“When I’m round you? All the time.”

She rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was secretly pleased that I wanted her so much.

And it wasn’t a lie.

Whenever she was around me, whether it be chopping wood or gutting fish, I couldn’t help my cock reacting to her lithe figure and long white-blonde hair.

“Oh, my God. They’re so cute!” Pippa squealed, jumping up and down.

We slowed, steadying our breathing as we arrived at the nest where tiny shelled creatures did their best to unbury themselves with the aid of ungainly flippers.

Conner sat on his haunches. “Whoa...that’s kinda cool.”

One by one, hundreds of the damn things erupted from the ground in a stampede.

Estelle couldn’t tear her eyes away as our beach slowly transformed from virgin sand into flippered chaos. “There must be close to a thousand of the things.”

I did a quick calculation in my head. “I think I read somewhere that close to a hundred eggs can be laid at one time. I guess the odds are that you’re right. There were a lot of turtles that night using our island as a bloody incubator.”

Conner and Pippa abandoned their post by the nest, crawling on their hands and knees, keeping pace with the baby turtles. Smiling, they inched toward the water’s edge, following the haphazard trails and lurches of new life.

“This is the best day ever!” Pippa beamed, stroking the back of one tiny critter. “I want one. Please, please can we keep one?”

Estelle crawled like Pippa, making my heart swell as her ass swayed in her black bikini. She had no fat or womanly curves anymore, but I would’ve given anything to be alone, pull down her bathing suit, and take her from behind.

We’d done that a few nights ago. I’d slipped into her while she rested on her hands and knees. I’d clutched her hips and bit the back of her neck as we both turned a little savage.

I loved that her libido was the same as mine.

I loved that we liked the same thing.

I loved that she loved me.

“Can’t, Pip. You know the rules. If they survive, they’ll come back.” Conner broke the cardinal law and plucked a baby from the sand, holding its shell so the poor thing flapped in mid-air. “Besides, they’re kinda pointless. Cute, but not exactly awesome like a cat.”

“Co, put that thing down.” I crossed my arms. “What did we say about looking but no touching?”

He grunted. “I’m not a little kid, G. Don’t talk to me like one.”

“Don’t care. Put him back.”

Frowning, he plopped the turtle next to one of its nest mates.

Pippa pouted. “If they survive?” Her eyes turned worried. “What does Co mean, Stelly? They’ll all make it...won’t they?”

Estelle glanced at me, panic on her face.

“Don’t look at me.” I shrugged. “You’re up.”

She glowered.

I struggled to hold my chuckle. She was so damn delicious when she was mad.

“Pip, you know how the circle of life works. You know we eat fish, that we...kill...to survive. Just like we do what is necessary, some of these turtles will provide food for other wildlife.” Waving at the carpet of crawling things, she added, “That’s why nature has so many hatch at once. Their chances at surviving are much higher in numbers and those that don’t make it...well, that wasn’t their destiny.”

Conner rolled his eyes. “Destiny to be dinner, you mean.”

Pippa threw a handful of sand at him. “Stop it.”

“All right. That’s enough.” Planting a kiss on Pippa’s head, I said, “Let’s all focus on the fact that they’ve just hatched, not the day of their demise, okay?”

Pippa sniffed but slowly nodded.

Conner continued to chase the babies into the sea, drawing a finishing line in the sand and cheering as each waddled over it to the gentle tide beyond.

The tension vanished, and together, we watched the miracle of life as a thousand little things trudged their way to the turquoise ocean and disappeared into its dangerous depths.

How many will survive?

How many will return to this same place and lay another generation of young?

And, if we never go home, how many times will we witness it?

Chapter Forty-Seven

...............................................

E S T E L L E

......

Blasphemy: Blasphemy is the act of insulting, showing contempt, or lack of reverence to something considered sacred or inviolable.

It’s official, I’m a blasphemer.

What other word could I use for the complete switch of my emotions?

I still despaired. I still worried. I still begged for rescue.

But I also thanked. I smiled. I revelled in my new world.

Because they made it so much more real than anything before.

Taken from the notepad of E.E.

...

APRIL

SLEEPING WITH GALLOWAY changed my world. And not in some superficial ‘he’s my soul-mate’ kind of way. More in a ‘this man will protect me, care for me, and do everything in his power to make me happy’ kind of way.

His selflessness made me do the same for him and our quality of life (despite the lack of facilities and society niceties) was the best I’d ever had.

My existence was copacetic.

Conner celebrated his fourteenth birthday, and we did our best to give him the same experience as Pippa. We lit the bonfire to signal a new year, we raided our larder for the wild mint I’d found growing last week to make a coconut milk mint dessert, and we all pulled together to laugh and joke, all while keeping the weak but constant depression at bay.