Rylee wouldn’t cry today. Cole had been gone from her life too long for that, and the body they were sending out to sea wasn’t even his true one – merely a copy. There was a sadness in her heart, but also a relief there too. Maybe now she could truly move on.
“Do it,” Rylee told Maphira.
Her sister released the boat latch, then stood back with Rylee and Vai. Maphira wrapped her arm around Rylee’s neck, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. They stood together and watched as the aluminium box began to sink into the water of Port Phillip Bay.
“So, this is it,” Rylee said. “This is the end.”
“Care to say a few words before we head back to the bait boards for the wake?”
Rylee nodded. “A day hasn’t gone by that I didn’t think of Cole, since he left my life. He was a strange guy, obsessed with utes and their toolboxes, but he also had a kind heart that made him so easy to love. He has been, and will continue to be, missed dearly.”
With that said, the three of them headed for the bait boards, where Vai and Maphira had set up a platter of egg sandwiches, party pies and fairy bread. They ate for a time, completely silent, simply taking in the sunlight that shined down on them.
Finally, Rylee decided to break the silence. “So, I assume it’s back to the marine welding shop. Close to Melbourne, there’s plenty of demand for boat welding, so you must be quite busy, Mai.”
“Yeah, seems like it. I think people are a bit sick of mechanics these days, so a lot more people are travelling on boats. Great for business, not so great for my life being peaceful and quiet.”
Vai smirked. “Maybe the next crazy group to take over the world will be a bunch of marine welders. We better watch out, Rylee – Maphira might end up being their leader or something.”
Maphira laughed. “If I start an evil group to take over the world, you two will be my first recruits.”