“I’d guess a couple hours. They missed the tide to get back.”
“Sofia knows better.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes. “So does Anna.”
Neither of them mentioned the possibility that they had run into trouble.
After a few minutes of silence, Tony glanced at her. “I like your hair like that. It suits you.”
She touched it but said nothing as the island came into view in the distance.
“Which side?” he asked.
“Two twelve-year-old girls? You know where they are.”
Tony gave her another look. “Is your girl going to be up for the jump?”
That was a more interesting question, but Evelyn set her jaw. “She’ll be fine.”
Tony didn’t reply as they sped toward the island, veering right to reach the castle side and not get beached on the sandbar, hidden by only a foot of water.
“There.” He pointed, and Evelyn shook her head, the problem apparent even from that far below. Sofia was on the ledge. Anna was perched above it.
“Get under them and cut the engine. They may be able to hear us.”
“If you’d called the station, we could have come out with a megaphone,” Tony grumbled.
“Coulda, woulda, shoulda. It’ll be fine.” Tony got as close as he could and turned off the engine as instructed. Evelyn stood and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Anyone need a ride home?”
“Mom!” Anna screamed, and Evelyn felt a pang in her chest at the fear in her daughter’s voice.
“You need to jump.”
Anna shook her head.
“You can do this.”
“I can’t.”
Tony touched Evelyn’s arm. “We’ll pull the boat around the other side. I’ll go get her.”
“Sofia’s on the ledge.”
“Sofia can jump.”
Evelyn shook her head. “I have to go up.”
“No.”
“Tony, she doesn’t know you. She’s scared. And she needs to do this.”
“There’s nothing wrong with climbing down the other side.”
“I’m not raising a coward. Besides, you’ve seen me drive a car. Do you want me trying to steer a boat?”
He ducked his head to hide his smile. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
She gave him the old look, and, for a moment, they were eighteen again, together and free. “You told me once you thought I could fly. We’re about to see if you were right.” She called up to her daughter and told her to stay put. “I’m coming up.”
Tony drove the boat to the cove on the other side. Evelyn pulled off her caftan, then hopped out in the shallows and waded ashore to begin the climb to the top. “I’ll see you on the other side,” she called over her shoulder.
But Tony waited until she reached the top before he returned to the girls.
It wasn’t an easy climb, especially in sandals. But Evelyn made it, then climbed down the castle’s stairs, calling to her daughter, who wrapped herself around her waist, burying her tear-streaked face in Evelyn’s swimsuit.
“Hey now.” Evelyn stroked her hair. “What kind of adventure ends in tears?”
“It’s my fault we missed the tide. Sofia jumped down and I got scared.”
“Well, let’s fix that now.”
Anna looked up at her mother. “Mom, no.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t.”
“You can. And you will.”
The tears started to flow again. “I’m not brave like you are.”
Evelyn cupped her daughter’s chin in her hand, turning her face up to look at her. “I’m scared of things every day. But you have to make a choice: Do you let fear win, or do you go out there and look it in the eye and say, ‘You will not defeat me today’？”
She dropped her hand, then went to the edge, sat, and hopped down. “Come on.” She held out a hand to Anna. “We do this together.”
Anna looked unsure, but she followed her mother’s example, sitting, then taking Evelyn’s hand and jumping down onto the ledge.
Evelyn peered over the edge. Tony was in the boat, waiting.
“Whose boat is that?” Sofia asked.
“It’s a long story.” Anna still looked frightened. “Sofia, darling, show us how it’s done.”
Sofia turned to look at Anna. “You’re okay?”
“She’s fine. Unless you’re afraid?”
Sofia scowled at Evelyn as only a twelve-year-old girl can. “I’ll see you down there,” she said to Anna. And then she took a running jump.