Ira was warmly spooned around Annette and peacefully asleep in the early morning. They didn’t sleep long hours because they were so easily distracted by their love and desire to express it but when they slept in between it was the best sleep of his life. He felt whole with her. He felt complete. His phone rang on the bedside table and it took him a few rings to come to wakefulness and answer. “Hello…” He croaked groggily, sliding away from Annette. He wouldn’t wake her if he could let her sleep.
A cheerful little man’s voice answered “Ira Rothernberg? Are you really here in Alexandra? And sorry did I wake you up?” The sound of waves was in the background as well as footsteps that sounded like they were on planks of wood like a dock.
Ira’s face broke into a grin as he grabbed one of the hotel’s bathrobes and pulled it on, walking to the window “Yuki Tanaka? I wasn’t sure how fast the phone tree would work here.It’s cool man. I’m happy to be awake and hear from you.” He had called Megan at the Love Shack the day before asking if someone, she or seamus could give his phone number to Yuki because as many Cedar Point people as he’d run into he still hadn’t bumped into the one he really wanted to see yet. “How’s life treating you?”
“Good good. And this phone tree works just as fast as the one back home but Kai and I had dinner plans last night and I didn’t want to call you too late after. Mostly for me because I go to bed early….so I can be up early. Hence the call. Hey listen, I just came back from fishing and it was a good haul. Do you have lunch plans? Let me make you your old favourite….you and your girlfriend….the dentist’s niece right? One of the French people?”
Ira was trying to be quiet but at this he laughed out loud “This phone tree has way more details than back home. Yes her name is Annette and she’s one of the French people. We’d love to have lunch with you. I heard you have a girlfriend too, you sly old dog.”
Yuki sounds a bit giddy “Yes Kaitlin. She’s a hottie. She’ll be there too. Do you want to go out on the boat for old times sakes?”
Ira chuckles and then gasps “THE boat? Do you still have the same one from Cedar Point? It made it…” Ira’s heart caught in his throat. Yuki’s boat survived...but not his mother?
Yuki knocked on the wood of the gunnels “The very one. I used it to move Kai and Izumi and I here. It’s our little piece of Cedar Point. I remember you came fishing with me after your dad died one morning and then for a little boat ride with your mom…..Ira, I’m so sorry about Gloria. She was such a kind lady.”
Ira felt his eyes watering and pressed his thumb and middle finger against his eyelids as he closed them to control it “I remember...and thank you. I know everyone lost someone or more than one…..Hey Yuki what time do you want us and where do you dock it? And can we bring anything?”
“You’re both pale land lovers? Maybe grab some sunscreen so you don’t end up lobsters. We’re only serving Halibut today. And water bottles because it can get hot out there. I have life jackets in all sizes and I’ll make the food. Let’s say 12:30 and we’re on the right side, furthest from the ferry port, dock 15 at the end. See you there?”
Ira sighs happily “Yeah we’ll be there. Thank you.”
He clicks off the call and looks towards Annette, unsure if all that woke her up.
Annette had slept comfortably in Ira’s arms, even if it wasn’t long. That her mother hadn’t run him of was, in her opinion, tantamount to a miracle. She had heard the phone ring and felt Ira move, but floated up and down towards wakefulness. Mostly it was hearing her name and that she was one of the French people that brought her completely out of sleep. So when Ira turns, she is looking at him. “Good morning, my sunshine. Where are we docking now?”
Ira walks back over to the bed and sheds the robe and sets his phone on the side table as he climbs back in and snuggles up to her “Good morning…” He kisses her sweetly “Not docking, departing from one. Remember I’ve been looking for that old fish and chips guy Yuki? I found him...or he found me. He’s invited us for fish and chips on his boat with him and his girlfriend. I said yes but I probably should have asked you first…..are you ok with that plan?” He bends his head and kisses her shoulder.
Annette snuggles back up with him and looks delighted. “Oh good! And I don’t mind fish and chips at all. Sounds yummy.” She kisses him softly. “What time? For that matter what time is it now?”
