Andie giggled like a ten-year-old and kicked wildly, clinging to the rough edges of the boogie board with both hands. Her black-sleeved arms spread out over the fire-orange slice of stiff foamlike material. Fire-orange again. It was everywhere. The beach house, the sunset, her hair. It was such a happy color. She felt slender, cellulite and rolls tucked snugly into the thick, sleek, neck-to-ankle wet suit.
A wave undulated toward her. From what Julian had taught her, she knew by its appearance it would break after rolling past her. She was not in position to ride with its curl. Instead, she waited, letting her legs dangle in the water. The wave flowed beneath her and lifted her gently. She glided down the back side of it, her face still pointed to China.
China. Absolutely nothing stood between her and that mysterious faraway country except seawater. The thought exhilarated her. Or maybe it was the realization that little Andie Mouse had stepped so incredibly far away from the wall. She had even rounded another corner and now stood in the midst of all that was unknown. The only thing she could control at that moment—well! She couldn’t think of a thing she could control at that moment. She was in the ocean, and her feet could not touch bottom! She wore a swimsuit in late September when Midwestern leaves were turning gold. Her hair probably looked as if it were glued to her scalp. She hadn’t even applied cheek blush. And, tucked in with all that cellulite, were a pair of decidedly nubbly legs.
Wouldn’t Paul be—Oh, there were too many adjectives to describe what he would be!
“Andie!” Julian called from a short distance away to her left. He too wore a wet suit and floated upon a boogie board. “Get ready!”
An approaching wave heaved, much larger than the previous one. She quickly rehearsed what Julian had taught her over the past hour or so. Her position and the size of the wave eliminated the option to ride over it. She could wait for it to crash atop her and get tumbled about. The clothes dryer routine cleared out her sinuses but wasn’t particularly enjoyable. She would have to dive through it, a maneuver she hadn’t quite mastered.
Without further hesitation, she kicked and pushed herself downward, down into the bowels of the rushing tower. Instant quiet enshrouded her. A moment later she emerged on the backside of the wave and expelled her breath in a hearty laugh.
“I did it!”
“Woo!”
They propelled themselves out farther. The water rippled gently, and they drifted, giving their legs a rest.
Andie crossed her arms on the board and rested her chin on them. The exhilaration calmed too, and she sighed in satisfaction. The sun warmed the back of her wet head.
Who would believe it? Not Paul. Nor the boys. Even Char wasn’t so sure, and she’d been right there watching her struggle into the wet suit.
How had she gotten there? Only Julian seemed to think it possible as he gently suggested a way to combat her fears. He had offered his assistance and patiently waited for her decision, never once pressuring. Twenty nervous, determined minutes later she met him on the sand.
“Andie!” he called now and pointed.
The sight of the incoming wave took her breath away. It raced toward them, blocking half the sky. There was no going over or through it. The thought of tumbling under it nearly strangled her.
“Julian!” she squealed.
“You can do it! Let’s go!”
Like him, she grasped the front edge of the board and kicked around in a half circle until she faced the shore.
“Go, Andie! Go!”
The roar of water swallowed his voice. Not far to her left the wave began its curl, crashing over into white water, racing in her direction like a bolt of lightening. With all her might she kicked. If she didn’t meet the white water at the exact moment it reached her, the wave would win and she would lose.
Lose. She understood losing. She’d lost her Grandmère Babette. She’d lost her dad too soon. She’d lost Paul. She was losing her sons, both off to college over the next two years. She’d lost her spunk.
She was tired of losing.
“Lord.”
The wave lifted her. Higher and higher still. She froze, her teeth gritted and her heart pounding in her throat.
And then she realized she had done it. She had caught the wave! She was one with it.
Her locked jaw released itself as did something deep inside of her. Grinning, she flew on liquid glass, the power of a jet engine propelling her forward. The wind whistled in her ears.
A long breathtaking moment later the wave diminished, its power spent. Andie stayed with it, letting it carry her until her knees dragged on the sandy floor. Nearly overcome with laughter she stood and raised her hands Rocky style.
She turned around. Where was Julian? She must share the moment with him. There he was, far out still, floating on the board. He had missed the ride! She waved to him.
He raised an arm, his hand fisted, a thumb skyward. Then he headed back toward the horizon. He wasn’t coming in to coax her out again as he’d done numerous times.
Andie felt as if she had graduated. Who would believe it?
With a giggle, she picked up the board and walked onto the beach.