I pulled thefinal pearl from my jacket pocket and pinched it between my fingersas my heart beat wildly. I tossed it in the shallow ocean andsqueezed Henry’s hand.
“Yeah, it’sabout time.”
Epilogue
I sat on the frontporch, newly painted a fresh white, and wrote in my brown leatherjournal, as I often did on days like this. Filling it with tales ofmy adventures as they rushed back like recent memories.
The sun beganto set over the harbor and cast aripple of purple and orange on the sparkling water. I smiled at thesight of the sunlight touching the pale reflection of the moon.With closed eyes I held the nearly full book to my chest, dreamingof a time when I ruled the sea with my friends. Recalling theirfaces and the warmth of their love.
Behind me,footsteps sounded across the wide porch and sidled up next to me. Iopened my eyes and smiled at my Henry. My husband. My soulmate.He’d adjusted to life in Rocky Harbour just as I’d always imagined.As if he belonged there. He still wore the ratty old sweater thatAunt Mary had knitted for him before she passed, and told me he’djust come back from fishing in the harbor.
He smiled,kissed my forehead, and handed me a mug of steaming tea.
“Thanks,” Isaid and craned my neck, reaching for another kiss. On the lipsthis time. He laughed and touched his warm mouth to mine. “Catch anything today?”
“Yes,” Henryreplied and raked his fingers through his blonde hair. He kept itshorter now, wanting to fit in with the new world. But it stillflopped down around his ears and I adored it to no end. “Five.They’re in the sink.” He took a sip of tea. “Where’s the kids?”
Just then, asif hearing their father from across the meadow, two blonde heads ofcurls came running through the tall grass toward us.
“Daddy!” theycalled out in unison and then clobbered on top of Henry after theyscampered up the stairs. Henry took them in both arms and kissedtheir little heads. “You stink like fish!”
They bothjumped up and ran as Henry playfully chased them with his fishyfingers, their little screams of joy warming my heart. Arthur andAudrey. My whole world on one porch. I sometimes wondered if wemade the right decision by coming back to the future, back to RockyHarbour. But at times like this, I knew it with the deepestcertainty. We were safe. We were loved. We were happy.
A car camerolling down the long gravel driveway and stopped just a few feetfrom the porch. I stood and smiled as the driver’s side doorcreaked open and a woman stepped out. She strolled toward thehouse, cane in hand. The kids spotted the visitor and turned theirwildness on her.
“Grandma!”
They ran forMom and wrapped their tiny arms around both her legs.
“Hi, babies,”she greeted them and then bent down to get a better hug fromeach.
I laughed asshe pulled out a small container of cookies from her jacket. Theygrabbed it like a couple of vultures and ran off inside thehouse.
“Oops, hopeI’m not ruining their supper,” she said in a very grandma-like way.Knowing very well she was. “Am I late?”
“No, Mom,” Ireplied and took her hand as she climbed the few stairs to theporch. The stab wound forever impairing the use of her right side.A constant reminder of that horrible night. “Henry just brought thefish in. I’m tossing them on the grill in a second.”
She looked atme with pride and heaved a happy sigh. “God, I love you.”
I smiled andtook her by the hand. “I know. I love you, too, Mom.”
***
Later thatnight, after Henry got the kids to bed and Mom had gone home to thehouse Aunt Mary had left her, I took a stroll down by the water, asI often did. It was my way of being close to them. Our crew andfriends that we’d left behind. The siren had once told me that theocean was somehow connected throughout time, always existing. Likea constant. I bent down and touched my fingers to the water. Thesame water that Lottie, Finn, Gus, and Benjamin sailed on, and Ifelt them.
“I miss youguys,” I whispered to the night sky. “Please know that we’re safe.We’re happy. And I hope you are, too.”
Ripples formedon the calm surface and vibrated toward me, growing more rapid assomething bobbed in its center. I backed away, knowing very wellwhat it was.
“Showyourself,” I said to the sea creature.
The center ofthe ripples raised higher until the shape of a head, formed ofwater, appeared. Clear eyes blinking up at me.
“Hello, DiannaCobham,” spoke the music box voice.
“I’m DiannaWhite, now,” I corrected.
“Regardless ofyour name, who you are remains the same,” the siren replied.
“What do youwant?”
She raisedfrom the water completely and shimmered as her clear body tookshape, scales of shells and hair of kelp taking on the vibrantcolors of the sea. Her toothy mouth turned up in a grin. “Don’t youknow by now?” she said. “You made a deal. To go back in time inexchange for a favor.”
My throattightened, and I swallowed hard against it. The siren advancedslowly, grinning wide.
“And I’ve cometo collect.”
TheEnd
Did you enjoy theDark Tides Series? Be sure to leave a review and check out all ofAuthor Candace Osmond’s other available titles at authorcandaceosmond.comor wherever books are sold!
Want more fromDark Tides?
The SpecialEdition box set includes all four books PLUS an exclusive shortstory told from Benjamin’s POV that bridges the gap between bookfour and five! And be sure to get your copy ofDark Tides book five, The Gilded Stone wherever books aresold!
ABOUT THEAUTHOR
Published authorand freelance writer/editor, Candace Osmond was born in North York,ON.
She published herfirst book by the age of 25, the first installment in a ParanormalRomance Trilogy to which two others were published with it. TheIron World Series.
Candace is alsoone of the creative writers for sssh.com, an acclaimed Erotic Romancewebsite for women which has been featured on NBC Nightline and anumber of other large platforms like Cosmo. Her most recent projectis a screenplay that received anomination for an AVN Award.
Now residing in asmall town
