July 2, 1975

JULY 2, 1975

The next several days passed in a blur, but at the same time they seemed to last forever. Mom was working crazy hours at the diner with more and more summer people—“renters” as the townies called them—showing up every day. All the boarded-up cottages were showing signs of life. By the weekend, the town would be at full capacity. Mom’s schedule left me and my brother with the freedom to spend long days and some evenings on the beach with the rest of “the townies.” There were a few other year-rounders besides us, but not many. A number of the kids’ families owned the cottages as second homes. Others had long-term rentals, some were only there for a week at a time. Kelly’s father and Leah’s mother were brother and sister, and co-owned a massive cottage they’d winterized and converted to two separate units. Leah told me it had been her grandparents’ place, but they’d both passed away.

On Wednesday, Mom had to cover both the lunch and dinner shifts. We’d been at the beach all day, and when the rest of the kids went home for dinner, Matt and I walked to the diner where Mom snuck us burgers and fries out the back door. We sat on an old picnic table that the cooks and waitresses used during their breaks or to grab a smoke.

We’d both taken to beach living like old pros. Our skin was tanned, except for my face which always seemed to be bright red or peeling. Our entire wardrobe consisted of bathing suits and flip-flops. It seemed like a chore when we had to put on a t-shirt.

“Do you ever miss Malden?” Matt asked between mouthfuls of ketchup-slathered fries.

I looked up, a little surprised at the question. His expression was unreadable.

We were pretty much living the life kids back in Malden dreamed of. Before this, we were lucky if we got to Revere Beach a couple of times in the summer. “I miss Rickie and Timmy,” I answered carefully, “but not much else, I guess.”

Matt nodded thoughtfully. “Don’t get me wrong, I love it here. The beach is great,” he grinned, “and Kelly is great, but . . . ”

I wasn’t sure where he was going. “But what?”

He took a bite of his burger, thinking on his answer while he chewed. “It just feels . . . temporary.”

The warm summer evening felt suddenly chilly. I’d been having such a great time, I hadn’t thought about . . . Dad. “You don’t think we’re going to have to move again, do you?” I put my burger down, no longer hungry.

Matt looked pained. Does he know something? “I don’t know. It just seems too good to be true, you know?”

I thought of the long days on the beach, spending time with Leah, falling asleep to the hypnotic ocean sounds. Mostly I thought of how Mom had been smiling a lot lately, how happy she was without him. I realized I was shaking my head. I looked up at Matt, frightened for no reason other than the thought of leaving. “We’re staying,” I said. “There’s no way we’re giving this up.”

Matt stared back at me for a long time, then nodded. “You’re right. This isn’t just for us, I mean, it is great for us, but,” he shot a glance at the back door of the diner, “Mom needs this more than we do.” He held out a hand, palm-up. “To staying,” he said. I slapped him five.

“To staying,” I answered.

***

Most of the kids were already back at the beach by the time we got there. The evening was muggy but as soon as we’d crossed the street and started walking on the sand, the ocean breeze nudged the humidity away. Sunset was still over an hour away but Kelly’s parents had started piling up wood for a bonfire. The younger kids sat around holding sticks and bags of marshmallows. I found Leah with a couple of her friends.

“Do you want to walk for a while until the fire gets going?” Her friends giggled a little, looking at Leah for her answer.

She nodded, “I just have to tell my parents,” and flitted away, leaving me in the awkward company of her staring pals.

“Do you like her?” One of them—her name was Mary—asked coyly.

“I know you,” I said, trying to figure out from where.

She smiled. “Well, do you? Like her?”

I felt the flush growing in my face. I was about to stammer out some non-answer, when the conversation with Matt replayed in my head. It just feels . . . temporary. It hit me just how fleeting everything could be. One day we’re in Malden, the next we’re in Bayport. I didn’t want to waste time being shy. I sure didn’t want to miss out on spending time with Leah. “I like her a lot,” I said with a smile. That sent the two girls scurrying away in a fit of giggles. I watched them go, still smiling. They corralled Leah on her way back and when she looked over at me, I knew they’d told her what I’d said.

“Ready to go?” I asked as she approached. She nodded and I fell in stride next to her. We walked for a while, not saying much, just enjoying the night. When we were far enough away from the crowd that her parents wouldn’t be watching, I slipped my hand into hers. Her hand jerked and for a horrifying minute, I was sure she was going to pull away, but I think I just startled her and it was a reflex. She gripped my hand back and we walked on.

“You know,” I said as the light of the day faded, “it was Matt that asked me to come hang out that first day. I’m really glad he did.”

“Me too,” she replied, squeezing my hand.

The breeze shifted, carrying a dizzying aroma of her strawberry shampoo and coconut suntan oil. I reaffirmed my vow to never leave Bayport.

***

The party started breaking up around ten. The little kids had devoured s’mores and the rest of us were just hanging out, talking about whatever it was we talked about back then. A three-quarter moon had risen over the ocean, shimmering silver on the water. Occasionally a cloud would race by, obscuring it for a moment, only for it to reappear seemingly brighter.

Saying goodbye to Leah felt different. If felt final, as silly as that sounds. Matt’s words echoed in my head. It just seems too good to be true, you know? My stomach constricted and my face and hands tingled. What if I never see her again? The idea was irrational but in that moment, it was terrifying. When we parted and Matt and I headed up the beach toward home, I regretted not having tried to kiss her.

“So, you and Leah are getting along, I see,” he said, not in a teasing way.

His voice jarred me out of my nonsensical thoughts. “Yeah, she’s great,” I breathed, immediately regretting it.

“Yeah, so is Kelly,” he replied, not giving me any crap about how love-struck I sounded Probably because I heard the same thing in his voice.

We got to the house and Matt stooped to pick something up. “What’s this?” He mumbled, reading the box. “Hey, it’s addressed to you.”

I took the box, puzzled, as we went inside. I pulled the scissors out of the kitchen drawer and sliced the tape. I pulled the contents out of the box. “Sea Monster Pets!” the box exclaimed in bright red letters. I’d completely forgotten I’d ordered them.

“Sea Monkeys?” Matt said with some scorn. “Seriously?”

“Sea Monsters,” I replied, pointing to the box. “I was bored and saw the ad in the back of one of the comics.”

Matt took the box and turned it over, scanning the details on the back. “It’s probably just another breed of shrimp,” he said, handing it back to me.

“Well,” I said, “the money’s spent, I might as well see what they are.” I opened the box and unfolded the sheet of instructions. My brother poured himself a glass of milk and watched as I filled the little plastic tank with water and poured in the two small packets. One was supposed to be the eggs, the other its food or something. I was dead tired and just wanted to go to bed.

I carried the tank upstairs, careful not to slosh it around too much, and put it on my bureau. I wanted to wait up and talk to Mom but my eyes wouldn’t have it. I was asleep in no time and it wasn’t tentacled sea creatures I dreamed of. It was Leah.