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Cathy’s throat clenched.

“Stop it, Miranda,” Jason said. “There won’t be a school anymore. Not without Brad.”

Cathy’s eyes blurred, her chest tightened. He was right. Not without Brad.

Jason looked at Cathy, and his face softened. “Just for him, stay and surf. Only today, though. Don’t come back. It’s hard for all of us.”

He tugged Miranda after him, and the five of them walked away.

Were they seriously blaming her for Brad’s accident? Worse, were they right? Her stomach twisted with doubt. If he hadn’t chosen her, he’d likely still be well and whole, living his life.

On shaky legs, her arms like cooked noodles, she walked to the ocean. The crash of the waves familiar and soothing, Cathy walked into the cool water, her feet numbing from the cold. She set the board on the water, jumping over waves, then lay on it and began paddling into the open sea. The wind wasn’t strong today and the waves weren’t the best for surfing. But she didn’t really want to surf anyway. She just wanted to be out on the water.

To connect with Brad.

With the beach far behind her, she stopped paddling and sat on the board, legs hanging from either side.

Maybe Brad’s soul was somewhere around here. Maybe it was deep down at the bottom of the sea where he’d hit his head. Maybe Cathy should dive and see if she could find it.

Or maybe she should just dive and stay down. Period.

Maybe she and Brad would be together again.

She looked down into the dark blue water. Maybe she should just let go.

Someone splashed cold water in her face. Cathy gasped, her eyes burning from the salt. She looked up and through stinging lids, saw an old lady on a board.

Cathy was so astounded she almost fell off when a wave rocked her.

“Hello, dear,” the lady said.

She was dressed in a black wetsuit with salad-green stripes. Her white hair was gathered in a small bun at her neck, and her eyes were the most peculiar color—well, they were changing color, it seemed. Or maybe they were all colors at the same time.

“H-hello,” Cathy said.

The woman lifted her face to the sun. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”

Cathy looked around, just to make sure the lady was talking to her. “Yes. It is. I’m sorry, are you okay? Do you need any help getting back to shore?”

“Oh no, dear. I’m wonderful. It is you who needs help.”

Cathy looked down at the board. Maybe it was damaged and she hadn’t noticed? But it looked perfectly fine.

“What are you talking about?”

“Dying here is not your destiny.”

Cathy considered herself a spiritual person. She felt there was a higher power in the universe and believed in the law of attraction. She taught yoga.

But she had never experienced the feeling she was having now. It was as if cold sparks of electricity crawled under her skin. “How do you know?” she asked.

“You won’t find his soul down there, dear. And even if you did, that wouldn’t bring him back.”

A painful knot formed in Cathy’s throat, and she forced herself to inhale deeply and slowly, then counted to four, then breathed out again counting to four. She might be crazy, but there was something about this woman.

“Can you help me get him back?” Cathy said.

“Oh, but sweetheart, you can’t help him. However, there is a man you can help. The man who is destined for you.”