The last time he’d seen her alive, they’d had that conversation, and he had resented her words, because he knew he lived the life he’d always dreamed of.He needed her to respect him and feel proud of him.Every little boy on the playground says, “Look, Mom!”
Look how strong I am, look how fast I am, look how good I am, watch me.Watch me, Mom!
He murmured aloud, “Look what a good shot I am.Look how my teammates respect me.Look at all the lives I just saved.Look at how fast I got to Sergeant First Class.Look at my badges and medals.Look at this amazing woman who agreed to marry me.”
He needed her approval, and he didn’t have it.What he heard was, “You’re not good enough.”He’d left angry, her standing there with her silly gingerbread apron tied around her too-thin body with the snowman hat on her bald head.
Olive had no reason to know how much his mother had hurt him, and how she’d died before he could fix that relationship.Knowing her heart and how she cared so deeply for the people around her, he couldn’t believe she would intentionally bait him.He also didn’t think she thought less of him for enlisting instead of going the officer route.She had just wanted to have a conversation, and he’d lost his well-known cool.
Perhaps Osbourne’s wedding and asking Olive to marry him at the same time had added some stressors to the back of his mind that he didn’t anticipate.Something had certainly reared its ugly head.
He spent a while praying for God to ease the pain in his heart.Oh, how he wished he could call his mom.He needed to hear her voice one last time—without scolding or recrimination in it.Look, mom!
Jerry sat up, harshly clearing his throat.He needed to speak to Olive, to help her understand what happened.
He checked the time.Eleven-thirty.She might still be awake.Brock never came in before two.Erin always found some late-night show or activity on the ship and dragged Brock along.That meant Erin probably hadn’t returned, either.
He opened the cabin door and peered down the passageway, sensing and seeing no movement.In one step, he’d crossed over to Olive’s door and lightly tapped on it.
It only took a few seconds for her to open the door.She had changed out of the dinner clothes and into a pair of shorts and a tank top.Her hair fell out of a sloppy bun on the top of her head, and he could see the tearstains on her cheek.She’d scrubbed her face clean of makeup.
Her eyes widened when she saw him, then narrowed.“Hey,” she greeted, her voice harsh.
Jerry slipped a hand into his pocket and rubbed his neck with the other one.“I, uh, need to explain something.”
“Okay.”
“Can I, uh, come in?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe.“Better not.”
After releasing a breath, he said, “I’d like to tell you about the last conversation I had with my mother.She died just hours later.”
“Well,” All of the righteous indignation radiating from Olive just went away.She straightened and pushed her door wide.“In that case, you’d best come on in.”
Sunlight poured through the ship’s dining room windows, casting golden streaks across the tables as Olive sipped her coffee.Jerry had spent two hours in her cabin the previous night, explaining the story of his mom in a way that clearly took a toll on him.She realized as he spoke that she’d used almost the exact same words as his mom had, and that caused his angry reaction.
The vulnerability he showed her last night, the tears on his face, and the pain in his voice only made her love him more.She knew she didn’t have anything for which she ought to apologize, but she did anyway.She hugged him and told him that she would never hurt him on purpose.
In typical Jerry fashion, he had said, “Amoris vulnus idem sanat qui facit,” which apparently means “The wounds of love are healed by the same person who inflicts them.”
They prayed together, talked some more, and then finally kissed goodnight.
She hadn’t seen him today, and didn’t expect to.Jerry had groomsman duties to perform, and so much time spent in social interactions had left her a little drained, too.She hadn’t slept well and had a slight headache.She decided to dine alone—just her and her latest Mandalynn Clementine mystery, written by the brilliant Violet Pearl.
Early, a ship-wide announcement came over the loudspeakers.“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain.Today is day 4, and we’ve arrived at our private island!All passengers must disembark by 11:00 AM to enjoy the island’s beaches, activities, and complimentary dining options.The ship will be closed to guests today as our crew conducts mandatory safety drills, including lifeboat testing and ship-wide maintenance.Please follow the disembarkation instructions in your newsletter and proceed to the gangway with your cruise card.Crew members, report to your designated areas for today’s training.We look forward to welcoming you all back on board this evening.Enjoy your day ashore!”
Passengers around her scarfed down eggs and toast, their forks clinking as they glanced at departure schedules, their chatter buzzing with plans for the day.The ship had weighed anchor about 250 yards from the cruise line’s private island before dawn, its turquoise waters sparkling under a cloudless sky.Every thirty minutes, the intercom crackled in three languages: “All passengers, please proceed to the queues to board tenders to the beach.”A staffer’s voice followed, promising an island lunch at noon and a reggae band to serenade dinner, along with a host of activities.“Our staff have security drills to perform, so please remember that this is a mandatory fun day.”
Olive’s lips curved into a smile as she imagined the night sky erupting in fireworks before the tenders ferried everyone back to the ship.All morning, the announcements came every fifteen minutes until the last one at 10:45 AM, ferrying the final round of the island goers to the private beach.
The tenders could hold more than 200 people.She couldn’t believe how efficiently the ship emptied.
Their party, however, had remained aboard.After all, they had a wedding to put on.With the security for Melissa’s sister and Cynthia Norton and a skeleton crew left manning the ship, they pretty much had the ship to themselves.
She found a nice corner of shade near the empty pickleball courts and settled back in with her book.When she realized she had read the same page three times, she closed the cover and closed her eyes.
The faint, briny tang of sea air laced with sunscreen drifted from the decks below, the smell enhancing the edge of her headache.
