Chapter 1
Cat Island was as quiet as it always was, and every single person in Arthur’s Town had greeted Angelique by name and asked her about her handsome companion. She had laughed happily and hung onto Theo’s arm, feeling ever more comfortable with him. By the time they got to the street of her family home, a narrow road with gingerbread wooden houses and blooming flower gardens, she was exhausted with talking and wanted nothing more than to flop onto the hammock on the veranda and sip on an ice-cold juice.
Theo took her milk chocolate hand in his. “I love it here.”
She watched the golden light of the afternoon play on his face with the shadow from the jacaranda tree overhead. “I’m glad.”
“I can’t wait to meet your family.”
“I can’t wait to see them.”
Her house was the one at the end, painted a delicate shade of lilac that always soothed her. She imagined how happy her family would be when they saw her. She’d decided not to ring ahead, but to surprise them instead.
But before she even got to the gate she could feel something was wrong.
“They’re not here,” she said. “Look at the garden.”
“What do you mean?” Theo asked.
Her mother always kept the garden immaculate. There were a couple of stray tendrils, a couple of weeds pushing up from the flowerbeds—something wasn’t right.
She opened the gate and ran to the house to find out what she already knew in her heart. Knocking on the door, she peered through the windows, but there was nothing in there. It was empty.
She began to shake. No one had called her. No one had told her anything. There must be something seriously wrong.
“What the hell is going on?” She ran around the walls of the house, calling upstairs. “Josette? Mom? Cherie? Claudine? Dad?”
But no answer came.
“Try the door,” Theo said.
She fumbled with her keys and the shaking of her hands made a jangling sound. When she pushed the key into the lock it didn’t fit. “This is so weird.” She was beginning to feel seriously freaked out.
There was only one thing to do. The surprise of her arrival would have to be abandoned. She would ring her mother’s cell.
As she heard the ringing in her ears and waited for her mom to pick up, she felt tears spilled down her cheeks. Theo put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a look filled with strength, which was exactly what she needed.
There was no answer from her mother, but there was no way she was giving up. She redialed and waited, her eyes scanning nervously over the family garden she had once adored.
“Hello?” her mother’s voice said, and relief flooded through her body.
“Mom,” she said, her voice thickening with tears.
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m at home, Mom,” Angelique said.
Her mother gasped, then slowly began to chuckle.
“Oh, no.” She called out to the rest of the family. “Angelique’s back at home.”
“So where are you?”
“By Mermaid Hole.”
Angelique’s frown fell away and a huge smile spread across her face. Mermaid Hole was her favorite place in the world, hands down.
“Do I still have time to come over before you guys leave?”
Her mom chuckled. “I would think so, considering we live there now.”
Angelique gasped. “No. No way.”
“Yes, my dear. That’s why we wanted to keep it a surprise, because—”
Angelique didn’t give her time to finish. She broke into a delighted scream and jumped around the garden. Theo watched her, light in his eyes.
“Mom, please tell me you’re not kidding me, right?” Angelique said. “It’s really true, we live at Mermaid Hole now?”
“That’s right!”
“We’re coming over right now!” Angelique squealed.
“Who’s we?”
Angelique smiled. “Aha, you’re not the only one with surprises.”
Mermaid Hole was within walking distance, and Angelique and Theo found themselves holding hands as they strolled along the palm fringed streets.
“So tell me about
Cat Island was as quiet as it always was, and every single person in Arthur’s Town had greeted Angelique by name and asked her about her handsome companion. She had laughed happily and hung onto Theo’s arm, feeling ever more comfortable with him. By the time they got to the street of her family home, a narrow road with gingerbread wooden houses and blooming flower gardens, she was exhausted with talking and wanted nothing more than to flop onto the hammock on the veranda and sip on an ice-cold juice.
Theo took her milk chocolate hand in his. “I love it here.”
She watched the golden light of the afternoon play on his face with the shadow from the jacaranda tree overhead. “I’m glad.”
“I can’t wait to meet your family.”
“I can’t wait to see them.”
Her house was the one at the end, painted a delicate shade of lilac that always soothed her. She imagined how happy her family would be when they saw her. She’d decided not to ring ahead, but to surprise them instead.
But before she even got to the gate she could feel something was wrong.
“They’re not here,” she said. “Look at the garden.”
“What do you mean?” Theo asked.
Her mother always kept the garden immaculate. There were a couple of stray tendrils, a couple of weeds pushing up from the flowerbeds—something wasn’t right.
She opened the gate and ran to the house to find out what she already knew in her heart. Knocking on the door, she peered through the windows, but there was nothing in there. It was empty.
She began to shake. No one had called her. No one had told her anything. There must be something seriously wrong.
“What the hell is going on?” She ran around the walls of the house, calling upstairs. “Josette? Mom? Cherie? Claudine? Dad?”
But no answer came.
“Try the door,” Theo said.
She fumbled with her keys and the shaking of her hands made a jangling sound. When she pushed the key into the lock it didn’t fit. “This is so weird.” She was beginning to feel seriously freaked out.
There was only one thing to do. The surprise of her arrival would have to be abandoned. She would ring her mother’s cell.
As she heard the ringing in her ears and waited for her mom to pick up, she felt tears spilled down her cheeks. Theo put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a look filled with strength, which was exactly what she needed.
There was no answer from her mother, but there was no way she was giving up. She redialed and waited, her eyes scanning nervously over the family garden she had once adored.
“Hello?” her mother’s voice said, and relief flooded through her body.
“Mom,” she said, her voice thickening with tears.
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m at home, Mom,” Angelique said.
Her mother gasped, then slowly began to chuckle.
“Oh, no.” She called out to the rest of the family. “Angelique’s back at home.”
“So where are you?”
“By Mermaid Hole.”
Angelique’s frown fell away and a huge smile spread across her face. Mermaid Hole was her favorite place in the world, hands down.
“Do I still have time to come over before you guys leave?”
Her mom chuckled. “I would think so, considering we live there now.”
Angelique gasped. “No. No way.”
“Yes, my dear. That’s why we wanted to keep it a surprise, because—”
Angelique didn’t give her time to finish. She broke into a delighted scream and jumped around the garden. Theo watched her, light in his eyes.
“Mom, please tell me you’re not kidding me, right?” Angelique said. “It’s really true, we live at Mermaid Hole now?”
“That’s right!”
“We’re coming over right now!” Angelique squealed.
“Who’s we?”
Angelique smiled. “Aha, you’re not the only one with surprises.”
Mermaid Hole was within walking distance, and Angelique and Theo found themselves holding hands as they strolled along the palm fringed streets.
“So tell me about
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