CHAPTER 25
ARI
Most kids wanted parties at Wet ’n’ Wild or King Putt or the movie theatre, but not Haven. She’d begged to take three friends to the Coral Reef Aquarium. Her fascination with the ocean was a new thing, and according to Nana, Haven had begun watching nature documentaries to understand why “Momma moved to the beach.” When I heard that, my heart ached. Now do you realise why it was so important for me to come back home, even for a few days? The guilt at leaving my daughter for so long was almost overwhelming, compounded by the hug she’d given me after she tore open the carefully wrapped gifts I’d brought her: a box of candy from Cornwall, a windowsill garden, a sea monkey tank, a United States jigsaw puzzle, a pony necklace, and a Junior Detective Fingerprint Kit—might as wel
