In His Sails by Tabitha Levin

Chapter 2
     
    Eighteen Months Earlier
     
    “Do I have to go? Really?” I folded my arms across my chest and tapped my foot on the kitchen floor.
    “You are part of this family, Mia, so yes you do. And I won’t hear another word about it,” said my mother.
    I rolled my eyes, wondering how many other twenty two year old women still had to holiday with their family. What I really wanted to be doing this summer was to head up to the Gold Coast with my girlfriends, drink too much alcohol and party into the night. The last thing I wanted was to hang out with my mother and my little brother and sister.
    My mother’s steely gaze meant she was serious, so I grabbed my coffee and walked outside, rather than keep arguing the point.
    At least Nambucca Heads was a nice place. It wasn’t full of tourists (much) and I could work on my tan at the beach. And it was only for two weeks. I had plenty of time to catch up with my friends before the New Year started again.
    I took a sip of my coffee, letting the warmth calm me, and watched my siblings amuse themselves in the backyard. They’re twelve year old twins, although you wouldn’t know it to look at them. They’re as different as a daisy and a rose. Each beautiful in their own way, but so different you wouldn’t pick that they were both from the same family.
    Britney is a lot like I was at her age, takes forever to make a decision, but once chosen, is loyal and headstrong about getting her way. Paul is easy going, and lets the world go on its business around him without any worry. Kind of like mum. I wish I were more like them sometimes.
    My father isn’t around much. Which is fine by all of us, he can never make up his mind about what he wants. And he can’t commit to anything. He makes me angry when he’s around, so when it’s just mum, me and my brother and sister, things are much easier. Simpler.
    “I’d like you to pack your bag tonight, so we can leave first light,” she said as she came out into the backyard. She was dressed up more than usual and wearing perfume.
    I crinkled my nose wondering where she was going, but put it out of my mind when my phone beeped, indicating I had a new message.
    “Yeah, I’ll pack later,” I said, walking back inside toward my bedroom.
    “Make sure you take everything that’s important to you.” My mother placed her hand on my arm as I passed by her. She was acting weird.
    “Fine, whatever,” I said, messaging my friend Lucy back.
     
     

Chapter 3
     
    The car ride to the holiday resort park we stayed at every year was uneventful. The twins were either arguing or ignoring each other, and I spent most of my time with my earphones in, listening to music as mum drove.
    I closed my eyes letting the vibrations from the car, tickle my cheek as I rested it on the door, concentrating on the music lyrics that sang through the earbuds.
    We stopped for lunch about three hours in, and then continued the rest of the way until we reached the park at about two o’clock.
    The sun was high in the sky and I couldn’t wait to get to the beach.
    “Help your brother and sister to unpack,” said my mother.
    I glared at them. “They’re twelve, they can do it themselves.”
    “Mia.”
    “Fine.” They’d taken mum at her word and packed far too much stuff for one little holiday. It was as if they thought we’d never be going back home.
    I packed lightly. Like any reasonable holiday goer would.
    My friend Lucy texted me that they’d had a wild time last night. She included photo’s of course, her and my other girlfriends, arm in arm with lights and crowds in the background. The smiles on their faces as they held drinks up to the camera sent a pit of jealousy in my stomach. I wanted so much to be with them right now. Yet here I was, my mother humming as she set up the kitchenette, my brother and sister in different corners of the cabin changing into their swimmers. Mum was going to take them to the pool inside the resort. I thought they