Page 4 of Shift the Tide

Kiera arched a brow. “The one where I write, ‘I will get the teaching position of my dreams’ a hundred times a day?”

Her mom gave her a look, both amused and unimpressed. “I wonder what I did in a past life to raise such a skeptical daughter.”

“You probably manifested me wrong,” Kiera said dryly, and her mom laughed.

“Now, why are you moping in here instead of playing Scrabble with us?”

“I’m not moping.”

“You love beating us at Scrabble, honey.”

“I’m just packing,” Kiera said, though she hadn’t made much progress.

Her mom followed her gaze to the photo on the dresser, her expression shifting into something gentler. “Are you excited to see everyone this weekend?”

“Of course,” Kiera said automatically.

Her mom didn’t push, just nodded. “Tonya always says to look ahead.”

Kiera blinked. “Who’s Tonya?”

Her mom looked exasperated. “My new spiritual guide. I’ve told you about her. We meet over Zoom.”

Kiera gave her a long, blank look.

Her mom sighed. “Anyway, Tonya says the future responds best to clarity. You just need to decide what you want.”

“I’m trying,” Kiera said. “But it’s hard to look ahead when I feel like I’m failing the girls. And when it seems like I’ve disappointed everyone I care about.”

Her mom didn’t hesitate. “You’re not failing them. You’re doing your best. They’re happy, Kiera. That’s what matters. And as for disappointment? Never. Surprised, sometimes,” she added with a smirk. “But never disappointed.”

Kiera blinked back sudden tears.

“If those women are truly your friends,” her mom continued, “you’ll find your way back to each other. This weekend could be the start of that.”

“I hope so,” Kiera said, her voice thinner than she meant it to be. She turned back to her suitcase. The packing still wasn’t done. But the tea was warm, and the silence felt a little less heavy than before.

Her mom gave her hand a gentle squeeze and stood. “And if you need your dad and me to come pick you up from the slumber party early, just say the word.”

Kiera snorted softly. “Mom, that wasonetime.”

CHAPTER 2

Izzy

Izzy Tierney felt weightless,her surfboard slicing through the water as though it were an extension of her body. The wave — perfect, glassy, and cresting just right — held her in a fleeting, magical balance. The salty air kissed her skin as she leaned into the turn, her toes gripping the waxed surface of her surfboard. This was what happiness felt like. Pure, uncomplicated, blissful.

She rode the wave all the way to shore, leaping off her board at the last second and landing knee-deep in the foamy surf. With a grin, she turned to watch the ocean reclaim her wave, the sea as endless and inviting as the sky above. Life wasn’t perfect — she was still figuring out her place at Second Star — but here, she was content. Or at least, she was supposed to be.

The beach stretched out before her, quiet except for the rhythmic sound of the waves and the distant chatter of tourists from the small surf school set up a few hundred feet away in the direction of Carmen Beach.

Izzy dropped her board next to her beach towel and sat down, the sand warm beneath her. Santa Teresa wasn’t a typicallounging beach — there was more of a rocky stretch than the perfect beaches that existed all throughout Costa Rica — but she liked that. It was a surfing haven, and she barely had to compete for a towel spot.

She’d been in Costa Rica for two weeks now, working with Pete’s nonprofit, Second Star. She’d only been with the organization for a little under a year, and she still felt like an imposter most days. The organization provided funding for children’s homes to offer extracurricular activities, and Izzy’s job was to ensure the partnership was working well for the organization and adjust as needed. The two children’s homes in Costa Rica were in San Jose, but she always preferred to spend at least one or two days of her trip surfing on the Nicoya Peninsula, particularly at her favorite beach this time of year, Santa Teresa. The work was fulfilling, the weather flawless, and every day ended with sunsets that seemed to be painted just for her. It was the kind of life she’d dreamed about during her restless nights as a bartender back in San Francisco.

The buzz of her phone from her beach bag pulled her back to reality. Izzy leaned over to grab it, the screen lighting up with a message from Maggie.

Maggie

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