Page 9 of Shift the Tide

“Guess it’s all sorted,” Maggie said, grabbing her bag. “Now I’m off to claim the room with the best view.”

The group dispersed to claim a room and unpack. Kiera wandered upstairs, tossing her bag onto the bright white bedding in a random room. She stood at the window for a moment, staring out over Pacific Beach. The afternoon sun glittered on the water, where surfers carved through gentle waves with practiced ease. She could hear faint laughter and shouts carried by the breeze.

She watched as one surfer stood smoothly, riding a wave all the way to the shore before hopping off with casual confidence. Kiera’s chest tightened. There was something beautiful about the effortless grace of it, about the way these strangers seemed so comfortable, so at home on the water. She’d spent so long feeling like an outsider in her own life, like she was always paddling against the current and barely keeping afloat. Here, on this beach, it seemed like everyone else had already found their rhythm.

The thought brought a lump to her throat, and she pressed her hand against the cool glass of the window, grounding herself. She could do this. She could find her own rhythm again, even if it was uncomfortable. The beach trip was supposed to be a step forward, a way to reconnect with her friends and with who she was before her marriage. She just hadn’t expected it to feel so hard.

When she’d found out about Alex’s affair, she hadn’t even wanted to get divorced at first. It felt unbearable, like an insurmountable wall. Her marriage seemed like something she should be able to work through, like the affair was just another hurdle. After she’d returned home from Telluride, Danica’s quiet voice in her head felt more like a scream — “As a child of divorced parents, I can assure you it sucks, but it would have been worse to see my parents fight and be miserable all the time.”

Danica was right. Her girls deserved better, and more than that, they deserved for her to be a better role model.

In the end, divorce felt mostly like running face first into that insurmountable wall, over and over, and then eventually just bursting through Kool-Aid Man-style, leaving all of the chaos and destruction in her wake.

The playful banter downstairs eventually drew her out of the room, and Kiera walked back to join the group. Pete and Izzy were passing a soccer ball inside, Danica was in the kitchen, and Maggie was sitting on a bar stool with a glass of wine in hand.

“Kiera!” Pete called, kicking the ball toward Izzy. “She emerges. Hey, I forgot to ask earlier — how’s life in Hippieville?”

“It’s good,” Kiera said with a long exhale. “Mom’s been fermenting her own kombucha. Dad’s building a chicken coop in the backyard.”

“Do you have chickens?”

“No, oddly enough. I fear it may be a very subtle attempt at making an ADU for me,” Kiera admitted.

Maggie laughed. “Are they hoping you’ll be laying eggs as rent?”

“I, for one, would like to try the kombucha,” Danica said. “What’s the flavor? Lavender? Elderberry? Grass clippings?”

Kiera snorted despite herself. “It’s turmeric and ginger, actually. Very earthy.”

“Sounds… healthy,” Maggie said, holding up her glass in a mock toast. “Wine’s healthier. Grapes, antioxidants, you know.”

“And no fermentation explosions,” Pete added with a grin.

“Let’s hope,” Kiera said, finally allowing herself a small smile.

“Alright, enough kombucha talk,” Maggie interjected. “Danica’s handling dinner, but I need someone to help with dessert. Any takers?”

“I’ll do it,” Kiera offered, eager to occupy herself with something other than awkward small talk.

“Perfect. Danica’s in charge of the main course, so she’ll let you know what’s off-limits. Just don’t let Pete near the frosting. She’ll eat half of it before it gets on the cake.”

“No trust!” Pete protested, holding her hands up in mock offense. “When have I ever done that?”

“Last week.” Danica shook her head.

Soon the groupgathered in the open dining area, passing bowls of Danica’s coconut curry. The massive doors were open, letting the salty ocean breeze drift inside.

Pete grabbed a spoonful of curry and took a bite. Her eyes widened as the heat hit. “Damn, Wendell. Did you put ghost peppers in this?” she asked, coughing.

Maggie passed Kiera a bowl of extra coconut cream to add to her curry. Kiera hoped that they’d added milk to the Instacart order. If the curry was that spicy, they were going to need it.

“It’s just a little kick,” Danica said with a grin. “Can’t handle it?”

Pete’s expression turned competitive. “Are you challenging me?”

“Maybe I am,” Danica said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. “Bet you can’t eat a whole bowl without water.”

Maggie leaned back, laughing. “Oh, this is going to be good.”

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