Ethan sat up in bed the next morning. A lovely smell filled the cabin. Mum always made bacon sandwiches when Dad was in a bad mood: it was his favourite breakfast.
Dad didn’t have any gardening jobs. He’d be on Deity for most of the day. Ethan wouldn’t be able to keep out of his way for long. What if Dad started shouting about last night? Ethan didn’t know how to show him he was sorry.
Ethan drew back the curtain of his cabin window. He could see Moon’s End’s blue stern, where he and Polly had made their wish. The bacon smell was making his stomach ache with hunger now. He got up and washed and dressed. He touched the painted castle on his wardrobe door for good luck. He took a big breath and crossed his fingers behind his back as he walked out of the engine room and into the lounge.
Please let me see Polly again.
Dad was leaning against the countertop holding his coffee cup. Mum stood next to him. The air smelt bacony, but it still felt heavy.
“You’re up,” said Mum. She nodded to the sofa. “Come and sit down.”
Mum sat next to him on the sofa.
Ethan took a breath.
Mum looked right at him. “Promise you’ll never go off like last night again.” The blue in her eyes looked brighter when she made him make a promise.
Ethan nodded.
Mum stroked his cheek and hugged him tight.
“I’m sorry I got angry last night,” said Dad. He sipped his coffee. “I was worried about you being out by yourself.”
Ethan smiled. Dad wasn’t so cross with him any more.
“It’s tough guessing what’s inside that head of yours sometimes,” Dad said quietly.
Ethan looked at the floor. Dad meant it was hard because he couldn’t speak to him and Mum and tell them how he felt. Dad sounded upset because he wanted to understand but couldn’t.
“Me and Dad have been talking,” said Mum. “I went to see Polly’s mum this morning. We’ve decided you can see Polly, but only in the daytime, and you still have to do all your schoolwork.”
Ethan let out a big breath. He nodded quickly in case they changed their minds. Behind his back he uncrossed his fingers.
It worked.
“It’s good you’ve made a friend,” said Dad. “But we always need to know where you go and who you’re with. You can’t just sneak out without telling us.”
Dad brought Ethan a bacon sandwich and Ethan grinned.
When Ethan had finished eating, Dad handed him a piece of paper. It said Gardening Services in big spidery letters. At the bottom was Dad’s mobile number.
“Pin it on the noticeboard, will you, Ethan,” Dad said.
The business must really be struggling. Dad never needed to advertise for work. Normally he just used word of mouth.
Ethan had to pass Moon’s End to get to the noticeboard. He couldn’t help staring at her stern, remembering the glow of the wish lantern.
Polly.
She was kneeling on the canal bank with her back to him. She had a paintbrush in her hand and there was a red paint pot on the grass.
He stood behind her and watched as she painted letters on the side of her boat.
THE CANAL
Polly turned around. “Ethan!” The tip of her brush made little circles in the air. “You came back. We’re poem painting.”
He smiled.
The pumpkin was gone from the end of Moon’s End’s roof. Instead there was a red sign propped up by a flowerpot and facing the bank.
Hot Chocolate and Pancakes
Jackie stepped clumsily off the bow plank and on to the bank.
“We’re painting poems on Moon’s End’s blacking,” she said with a wide grin. “If we like it, we’ll keep it. If we get shy, we’ll paint over it.”
“I’ve got something for you, Ethan,” said Polly. She handed Ethan her brush and headed to Moon’s End’s bow.
“We didn’t scare you off last night, then?” Jackie giggled.
Ethan shook his head.
Polly came back with a small blue rectangle in her hand. She held it out to him. It was a notebook. “You can write down what you’re thinking,” she said.
Ethan stared down at the notebook. He knew he should be pleased, but he wasn’t. Even though he’d wished he could talk when he was on Moon’s End, even though Polly said he should only write his words, he didn’t know if he could share them with her. Mum was the only person who saw his writing. Dad had tried to get Ethan to use a notebook after he’d stopped speaking. But he couldn’t use a notebook back then. It made him too nervous. He didn’t know why.
“What would you like to write, Ethan?” asked Polly.
Not yet.
“I’ll leave you to it,” said Jackie. “Let me know if we get any customers.” She climbed on to the stern and into her bedroom.
He looked up at Polly. Was she angry? She was trying to help, but he couldn’t let her.
“It’s OK, Ethan,” whispered Polly. “You don’t have to write anything if you don’t want to.”
Polly wasn’t at all angry. Polly still wanted to be friends.
Ethan took the notebook. There was a little white pencil in the metal coil. He lifted the blue cover and saw an empty white page. He ran his finger over the smooth paper. It was perfect, like the rectangle of snow that had covered Deity’s roof last winter.
“It’s OK.” Polly smiled and her eyes shone.
“Keep it.”
Ethan nodded. He ran his finger over the page once more. He slid the notebook in the pocket of his trousers to keep it safe. His fingers brushed Dad’s notice and he took it out.
“Were you going somewhere?”
He pointed east down the canal. He showed Polly the advert.
“You’re going to put it up. Shall I walk with you?”
He nodded. He liked listening to Polly’s words tinkle up and down. She spoke a lot, but everything she said was interesting. Polly liked speaking.
Polly stayed close to him, her steps bouncy. They passed Moon’s End’s bow.
“Does your dad need more work?” asked Polly.
Ethan nodded.
“Does he get cross sometimes because he’s worried about it?”
Ethan nodded again.
“My dad needed work a while ago. He lost his job. He got cross. He found a new one. But it didn’t make any difference. Mum still wanted to come away.”
Merlin was hunting in the hedge. Ethan bent over to stroke her.
“Is she your cat?”
He nodded.
“Your boat cat,” Polly said quietly. Polly picked up Merlin and she didn’t wriggle. “It’s not Mum’s fault we left. Her and Dad were arguing a lot.” She tickled Merlin under her chin and made her purr. “I had a cat at home, but we didn’t bring her with us. It wouldn’t have been fair.” She leant her cheek against Merlin and stayed like that a while.
Then, gently, Polly put Merlin on the ground. They carried on walking down the canal.
“You’re lucky to have three of you.”
They stopped at the noticeboard. Ethan pinned up Dad’s advert in the middle, so everyone would see it.
“Do you need to get back to Deity now?” said Polly.
Ethan nodded. They started walking.
“Maybe tomorrow you could show me more of the canal?”
He nodded again and again. He had that fuzzy feeling in his chest when he thought about spending more time with Polly. It was the same feeling he’d had on Moon’s End at Halloween when they were spinning. Polly had made him remember how much fun it was soaring high in the tree-house swing. One day, he wanted to take Polly to the swing.
They reached Moon’s End’s bow.
“I’m going to finish my poem now,” said Polly. “Bye, Ethan. Keep the notebook safe.”
Ethan touched his pocket and smiled.