Ef chuckled. “Of course, you will! I never doubted it.” He hesitated, and the look on his face said he had a big secret he was hiding.
“What is it?” I demanded. “You’re hiding something.”
He laughed. “Okay, you caught me. Adrik was just here.”
My heart smacked into my ribs. “He was? Why?”
Ef shrugged. “He came to see Papa. I didn’t hear what they talked about, but he left a few minutes afterward.”
My heart dropped. “Did he…look okay?”
“Yeah, he looked really good.”
Adrik had come. He’d been here. And I’dmissedhim. How could I have missed him? Why didn’t he wait for me to get home?
“Do you know where he went?”
My brother shrugged, his lips twisting in amusement. “Home, I guess. He didn’t say.”
Guess I would just have to go after him then. “Do you know where he lives?”
Ef hesitated. “Uh, yeah. Why?”
“Because I’m going to see him.” Before the driver could pull away, I jumped back into the car.
Ef chuckled. “Easy, sis. Be patient. He’ll be back.”
How did he know that? Though I wasn’t walking on my own just yet, I was still walking. I couldn’t just sit back and wait for him to return when I didn’t know for sure if he would. I had to find him. I had to walk into his arms and tell him I loved him.
“I can’t. I’ve waited two months and I can’t wait any longer. I need to see himright now. Give me his address.”
My brother laughed again. “Patience was never your virtue. He lives on his boat. It’s docked in Marina Del Rey. I’ve never been there myself, so I’m not sure which slip he’s in.”
“Doesn’t matter. I know the name of his boat. Thanks, Ef. I love you!”
“Love you, too, sis. I hope you find him, but if not, then just come back here. Eventually, you’ll run into each other.”
I leaned out of the car and kissed his cheek. “Bye.”
Ef waved as the car headed back down the drive.
The marina was less than fifteen miles away, but in L.A. traffic, it took us nearly an hour to get there.
“Thank you,” I told the driver. “You can head back. If I need a ride, I’ll call.”
Using my cane, I moved slowly along the docks, searching forMonika.
Many of the slips were empty, the boats probably out to sea, making my search easier with less boats to look over.
I traveled down the first two docks without any sign of Adrik or a boat namedMonika.
My leg was starting to twitch, my muscles already sore from the physical therapy, so I sat on the edge off the dock to rest for a moment.
I’d always loved the ocean.
I smiled as I spied two seagulls fighting over the contents of a fast-food bag near the garbage can at the entrance to the dock, one of them coming away with a French fry in its beak.
A sea lion called from out in the water, and I turned my head, following the sound. A small herd of the sea creatures lounged in the sun on a buoy clear out at the end of the dock.