Already the blissful happiness that surrounded her when she was in Mermaid Hole was closing in.
She looked over at Theo and thought she couldn’t be more glad that he was there to share it with her. She was about to tell him that when she caught some movement out of the corner of her eye, further down the path. She looked, and saw her mother and her youngest sister Claudine.
“Mama! Claudine!” She turned Theo’s hand loose, smiling at him, then sprinted over to them, pulling her blue linen maxi dress to her knees so she wouldn’t trip.
Her mother and sister were beaming from ear to ear.
“Come here, baby,” her mother said, pulling her close. Claudine, even though she was eighteen now, acted like an excited little kid, bouncing up and down on her toes and squealing. “Hey, Ma, give me a turn!” she said.
They all laughed as Angelique broke away to hug Claudine.
Claudine whispered in her ear. “Mm, mm, mm, now just who is that?” Her tone left no doubt that Claudine thought Theo just as dazzlingly attractive as Angelique did.
“Don’t you dare try anything,” she whispered back. “I’m serious about him.”
Claudine rocked back, mock offended, her hand to her chest. “Moi?”
Angelique swatted at her. “Mummy, this is Theo. Theo, this is my mother, Anna Felix, and my youngest sister Claudine.”
Theo held his hand out to shake Anna’s hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Felix. And you, Claudine.”
“I want him to stay with us for a while,” Angelique said.
Theo shifted on his feet. “Or I can book a hotel, if it’s too inconvenient.”
Anna laughed and put her arm around Theo’s shoulders, leading him further down the path. “Listen to him. Why book a hotel when we have spare rooms? Pa ni pwoblem.”
“Mummy!” Claudine giggled.
“My mum’s from St. Lucia,” Angelique said. “Pa ni pwoblem means it’s no problem.”
“That’s right,” Anna said. “But once I took a good look at their father, and saw how well-established his business was here, I decided to stay. He is head of an insurance firm. What is it you do for a living?”
“She’ll be asking you how much money you make next,” Claudine said, giggling. “It’s the Mummy test for prospective boyfriends. If you think this is bad, wait for the Daddy test. I’ve given up on love, I’m telling you.” They all laughed.
As they turned a corner and saw a big painted sign affixed to a large gate, around which flowers bloomed in an abundance of vibrant colors. Mermaid Hole.
Angelique went forward to open the gate.
“Nuh uh uh,” her mother said, then pointed to a gap between two palm trees, a little way to their left. “We’re in the adjoining lot.”
“I’ve never even been this way before,” said Angelique.
“Well,” said her mother, smiling broadly and giving her a squeeze. “Welcome home, sweetie.”
They took the path between the trees, and Angelique kept looking into Theo’s face to gauge his reaction. She so wanted him to like it; she adored it more than anything. Now that Mermaid Hole was her home, she adored it even more, and she had never even thought that possible. Though she had been so frustrated back in Hawaii when things had been going wrong, she was now so glad that things had gone so pear-shaped. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been there, safe with her family, in the lush, vivid beauty of all that she loved.
And then it got even better.
Soon the hibiscus bushes gave way and the view at the end of the path was clear. Angelique clasped her hands to her chest. It was the perfect house, in the perfect location. She felt like she would never be able to catch her breath.
The house was wooden, made of greenheart, she was sure, with a veranda that wrapped all around the outside. The color scheme was a pale yellow, contrasting with a soft creamy blue that reminded her of the sky on a breezy day. The house was nestled among flower bushes, with bright yellow allamandas below the veranda,
She looked over at Theo and thought she couldn’t be more glad that he was there to share it with her. She was about to tell him that when she caught some movement out of the corner of her eye, further down the path. She looked, and saw her mother and her youngest sister Claudine.
“Mama! Claudine!” She turned Theo’s hand loose, smiling at him, then sprinted over to them, pulling her blue linen maxi dress to her knees so she wouldn’t trip.
Her mother and sister were beaming from ear to ear.
“Come here, baby,” her mother said, pulling her close. Claudine, even though she was eighteen now, acted like an excited little kid, bouncing up and down on her toes and squealing. “Hey, Ma, give me a turn!” she said.
They all laughed as Angelique broke away to hug Claudine.
Claudine whispered in her ear. “Mm, mm, mm, now just who is that?” Her tone left no doubt that Claudine thought Theo just as dazzlingly attractive as Angelique did.
“Don’t you dare try anything,” she whispered back. “I’m serious about him.”
Claudine rocked back, mock offended, her hand to her chest. “Moi?”
Angelique swatted at her. “Mummy, this is Theo. Theo, this is my mother, Anna Felix, and my youngest sister Claudine.”
Theo held his hand out to shake Anna’s hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Felix. And you, Claudine.”
“I want him to stay with us for a while,” Angelique said.
Theo shifted on his feet. “Or I can book a hotel, if it’s too inconvenient.”
Anna laughed and put her arm around Theo’s shoulders, leading him further down the path. “Listen to him. Why book a hotel when we have spare rooms? Pa ni pwoblem.”
“Mummy!” Claudine giggled.
“My mum’s from St. Lucia,” Angelique said. “Pa ni pwoblem means it’s no problem.”
“That’s right,” Anna said. “But once I took a good look at their father, and saw how well-established his business was here, I decided to stay. He is head of an insurance firm. What is it you do for a living?”
“She’ll be asking you how much money you make next,” Claudine said, giggling. “It’s the Mummy test for prospective boyfriends. If you think this is bad, wait for the Daddy test. I’ve given up on love, I’m telling you.” They all laughed.
As they turned a corner and saw a big painted sign affixed to a large gate, around which flowers bloomed in an abundance of vibrant colors. Mermaid Hole.
Angelique went forward to open the gate.
“Nuh uh uh,” her mother said, then pointed to a gap between two palm trees, a little way to their left. “We’re in the adjoining lot.”
“I’ve never even been this way before,” said Angelique.
“Well,” said her mother, smiling broadly and giving her a squeeze. “Welcome home, sweetie.”
They took the path between the trees, and Angelique kept looking into Theo’s face to gauge his reaction. She so wanted him to like it; she adored it more than anything. Now that Mermaid Hole was her home, she adored it even more, and she had never even thought that possible. Though she had been so frustrated back in Hawaii when things had been going wrong, she was now so glad that things had gone so pear-shaped. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been there, safe with her family, in the lush, vivid beauty of all that she loved.
And then it got even better.
Soon the hibiscus bushes gave way and the view at the end of the path was clear. Angelique clasped her hands to her chest. It was the perfect house, in the perfect location. She felt like she would never be able to catch her breath.
The house was wooden, made of greenheart, she was sure, with a veranda that wrapped all around the outside. The color scheme was a pale yellow, contrasting with a soft creamy blue that reminded her of the sky on a breezy day. The house was nestled among flower bushes, with bright yellow allamandas below the veranda,
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