Chapter Text
She was sitting by herself on the front porch, savoring the camomile tea from her favorite brand she had just made. Everything was quiet tonight, not one single bug dared to disturb the silence she had grown to love these past few years. Her children, their spouses and their kids - her grandkids - already learned that, after dinner, nobody should bother Nonna . It was when she put her thoughts in order, admiring the night sky along with her tea.
Although their italian roots were long lost, being called Nonna still had the power to make her heart melt (especially because she was the only one getting this special treatment. Her husband was simply grandpa ). One of many things, if she were to be honest. Her 75 year-old heart was filled with soft spots, not because of old age, but rather it’s nature. She was always the crying one in her family.
After a couple of hours alone with just her thoughts, she would return inside, wash her teacup and only then she was free to enjoy her another favorite activity: putting her grandkids to bed. It was not something she get to do often, since she only gets to see them on vacations or long holidays, when everyone would come to her house and fill the place with toys and laughter.
She thought about moving closer to them many times, but she simply couldn’t leave this place behind. Not after so many memories were created here.
Just as she was crossing the hallway from the kitchen to the living room, her youngest granddaughter came flying by, with her pajamas on, jumping up and down in front of her. It was hard to believe that the last baby of the family was already five years old. Not without a certain difficulty, she picked the young one up and carry her to the bedroom, while listening to the night’s demands.
“What story do you want to hear today, baby? The Little Mermaid again? Or should we read Beauty and The Beast ?” The elderly woman asked but the girl promptly denied with her head, her golden locks floating around her, just like her dad’s when he was this age.
“No, Nonna! I want a new story today!”
“A new story, huh?” She repeated, putting the little one on the bed, under the covers. Thinking about the request, she placed her index finger on her chin, searching inside her mind for stories she hadn’t already told her grandkids. It was difficult, because she loved telling stories. She wasn’t as good as her husband was, but she was getting there. Having grandchildren had that kind of power on her.
Then, she remembered something. A story she was saving for a special moment, when they were a bit older to enjoy it, but not old enough to understand the real meaning of the story. No, she wasn’t ready for the questions yet, but with Arden… She was at the right age.
“Okay, I have one for you. Are you ready?” She squinted her eyes, trying to seem suspicious, and the little girl opened a big smiled, agreeing. The grandmother than sat down at a chair next to the bed, reclining and adjusting herself to be more comfortable.
“Yes, yes, yes!” She shouted, throwing her arm up.
“This is the story about the time where the Sea fell in love with a girl.”
Arden looked funny at her grandma, trying to see if her was messing around or telling the truth. But the older lady was dead serious, waiting for the girl to quit fuzzing around so her could go on.
It was the first time the little girl was travelling to see the ocean. She couldn’t be more excited, dreaming about this day ever since her mom told her about the family’s vacation plans. She wondered if the sea creatures would like her, welcoming her into their home, or if they were mean and evil, trying to scare her away.
“Mom, mom! Tell me about the Sea. How is it like?”
“It’s big, blue and filled with all kinds of plants and animals.” Her mother answered.
“Is it angry or friendly?”
“Oh, baby, it depends whether it likes you or not.”
That stuck with the little girl as the family car made its way to the beach. When they arrived, she quickly jumped out of the car and ran off to the seaside, trying to make a good first impression. Before she reached the water, she stopped and picked up a flower pin that was on her hair, as a gift for the Sea, placing it on the ground.
The Sea smiled and kissed her feet with a gentle wave, which made the little girl giggle. The Sea liked it and brought to her the most beautiful shell that it had on him. The girl loved her gift, blowing a kiss to the Sea, who returned the gesture with a soft warm breeze, fuzzing with her hair.
She came back running to find her mom and show her the gift she had received, opening a big bright smile when she revealed the shell.
“Look, mom! The Sea likes me!”
“Yes, baby, he really does!”
Everyday the girl would sneak out before breakfast to say hello to her friend, the Sea. And everyday, the Sea sent her gifts. One day, it was a pearl. The other, it was a small treasure from a sunken ship. Even if there was a storm, all it needed was for the girl to step into the water for the clouds to clear and the Sea calm down.