Ira kisses her back and then smiles “I figured you’d be into it. Plus we get out on the water which is kinda nice.” He rolls and reaches back for his phone to look at the time “Yuki said 12:30 and it’s just after 8….the guy had already been fishing….hard core...he told me to bring us sunscreen and water bottles but he’s got the rest.” He sets the phone down and rolls back to her, pressing his body against hers and letting his hands wander all over her “But we have hours…” He whispers and then begins to kiss her like he plans to make use of them making love.
Annette takes full advantage of those hours and by the time the lovemaking and showers and dressing are out of the way, she is feeling refreshed, not exhausted. She dresses in a long sleeved cotton dress with a long a-line skirt and flats. Since they are headed out in the sun, she puts her hair in its loose bun and sighs. “I need one of those really wide brimmed floppy hats.” she bemoans. “I wonder if anyone around here makes them…” but she is basically ready to go.
Ira walks up behind her and puts his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her neck and looking at them together in the mirror “You look beautiful. Maybe we can find you a hat on the way. There’s some vendors at the docks.” He was dressed in a light button up short sleeved blue shirt with a pair of black cargo shorts. He pulls back from Annette and casually pulls on a black baseball cap that says Arnold’s Gym in white lettering. He smelled fresh from the shower and a little like sunscreen too. He grabs his phone and the room key card and a pair of aviator style sunglasses “We need to buy water anyway and we’ve got time still.” He moves to his black runners and steps into them and ties them onto his bare feet.
Annette smiles at being called beautiful. It was still hard to believe that this wasn’t all a dream. “Here’s hoping.” she takes his hand as they walk down to the docks and sees all kinds of vendors on both sides of the street. It’s always been like that, she notices. The girl that sold her her face mask is there with a lovely display of face masks for the people getting on or off the ferry. Someone was selling sunglasses and to her delight an older orental woman was selling hats. Big, floppy hats with colorful ties. She moved over to look at them, her eyes wide with delight.
“Handmade and protective.” she called. “You can change out the scarf ties with silk scarves so it will match any outfit.”
Annette beams and picked out a golden straw hat with a brim that had to be 14 inches. She paid 20 dollars for it and across the street found another woman selling silk scarves. She picked out one that more or less matched her dress, threaded it through the holes in the hat, put the whole thing on and looked at Ira … craning her neck to look up at him from under the wide brim with a smile of delight.
Ira hung back and watches Annette talk with the vendor and buy her hat. When she turned around looking for his reaction he looked at her with absolute joy and love and then pulled out his phone and opened his camera app “It’s perfect…..don’t move….you’re perfect…I love you.” He clicked to take her picture and took three so she could choose which one she liked. Then he stepped closer to her and tried to duck under the hat to kiss her but the brim of his baseball cap had a battle with the brim of her new straw hat and he couldn’t help but start laughing as he bent further forward to take his off so he could finally kiss her. He put his hat back on after and straightened up. “That was fun. Let’s go buy some water bottles and use the bathrooms because I don’t think there’s one on the boat.” And if she was ready to move they’d do just that before meeting up at the dock and making their way down to Yuki and Kaitlin who were obvious as they readied the small old fishing craft. They walked up hand in hand and Ira greeted as he waved “Hi there. Wow this looks exactly the same. Yuki, it’s so good to see you. You must be Kai is it? I feel like I’ve heard two names for you. I’m Ira and this is Annette. So nice to meet you.”
Yuki Tanaka beamed when he saw Ira and Annette approaching “Ira Rothenberg. Still a big guy….it’s ok you can use Uilick’s life jacket.” He grins. It wasn’t an insult, just a practical observation as Yuki now knew so many big guys. “Nice to meet you Annette. Bonjour? I have a life jacket for you too.” Yuki was already wearing his own and he beckoned them on “Careful on the step in. It’s a big one.” He went to a small lidded bin on one side and pulled out their life jackets and passed them to each of them. He had a small soft sided food bag that could keep food hot or cold like those delivery companies. There was seating around the edges of the stern and a stand up steering and driver’s area. As the boat narrowed to the bow there was a lower inner cabin with what looked like a fold out futon couch bed and a small sort of closet space with an open door to what looked like a chemical toilet. “I’ve made some upgrades since Cedar Point. It was fine to take a wizz off the side when it was just me but I won’t make Kai dangle her buns over the side and risk her being shark bait so we do have a little bathroom now below. Settle in….we’ll push off.” He hops out and goes to the ropes to untie them and then jumps back in before it drifts too far and starts up the motor.
