Sails and Styles (Completed)

Chapter 35

Two months later

Harry's POV

It's a beautiful day in September. It feels like it's going to be one of the last warm days left in Vancouver before fall really kicks in.

"So, you're going to steer like this—" I direct, holding on to the wheel, "—and you'll feel the wind hit the sails."

"Oh wow! That's amazing how much it pushes you," she answers.

"Mum, steer towards that lighthouse on the point," I direct her.

"Aren't we supposed to avoid lighthouses?" she asks confused.

I smile at her words and my memory of saying the same thing. I knew my mum would love this. She's an adventurer like me.

"See, I knew he was lying about how much he knew!" Gemma says, teasing me. "Now we're all doomed."

I push her playfully and she smiles back at me.

"It'll give me time to get the head sail up," I respond to my mum. I go down below and get the sail bag and bring it up top. I get it ready and turn and look at my sister.

"Hey smart ass, you want to raise it?"

She nods vigorously at me, excited to learn something new. She clumsily makes her way to me across the deck, holding the rigging as she goes.

"Ok, grab here and you're going to pull, nice and steady. Are you ready?"

She nods at me.

"Go! Pull. Pull. Keep going! Go Gemma! Go! Almost there! And you did it!"

Gemma looks up at the sail admiring her accomplishment and I think of Maggie and smile.

"Ok, we're going to need to tack."

"What?!" Gemma responds.

"Come on. I'll show you," I say holding my hand out to steady her and we walk back to our mum at the wheel.

We spend the afternoon sailing. We zig zag across the bay and my mum and sister have an amazing time. As we near the marina, I drop the sails and switch on the motor. We idle while I pack away the sails. Once I'm done, I hook the spinnaker pole up with a rope.

"Harry, what are you doing darling?" my mum asks as I strip off my shirt.

"You'll see," I say. I grab the rope and run across the deck, back flipping from the rope into the water. The water is cool but the memory of the first time doing that keeps me warm.

"Gemma! Mum! Come in!"

My sister shakes her head but I seemed to have convinced my mum. She comes walking along the deck to where I left the rope. Gemma goes to man the wheel.

"Harry, I'm scared!" my mum shouts to me and her words hit me right in the gut. My mind flashes back to the first time Maggie and I did this. Her telling me the story of her being scared too.

"Mum, some of the best things happen when we take a chance even though we're really scared."

She doesn't say anything and just nods at me, takes a deep breath and runs along the deck holding the rope and then jumping onto it. She screams as she goes before letting go and falling into the water. I swim towards her as she comes up for air.

"Oh my god! That was incredible!" she says with a huge smile on her face. We high five in the air and then swim back to the boat together. We get back on the boat and are drying off when Gemma shouts.