Page 88 of The Edge of Always

‘I just wondered, Luna,’ Emmett started, ‘whether you’d like to do something just me and you tomorrow?’

When Luna looked at him, he swallowed. The movement of his Adams apple had her enraptured.

‘Like what?’ she said eventually, surprised. And also confused. Luna was also a little bit hopeful, though she had absolutely no plans to admit that to anyone, or herself for that matter.

‘Like go to Holy Island.’

Emmett knew that Holy Island was one of Luna’s favourite places up here. An island that could only be accessed when the tide was out.

The seed of hope that had been planted seconds before began to bloom and grow, like the fragile buds that formed at the first sign of spring. Luna acknowledged her hope, how delicate it was, how lovely it was. She almost wanted Emmett so say nothing else, in case he destroyed it.

‘You could bring your pencils. Earl said he’d drive us.’

Luna couldn’t imagine going to Holy Island and not drawing.

She held her breath, and when it seemed that Emmett had nothing more to say, nothing that might stamp out her fraction of hope, she answered.

‘Okay, then. I’d like that.’

He nudged his hand against her own.

‘Best summer ever,’ he promised, linking their little fingers. Luna felt it like a spark of electricity.

‘I’d like that too.’

Best summer ever, indeed.

Luna was ready for a day on Holy Island with Emmett. Or at least, she thought she was. Last night had felt strange, strained maybe. As if they were collectively holding their breaths, but for what, Luna wasn’t sure.

She had to wait an age for her mum to come out of the bathroom but when the door finally opened and her mum emerged in a waft of perfume, she looked her daughter up and down and said, ‘You’ve really grown into your features, Luna.’

Luna decided to ignore the tone of surprise since she was feeling generous. She felt distinctly less generous eating her breakfast listening to her mum and dad bickering. She wasn’t sure which she disliked the most: silence or bickering. Neither was particularly fun.

‘Must you leave all that rubbish on the table?’ Her mum was fussing around Dad’s models. ‘There’s no room for the breakfast spread.’

‘Breakfast spread? Why are we having a spread? Just eat toast like a regular person.’

‘I told you already, Clive is coming. And I’m on the Atkins. Why can you never support my aspirations?’

‘Oh well, if Clive is coming then let’s get the silver platters out. I told you, Jennie, I’m not well.’

On and on they went. Luna ate a slice of toast over the sink and listened out for the rumble of Earl’s old van. Ever since last summer, when Emmett had lived with Earl, they’d become closer. Emmett said that he thought of Earl as like a grandad, and Luna was sure that Earl saw Emmett as his grandson.

Luna wasn’t sure, exactly, how legal the whole thing had been, with Emmett living with Earl last year. She knew about things like social services, and the care system. Her mum had chuntered about how inappropriate the whole thing was. Luna didn’t understand why none of the rules seemed to apply to the people who lived at The Edge. Sometimes, Luna imagined that the caravan park was barely real, a place which only existed for her and the people that she loved.

Neither her mum nor dad looked up as Luna said goodbye and darted from the door, grabbing her sketchbooks on the way.

Despite a restless night, Luna wasn’t at all tired when she climbed into the back of Earl’s van.

‘Hi,’ Emmett said.

‘Hi,’ she replied.

‘Good morning, Luna. Got everything you need?’ Earl asked from the driver’s seat. Luna thought he looked smaller somehow. She pushed it from her mind.

‘Yep, I’m all sorted.’ She tapped the side of her bag with her pencils and notebook in. ‘What are you working on today, Earl?’ she asked as they drove north towards Holy Island.

‘I’ll be keeping going with my new piece.’