"So, did you find a note?" Ava asked, coming down the stairs with an armload of clothes.
"Uh, yeah. She's with Bradin on the beach. He left the note on the refrigerator. It said they'd be back later."
"Okay, good."
"You need some help with those?" Johnny asked.
"Um, no I think Susannah and I can get them."
"Okay, then I'm going to get ready for work."
"Oh, you're going to work?" Ava asked, a little puzzled.
"Uh yeah, just for today, then I'm taking the rest of the week off."
"Okay, I'll tell Audri when she gets back."
"Thanks, I shouldn't be too long coming home tonight. I thought maybe I could take her out somewhere, let her see the sights, you know."
"That sounds like fun, I'm sure she'll like that."
Johnny nodded. "Well, I just-"
He moved past Ava, entered his bedroom, and closed the door. Susannah came down with another load of clothes.
"Where's Johnny going?"
"Work."
"Now?"
"Yep. Just for today. He's taking the rest of the week off."
"Oh, okay."
"Well, let's get clothes bags for these and load them in the car."
Jay showered outside while Ava and Susannah packed up their clothes. He could just barely see over the sand dune in front of the shower, to the beach. The sun was rising even more and Jay could tell it was a perfect day for surfing.
Derrick emerged from inside the house, and out to the patio. He sat down at the picnic table looking sad and deflated, like someone had just hurt his feelings. Jay turned off the shower, grabbed a towel and stepped onto the patio, taking a seat next to him.
"Are you alright there, Derrick?"
"I guess."
"Well, what's wrong?"
"I don't have anything to do. Ava and Susannah are going to L.A., Johnny's going to work, and Bradin's with some girl. No one has any time."
"Well, Bradin um, is with Johnny's niece Audri."
Derrick looked up shock and confusion marking his face.
"Johnny has a niece?"
"Yes sir, and she's staying with us for a while. Is that alright?"
"I guess so. Why is she staying with us?"
"Well, I don't know exactly. Johnny didn't say."
"How old is she?"
"Bradin's age."
Derrick hung his head again.
"Cheer up, Derrick. Just because she's Bradin's age, does not mean she won't like to play with you sometimes. I'm sure she'd be happy to if you ask her sometime."
"Okay, but what can I do in the meantime?"
Jay thought for a minute.
"Tell you what. Let me get dressed, and I'll take you to the shop with me. We'll hang out there for a while, and then we'll go get some ice cream. How does that sound?"
"Awesome! Thanks Jay!"
"Anytime little man. Glad to be of service."
By the time Audri had finished telling Bradin her story, they had ended up at Spanish Cove. Bradin was in silence and didn't know what to say.
"So that's how I ended up here. And I like here."
Bradin smiled, "Here is good."
There was a moment of silence.
"You must think I'm some kind of whore. I mean-"
Bradin interrupted, "Audri, no. What happened to you was not your fault. It happens to girls all the time, and its unfortunate I know, but it happens. Its not your fault."
Audri broke down into tears. Bradin felt bad for her, she was a teenager and had never been allowed to express emotion before. Why had her parents been like that? It made Bradin furious that she had gotten stuck with people like them. He had never been able to accept that bad things happen to good people. Good people who did nothing to deserve it. Good people who had lived an honest life. Good people like his parents and now, like Audri.
"Thank you," she sobbed into his shirt.
"For what? Telling you that?"
"For showing me that there are good people in this world that I can rely on. I thought that died long ago."
"You're welcome," he whispered, "you're welcome."