well, one safe from currents and riptides, they were rewarded with bars of rippling light, illuminating the sea bed as the sun broke through the clouds again. Sadie glanced to her right to see Kat gliding beside her, and an old peace and contentment she hadn’t felt in a long time stole over her. She’d come today mainly to seek Kat’s counsel, but this wonderful peace wasn’t a bad bonus.

They swam for a while, eyes picking out crabs and anemones and brilliant slivers of darting silver and blue fish, mounds of purple algae caressing the rocks. Sadie lost herself in the tranquillity of a world so different from her own, marvelling – as she always did – at every little sight. She forgot that she could feel the chill of the water even through her wetsuit, and that her hands were wrinkling, and that her leg muscles were beginning to tire. She could have stayed here in this magical watery kingdom until the sun went down.

But then she felt something prod her and looked to see that Kat was gesturing to the surface. Kat’s head went up, so that Sadie could see only her legs kicking out as she trod water.

Fired by a sudden rush of mischief, Sadie submerged herself fully and tugged at Kat’s legs playfully, as if to pull her under again. Then she saw Kat come back down below and they began a silly tug of war with each other, trying to pull each other further down. After a few seconds, Sadie let go so they could go up for air. She watched Kat shoot up and quickly followed herself, grinning, happier