One minute you're at the top of your game, and the next, you receive a hit that knocks your skates out from underneath you.
Still reeling after an unexpected loss, Ryan Nyberg not only finds himself back in his beachside hometown of Neptune Bay, bu...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Walking into my parent's house felt strange. Or maybe strange wasn't the right word, but since yesterday—when everyone had gathered to say their final goodbyes to Liam and Thea, and I'd watched their ashes be scattered into the water—my grief had been doing somersaults in the pit of my stomach.
It was as if something in my subconscious was trying to warn me about another hardship set to come my way. Another bout of news that would rock me to my core.
And that feeling seemed to intensify as I kicked my shoes off in my parent's entryway.
"Ryan? That you?" my dad called.
Next to me, Scout let loose a string of barks, answering for me before he bounded further into the house, more than likely on the search for Bowen.
Following him, I rounded the corner into the living room. "Yeah, and I come bearing gifts," I said, lifting the pie and the case of beer.
My dad's brow rose. "More food?"
I understood the questioning, as it hadn't just been me (staying at Liam's) who'd been a recipient of the generosity the townsfolk of Neptune's Bay had. My parents' fridge and freezer were both full to the brim with cheese platters, salads, casseroles, soups, and a variety of homemade meals neighbours had dropped off.
"Not just any food. Key lime pie from Wilma's," I declared, shaking the box enticingly at my mom, who sat next to my dad on the sofa looking fairly exhausted. As though her internal energy well was drying up. "I know it's your favorite."
"It is," my mom said, her lips softening into a smile. "Thank you for bringing it over."
I shrugged my shoulder as if it was no big deal—because in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't. "No problem. I figured we could dig in after dinner." Being that the bottom floor of their house was open-concept, I took a few steps toward the dining table and placed both things down before turning back to them. "Speaking of dinner, what were you guys thinking? I could look through the fridge and—"
"Uncle Ryan!" Bowen shouted happily as he rushed down the stairs, Scout hot on his heels. Not stopping, my nephew barrelled straight into my legs, wrapping his arms around them as he looked up at me with wide eyes. "Do you have a treat I can give to Scout?"
I glanced at my dog, who was now sitting patiently next to us, wagging his tail in anticipation. Clearly the two of them were conspiring, but I didn't have the heart to say no. However, as I opened my mouth to say yes, my dad interjected.
"Actually, Bowen, why don't you go play with Scout in the yard? Then once you come back in, he can have a treat with dinner."
While Bowen's eyes lit up, my attention turned back to my parents and a lick of dread seeped down my spine. I could tell from the way that both of them were avoiding my gaze that this was a ploy to get him out of hearing distance.