Annette smiles, but it's natural, not just for the picture. She laughs at their kissing dilemma. "I can foresee problems with kissing in public now." she observes. "But I love you and I love this hat so I will keep you boh." she winks. They get water and tend their bathroom needs and walk up to an older boat and two older people. "Bonjour, Yuki." she replies. "Do you speak French, because I mostly speak it only with family when we are alone. English in public and with friends.'' She takes the life jacket and works to get herself into it. She has to smoosh her boobs a little, but ultimately it fits. Yuki surprises a laugh out of her with the comment about Kai dangling her buns over the side. "Oh .. why ... thank you."
Kaitlin Reinhardt watches the couple approach and Yuki greets them. She is in a long sleeved polo and green clam diggers wearing a hat similar to Annette's but with a green scarf to secure it if she needed to. She is shorter than Yuki and still very shapely. Her hair is in a bun and sports plenty of white among the former red. "Oh Hello, Ira. I've heard so much about you." she turns to Annette. "And hello to you. I'm Kaitlin. Yuki is really the only one to call me Kai. Most call me Mrs R ... or Gran since it sometimes feels like I am related to half the island." she laughs about her bum over the side of the boat as well. "If the sharks don't get me, the sun will." she touches the brim of her hat. "You're pale too. Ahhh the French and the Irish." she giggles and settles in as Yuki starts to get them moving.
Yuki gave Kaitlin a little wink and then focuses on reversing and steering them out of the docks to the open water. He paid attention to the signals and made a safe path to a place off the far side of the island where he dropped anchor and cut the engine. He passed around hand sanitizer after doing his own hands and then opened up the soft sided food bag and began to pass out his old school authentic fish and chips wrapped in newspaper. They were still the perfect temperature and the smell was delicious. “A little food trip back in time here for some of us. And no Annette I really don’t speak French….a bit from school. Japanese?” He smirked at Kaitlin “Bit of Gaelic now from picking up here and there from my beautiful Irish flower.”
Ira had listened to Kaitlin with a grin as he got his life jacket done up. It actually fit him. She was the perfect woman for Yuki and just the right size. They were beyond adorable together “Kaitlin then…..I’m good with that.” He watches Yuki drive and then puts his arm around Annette and enjoys the view of their journey. He santizes his hands as he’s passed the bottle and then passes it along and takes the newspaper package and looks at it like it’s something precious to him. He’s almost afraid to open it. “Back in time…” As yuki settles down with his own package and unwraps it and begins to eat Ira does too. The first bite of the battered fish sends him barreling into a vivid memory of being on this boat with Yuki and sitting across from his mother. It’s Kaitlin in his view right now but she’s around the age his mom would have been and her kind face and the fish and chips. Ira puts the fish down and is suddenly and unexpectedly just sobbing. He takes off his sunglasses and sets them on the seat and then his ball cap and holds it over his face and turns away. The grief had been dormant and it’s sudden rise took him completely off guard. He had mourned his mother for years but not like this.
Yuki clues in as to what’s going on and looks between the fish on Ira’s lap and his state of upset “Oh shit…..food can be a real trigger…” He blows out a breath and looks sad for Ira.
Annette enjoys the ride and sanitizes her hands, then takes the newspaper bundle with almost childlike wonder. "Oh .. no plate." she doesnt mind it but finds it quaint inthe best possible ways. "No, I don't speak Japanese .. or Gaelic." she sighs a little dramatically. "English it is?" she is about to unwrap her bundle when Ira suddenly begins sobbing. She sets her bundle down beside her and it almost falls. “Ira?” she puts her hand on his back, and then on his head. “Baby?” she really doesn't know what is going on, but it’s bad.
Kaitlin is grinning. “English it is.” she is about to eat when Ira starts crying and she nearly drops her own food. Yuki mentions food being a trigger, but she isn’t sure in th is case what it was a trigger for. She watches Annette immediately react and then looks at Yuki, not sure what to do for this sad young man.
