Page 11 of Shift the Tide

“Exactly!” Maggie chimed in. “I’m all for paddle boarding.”

Izzy snorted, leaning back in her chair. “What’s the point of coming here if you’re not going to surf? Tourmaline is essentially a beginner spot.”

Maggie stuck out her tongue. “Beginners like me don’t want to face-plant into a wave, thank you very much.”

Kiera hesitated before speaking up. “I think I’d prefer paddle boarding, too.” It seemed like the safest choice, both in the way of bodily harm and trying to reconnect with Danica and Maggie.

Izzy’s gaze flicked toward her, quick and unreadable. Kiera’s cheeks flushed with self-consciousness as she forced herself to focus on her meal.

Danica interjected. “Why don’t we just split up tomorrow? Surfers can surf, paddle boarders can paddle, and we can all meet up for lunch.”

“Works for me,” Pete said, raising her glass. “To whatever floats your board!”

The toast earned a round of laughter, though Kiera noticed that Izzy didn’t look her way again for the rest of the meal or during dessert. As they cleaned up and the group began to scatter for the evening, Kiera lingered in the kitchen, wiping down the counters as an excuse to stay busy. She could hear Danica and Pete laughing in the living room, their voices easy and familiar. Danica perched on the arm of Pete’s chair, her hand absentmindedly running through Pete’s curls as they FaceTimed Gladys, their dog.

Izzy and Maggie sprawled across the couch, reading separate sapphic romance novels. Apparently Maggie had gotten Izzyhooked on a new Australian author and they’d been voraciously reading a series together.

When she retreated to her own room to call her family, Kiera sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window at the dark expanse of ocean. The sound of the waves was soothing, but it couldn’t drown out the undercurrent of tension in the house. She'd planned to rebuild her friendships on this trip, but a mix of forced normalcy and Izzy's awkwardness made it far more complicated than anticipated. She reached for her phone and dialed home. Her mom answered on the second ring, her warm voice immediately bringing a sense of comfort. “Kiera! How’s the beach house?”

“It’s... nice,” Kiera said, leaning back against the headboard. “How are the girls?”

“Oh, they’re great. Hold on. Eliza, Quinn, come say hi to Mommy!”

There was a brief clatter on the other end, followed by Eliza’s excited voice. “Hi, Mommy! We’re painting rocks!”

“Painting rocks?” Kiera repeated, picturing the inevitable mess. “Where did you find rocks? And more importantly, why are you up so late?”

“Grandpa took us to the creek,” Eliza explained, her words tumbling out quickly. “And now we’re painting them to look like animals. Mine’s a chicken! She’s going to live in the new coop.”

Kiera couldn’t help but smile. “That sounds... fun. Are you making a mess?”

“No!” Eliza gasped in reply. “Grandma put down newspapers everywhere. Quinn got paint on her face, though.”

In the background, Kiera could hear her dad laughing and Quinn giggling loudly, followed by her mom’s voice saying, “It’s organic and made from eggs, don’t worry!”

Kiera shook her head, the image of her parents orchestrating this chaotic art project both heartwarming and mildly stressful. “Sounds like you’re all having a blast.”

“We are!” Eliza said. “Do you want me to save you a rock to paint when you get home?”

“Of course,” Kiera said softly. “I’d love that.”

Her mom came back on the line, her voice tinged with amusement. “Don’t worry about us, Kiera. The girls are doing fine and we’ve got everything under control. You just focus on relaxing and having a good time.”

Kiera hesitated, a small lump forming in her throat. “Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime, sweetheart. We love you.”

“I love you too,” Kiera replied, ending the call. She set the phone down on the nightstand and stared at it for a moment, her chest tight with conflicting emotions. Her parents were wonderful with the girls, and she was grateful beyond words for their help, butneedingtheir help had only highlighted how much she still felt like she was barely keeping her head above water — both as a mother and as a person.

As she lay back against the pillows, Kiera closed her eyes and let the sound of the waves fill the room. She needed to figure out how to make things right — with herself, with her friends, and with everything else that had gone sideways in her life.

CHAPTER 4

Izzy

Izzy’s eyesfluttered open to the faint glow of early dawn filtering through the sheer curtains of her bedroom. She stretched lazily, the sound of the waves drifting in from the beach like a soothing morning song. For a moment, she just lay there, letting the rhythm of the ocean seep into her, lulling her into a rare sense of peace. But as the minutes ticked by, the restlessness crept in. It always did.

She slipped out of bed, grabbing her wetsuit from the chair where she’d draped it the night before. The house was quiet, still steeped in sleep, as she padded barefoot through the front door and out onto the sand. The horizon stretched in every direction, still gray from dawn's light. She knew she'd be surfing later with Pete, but she wanted a moment to enjoy it alone.

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