Page 102 of In the Same Boat

‘You two clearly really care about each other,’ he says, pointing at me and Nico. ‘Anyone can see it. You’re just scared, and I understand that, but sometimes when people are right for each other they have to go for it. Take the risk. Stop waiting for everything to feel safe. Come on, Chrissy, you agree with me, right? These two are just scared. They need to seize the day.’

Mum tuts out another little laugh.

‘Carpe diem?’ she says.

‘What?’ he replies.

‘I said: do you mean carpe diem?’ she repeats herself.

‘I… don’t know what that means,’ he confesses.

‘Why not, it’s the name of your yacht,’ Mum informs him. ‘Oh, no, sorry, it’s not your yacht, is it?’

Hank hangs his head guiltily.

‘What?’ I blurt.

‘He told me, when I went to see him, that he’s only been pretending this is his yacht,’ she informs me.

‘I just wanted to impress you both,’ he insists. ‘But I came clean to your mum, because I want us all to be honest, no more lies, that’s our only way through this.’

‘Hank, just stop. It isn’t working,’ she tells him.

‘Chrissy…’

‘No,’ she says gently, but firmly enough that even the wind seems to stop and listen. ‘We tried… but the plan failed.’

‘The plan?’ Nico checks.

I look at my mum. I don’t know what she’s talking about either.

There’s a look on her face, one that doesn’t make me think my afternoon is about to get better.

‘Time to be honest,’ she says, taking a deep breath. ‘Hank and I aren’t together.’

I just stare at her.

‘Sorry,’ Nico blurts. ‘What?’

‘We were pretending,’ she confesses.

‘Why on earth would you do that?’ I ask her.

‘To get you and Nico together,’ she admits.

I feel unsteady on my feet, and I don’t think it has anything to do with the sea.

‘What?’ I say.

Hank clears his throat.

‘When we met, at the singles night, the main thing we realised was how much the two of you had in common, how much you both needed your lives steering in the right direction, so we thought it might be nice to get the two of you together,’ he says.

‘You seemed like you had a real spark between you,’ Mum adds. ‘We knew it would work, but that you would both need a little… push.’

‘So, the idea started at the singles night,’ Hank continues. ‘But we talked properly, when I came round to yours, Sammie, and we thought if we spent time together, you two might have to do the same. You’re both too guarded. Too ready to assume things won’t work.’

‘And you both worry far too much about us,’ Mum says. ‘You need to think about yourselves.’