Yuki quietly walks over to the couple and moves their food back into the soft bag but leaves it open “So you don’t lose it….I’ll give you guys space. Ira I’m sorry…..this was your mom’s favourite too wasn’t it?” He starts to back up and goes to stand by Kaitlin giving her a knowing look “She died in the quake...they used to come to my stand a lot.”
Ira lets his food be taken and nods and feels the comfort of Annette’s hand on him. When they’re free of dropping their food he turns back to her and grabs her in a hug, burying his face in her neck and soaking it instantly “I just remembered her sitting on this boat…..I didn’t expect that.” He’s still shaking and sobbing but a little calmer than the first burst.
Annette hears Yuki and now understands. When Ira turns in her arms and hugs her, she holds him as close as she can, rubbing his back. For a little while she lets him cry, not knowing exactly what to say, then she tries. “That’s a good thing, though. A good memory to see her on th eboat.” she gives a slight laugh. “Maybe it’s even a ghost. Her spirit coming to wave hello and say she is alright.” she offers. Of course, as Catholic she isn’t supposed to believe in ghosts or spirit .. at least nt good spirits. But it was worth a shot.
Kaitlin stands and moves out of the way “Ah, I see.” she tugs at Yuki a little. “Let’s go work on our tans .. well .. your tans and my Liver spots.”
Yuki smiles at Kaitlin and moves with her near the driver’s spot. There is a small seat on that side and they’re small enough to fit. He sits down and pats the spot beside him “Poor kid…..maybe it’s good though. He can’t hold all that inside.”
Ira pulls back a bit from Annette, sniffing and kissing her and then nodding and sighing “It is a good memory. And maybe she’s trying to tell me something….maybe she…” And at this Ira tears up again “Maybe she came to see me….with you…..to see how happy you make me so she can know I found someone to love.” He gives a little sob and then tries to control his breath again “But I feel a little shitty I turned our fun outing into a big scene. I don’t normally do this...ever…”
Annette nods at his ideas. She backs up a little and wipes his tears away with her thumbs. “And she knows your safe with me under this big floppy hat. From rain and sun.” she jokes. And then he apologized and she actually laughs. “Oh Ira … you met my mother .. this is STILL a fun scene.” she grins and kisses his face along the tear line. “It’s OK .. I’m here .. its okay to be you.”
Kaitlin rests her head on Yuki’s shoulder. “No, he can’t. He seems like a good boy. Oh .. can I call him a boy if he isn’t mine?” she wonders, still a little confused about how things are done.
Yuki winds an arm around Kaitlin and nods “You can call him a boy. I kind of adopted him a bit in Cedar Point….I think you’d be good for him too. I don’t know what happened to his sister but if they’re not in touch, he doesn’t have any family that I know of. It takes a village Kai...even with the big kids. We can be part of his village. I like Annette though. She’s good for him...I can tell.”
Ira has to chuckle about the safety under the hat. “It’s like a personal umbrella…..I know your mom was a trip. It made me feel a little guilty about how loving my parents were. And it made me miss them all the more. I didn’t even cry like that at her funeral...which is probably why it just kicked me in the ass now.” He leans into her kiss and then turns so he kisses her on the lips again after “I love you…...you’re everything to me Annette. Thank you for being here….” After a big sigh and one more kiss he pulls back so they’re connected still but he’s not buried in her. “We should eat the fish and chips. I think I’m done crying and it’s really fucking good.” With a smile he leans down to the food bag and retrieves their lunches and then calls over to Yuki and Kaitlin “Hey come on back...thank you. I’m ok...Yuki your food is a time traveling magic formula. Take it as a compliment.”
Annette smiles as Ira calms a bit. "And you are my life, love." She pulls away and looks at him. "Yes, let's. I've never had a meal wrapped in newspaper." she smiles and turns to watch Yuki and Kaitlin return.
Kaitlin nods. "Well, what's one more?" she asks, as she is like a grandmother to many of the children in the town. "She is .. and she's very pretty too. Their children will be so adorable." she hears Yuki being called and stands taking his hand. "It is ... all food is." she agrees.
Yuki squeezes Kailtin’s hand and gives her a little kiss before breaking apart and going to grab his own food again and eat “Thank you Ira. Kai just predicted your children will be adorable so you best keep in touch so we can see that.” He’s teasing both the young couple and Kaitlin. “Not to open any more wounds but how’s your sister...Naomi?”
