Page 69 of Something Real with the Sea Monster

We both start to giggle as a lone figure strides into the center of the green and lifts a microphone to his mouth. “I’ll be your fate, I’ll be your mate, I’ll be your fantasy,” Jack sings. I’m pretty sure those are not the Savage Garden lyrics I remember, but I’m distracted when the crowd dissolves again and reforms intoYou.

I’ve got to admit, he’s not half bad. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.

He powers on through the made-up lyrics, only stumbling at the end of the bridge.

The crowd almost loses it on the next transition, but since I’ve already worked out what is going on, I can make out the wordMarry,and I’m grinning from ear to ear.

“I want to stand with you behind the counter. I want to bathe with you in the sea.”

There’s a loud whistle and someone—I’m pretty sure it’s Noah—makes a rude comment that’s quickly drowned out.

“I want to dance with you forever. Until the music goes out on—”

The music cuts. The crowd parts and reforms one final time into the wordMe.

I can’t leave him in suspense any longer. Cupping my hands around my mouth, I shout, “Yes!”

Cheers become wild applause, and Mia is hugging me, and then we’re both clutching the railing around the stairs in case we fall off the roof.

The music starts again, and it takes me a moment to realize the song has changed. This one I’m less familiar with. But all of a sudden, I’m back in the Cove Inn wrapped in Jack’s arms, slow dancing our first dance together while everyone else watches, and I’m dizzy and humming with emotion at the knowledge that I get to keep this beautiful monster. And he wants to keep me.

“Get down here, Tegan,” he says into the mic. “This is our song.”

I’ve never scaled a ladder so fast in my life. I rush through the club and out the doors onto the green and into Jack’s arms. He tosses the mic aside with a squeal of feedback and twirls me. “So it’s a yes?”

“Of course it’s a yes! I can’t believe you thought you had to go to all this effort.”

He steadies me, and we start to dance. “You’re worth it.”

Everyone cheers again, and soon people are dancing beside us. Luke is waltzing with baby Jessie in his arms. Mia is dancing with Rob, and Noah and Olivia are here and so is everyone who’s anyone in Kraken Cove. Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen from the Bellevue Bed and Breakfast, Mrs. Wang from the Rotary Club, and old Nancy Drakeford, the town’s resident traffic hazard. It’s perfect. It’s the most utterly perfect party with no alcohol and nopictures. With no dressing up to impress anyone and hardly any makeup on.

It’s nothing like the life I used to imagine for myself. It’s far, far better. Because I’m surrounded by friends and family who love and care for me. With the hope of a future that’s even brighter and more full of love.

I squeeze Jack tight and shut my eyes for a moment, half worried when I open them it will all have vanished.

And then Mia bursts out laughing, and I look to see Luke holding out a wailing Jessie with a bewildered expression on his face, pale baby vomit all over his blue shirt, and tentacles emerging from the bottom of his dress pants and tiny matching ones from Jessie’s diaper. “Ah! Sorry, Teegs. Can’t take her anywhere.”

I reach out and take Jessie from him, not caring that she’s still a bit messy and some of it gets on my shirt. It’s a five-minute walk down the hill to my place if I want to get changed, and you know what? Life isn’t meant to be perfect.

Little Jessie blinks up at me and her wails dissolve into a big, bright smile.

“Well how can anyone be mad at that face?” I kiss her soft round cheek. “Don’t you worry, boo. It happens to the best of us. You’ll grow out of it. Even I did eventually.”