Ira gave Annete a melting look when she said he was her life and then he smiles at Kaitlin and Yuki as they come back as he takes a bite. He almost chokes on it when Yuki says the thing about children and then he laughs “No rush….but uh...yeah..” He looks at Annette with a wink and then back with a sigh “I don’t know. We’ve been out of touch to be honest. She...uh….she doesn’t want my help and her life’s been a mess. I gave up pushing her about it. But….I may call her later today and check on her if she’ll let me.” He smiles sadly and eats some more, the food is helping him.
Yuki remembers belatedly “Oh... malt vinegar and ketchup….I brought both.” He goes to the soft food bag and pulls it out and sets it on the bin lid where the life jackets came from. “Don’t be shy. You should call her. My son Yoshi is the same…..you know they…” He hesitates. “Naomi and Yoshi….dated for awhile. I don’t think she told your parents.”
Ira’s eyes go wide “They did! Well she kept it from me too...holy shit.”
Annette is unwrapping her bundle of food and inhaling with a smile. She begins to eat and its' incredible all on its own, but she adds a touch of vinegar when its offered. She just nods non-commettedly to the children talk and settles in to listen to them talk without inputting or interferring.
Kaitlin also sits and quietly eats. She doesn't always engage in conversation without invitation, especially with veritable strangers. But she listens and will reply because Yuki will support that. If she has anything to say. For now she just enjoys the food.
Ira eats his fish and chips in silence for a bit after getting ketchup. He didn’t have a lot more thoughts on Naomi and Yoshi since it was past tense. Then he looks at Yuki and Kaitlin “So uh people have told us about the fog. I’m still working it through in my head. I want to believe. Especially since so much of home...is here.”
Yuki smiles “This is home now, for both communities. You’re already a part of it, both of you. Ira from childhood and Annette has family here. And yes Ira it’s all true. I know it’s hard to believe. It’s pretty unbelievable. But Kaitlin was separated from one of her grandsons. Me from Yoshi. People who know this place couldn’t get here, even if they grew up here. Parts of it were awful. Parts of it strengthened us all.” He looks at Kaitlin for her perspective.
Annette alternates between vinegar and ketchup as she eats, listening now to Yuki's confirmation of the fog and wondering if this will help Ira or not.
Kaitlin listens as she eats. Her bites are small and dainty, but she eats quickly, as if she is sure she will be called away from her food for a more important task. She listens to Yuki explain and then he looks at her. "My grandson Logan and his boyfriend were at school in Vancouver when the earthquake and then the fog came." she sighs deeply. "We mourned them as if they were dead, because we didn't know if we'd ever see the mainland or anyone that had been on it again. SO when we came back and Logan, Kurt, his boyfriend and my brother Ulick came back it was like getting a gift. A life returned. Now Logan and Kurt both live here, work here and go to school online ... not because of this Covid, but because it is scary. Vincent, who will marry my daughter Fiona works on the mainland now and I know I feel some anxiety every day until I know he is home with Fiona." she sighs. "We've had an earthquake since ... my grandson Seamus was on the mainland and I stood with Father O'Keeffe to support me, in case he wasn't on the ferry. I guess it's a sort of phobia now. I know I haven't been off the island except in this boat since we came back.to the world. I have everything I need here." she motions to the island and then pats Yuki on his knee.
Yuki smiled at Kaitlin “I wasn’t intentionally forgetting Kurt. I’ve just been told not to out anyone without knowing if it’s safe to do so. We love Kurt and we’re glad both he and Logan are back safe with us. Ira it’s all true…”
Ira holds up a hand “Don’t worry about outing anyone to me...or to us. My best friend is gay and honestly I think it’s great. Love is love.” He looks between Yuki and Kaitlin after hearing them both and lets out a big breath “OK...I believe.” He looks back at the island and calls out “OK Alexandra, you win!” Then he tries to look reassuring “ And Kaitlin I understand why you’d be worried it might happen again….I hope it doesn’t. I mean it seems like a freak occurrence.”
Annette smiles when Ira says he believes. Seems it only took the right person. Then he calls out to Alexandra and she laughs, taking him by the arm. “Well, in case it wasn’t, it would be nice to be near family, Ira.” she tells him. “And friends, of course.” she looks down. “Yuki this is very good. I’ll have to visit your stand. Is it that little shack I saw on the docks? You serve more than seafood, even?”
Kaitlin smiles. “Well, I just got my family back when it all happened also, so maybe I was a bit more sensitive, but I also hope it was a freak occurrence.” she sniffs. “Yet when we came back we came back to this Covid.” she sighs deeply. “So we lost even more friends.”
Ira hugs Annette’s arm into his “It would be nice to live here for all those reasons I agree.” He looks at Yuki too about the stand and then listens to Kaitlin and nods sadly “I know. The world is changed. I don’t know if we’ll ever get normal back. Maybe here more than the mainland ironically.”
Yuki looks ecstatic that Ira believes and laughs at his call out to the island. “You should both move here. It’s great. And yes the stand is...well it’s a meeting of two minds….one departed unfortunately.” He looks like he’s struggling “My friend, our friend and my business partner Giovanni and I had the stand together...so my fish and his idea for the lazy burgers, and even by special order a Japanese Italian Fusion burger we called WTF….there may have been some wine involved that night.” He smiles ruefully. “He left me the stand and his recipes….and legacy no one can follow. But the food is still good.”
Annette looks at Kaitlin. "I'm so sorry." she feels for so much loss, even though she hasn't really suffered any loss before. She giggles at the WTF burger. "I might want to try that."
Kaitlin grins. "WHen we all got stuck here, yes. Giovanni opened his shack and his heart to us. And yes... there was quite a bit of wine involved. By the time it was over they were conversing very happily to each other it looked like, except Yuki was speaking Japanese and Giovanni was speaking Italian." she rolls her eyes. "Now Yuki does that with my brother Ulick."
Ira nods sadly “I’m sorry about Giovanni. And I’d love to try that WTF burger before we leave...I mean…” He looks at Annette feeling like they’ve already settled their life and love in this place. Leaving it just felt unsettled in his mind. He tugs on his life jacket “Uilick...that’s who this fits right?” He looks at tiny Kaitlin “You have a brother my size?” He snorts and then adds “Who pals around with Yuki? I mean I saw your grandson….just funny...bit of a Mutt and Jeff scenario.”
Yuki laughs “Yes you’re wearing his life jacket Ira. And yeah we are….but if i ever get tired Uilick can just carry me over his shoulder.” He jokes “He’s a funny man with a good heart.”
Annette nods. “We definitely should try it.” she knows they are supposed to be leaving soon. Very soon. Too soon. And she really didn’t want to. But now was not the time to discuss it. They were probably going to move back here, but they weren’t staying. She grins at the idea of little Kaitlin and her huge brother.
Kaitlin giggles. “Yes, my brother is about 6’7 and built like a house. He gets drunk and falls through windows. So do my sons. They were a lot smaller .. well .. big babies but still babies.” she looks at Ira. “My grandson? Which one? Oh they’re all giants too.”
Ira smiles “Seamus...he works with..” He bites his lip realizing he’s now revealing where they shopped and then just shrugs “What the hell….we went to the Love Shack. We’re adults I can admit it.” He winks at Annette. “I went to school with Megan Douglas…..oh Brate now...anyhow I suspect you know where everyone works. Seamus was very helpful.” Ira looks a little quizzical “Did you say Uilick falls through windows….like more than once? Because that strikes me as a one time lesson in life...and your sons...maybe you all need some shutters!”
Yuki smirks “Ah the Love Shack..” He looks a little mischievous “Yes we’re all adults here. The Reinhart and Fitzpatrick men do some wild things when they drink….more than one window…”
Annette grins when Ira confesses they've been to the Love Shack. Then laughs at drunk men falling through windows. “I’d almost want to see that.” she laughs again. “Almost.”
Kaitlin brightens. “Oh Seamus! Yes, the Love Shack is very helpful and discrete.” she nods and winks at Yuki. “And yes … I don’t know what it is. But Ulick and Michael have broken a few windows in their day. He went through that nice police Chiefs window that Christmas. Just before ..” she shrugs. “We met.” she settles on.
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