The same thing happened with the girl. Every time she was upset with something, the only thing that could calm her down was the warm breeze on her hair and the soft sounds of the waves. The Sea always seemed to know when she was sad, because it was on those days it would send the prettiest gifts to the girl.
The Sea and the girl grew closer, becoming best friends as the days went by. While her parents wanted to explore the city and see the mountains, the girl just wanted to watch the waves go back and forth, back and forth.
The more time they spent together, more it seemed like they had always known each other, almost as if they were never apart to begin with. But unfortunately, the summer was ending and soon she would have to go home again.
The girl would always remember about the time she and the Sea were inseparable. She even cried when she had to say goodbye. The Sea then sent her one last gift: the same flower she had given it on the first day. That way, she would remember that, to make new friends, all you have to do is give a little bit of yourself and be gentle, and life would reward you.
“So, did you like the story, sweetheart?” The old woman leaned to be closer to her granddaughter and placed a kiss on her forehead. The little girl closed her eyes for a moment, already losing the battle against sleep.
“Nonna, I love it so much! How come you never told it to us before?” She whispered.
“I guess I was saving it for the right moment.” With a smile, she arranged the covers for her baby girl to be comfortable, whispered a ‘ sweet dreams, darling’ and turned off the lights. But, just as she was about to pass through the door, her granddaughter called her back again.
“Nonna, how was the name of the girl in your story?”
She thought about the question for a minute. It meant so much for her, it was so close to her heart, that she decided to be truthful with Arden,
“It was Gwen, darling.”
“Just like your name, Nonna?” Arden asked, finding it funny.
“Yes, dear. Exactly like mine.”
“And the Gwen in your story ever went back to the Sea again?”
It was the last thing she spoke before closing the door. “Yes. They became inseparable.”
Summer 1974
“We’re here! Hop off, everybody!” Her dad, Dennis, cheerfully motioned them out of the family car. One by one, four sleepy kids and their mother exited the vehicle, still a little stiff from the trip. They had been on the car for five hours, but they were finally at their trip destination.
It was a beautiful construction with a view to the ocean, painted in blue with white accents on the windows. It had a charming front porch with a couple of chairs for people to sit and relax. The cozy and homey inn was built on top of a cliff, but it wasn’t too far from the beach. Just about ten steps and your feet would be touching the sand. The beach was empty, since there wasn’t any more houses nearby. It was a fairly secluded place, away from the city and just with nature around them.
A couple emerged from inside the building and quickly made their way to the family.
“Dennis! Patti! Y’all made it!” The man shouted, walking towards them. He opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, followed by a big smile. The woman, his wife, was smiling and waving to the smaller kids.
“Mike, Dot, it’s so good to see you guys again! It’s been so long!” Dennis shouted back, excited to see his friends again. In the meantime, all the kids were impatiently waiting to be dismissed and go exploring.
Except for the smaller one. She was hypnotized by the waves, softly breaking on the shore. She couldn’t stop looking to the chaos down there, with the water smashing against the rocks, creating the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. She was frozen in place, admiring the beauty of the first beach she’d met, unable to look away. It almost felt like the sea was calling her name, daring her to go closer, inviting her to sink her feet on the water…
“Gwen, sweetie, come meet our friends!” Her mother’s voice made the little girl snap out of her thoughts. She obliged and made her way back to her family, a little shy about having to face two strangers.
“Hello, darling! I’m Dot, and this is my husband Mike. What’s your name?”
“Hello…. I’m Gwen.” She answered, trying to hide her face on her mother’s skirt. Dot’s blue eyes reminded her of the sea next to them.
“That’s such a beautiful name! How old are you?” She seemed funny and kind, which made Gwen instantly like her. Little by little, she detached herself from her mom, standing next to her brothers and sister.
“I’m turning six in October.”
“Oh, would you look at that!” Dot exclaimed, clapping her hands. “My son is your age! You’ll have a friend already, isn’t this nice? He is somewhere fishing, but he will be here soon. C’mon, y’all. Let’s get inside and get settled. There’s plenty to see while you guys are here.”
Gwen stayed behind, sneaking out to get closer to the sea. The Sun was slowly making it’s way out of the sky, painting the horizon with all kinds of pretty colors. One step after the other, Gwen arrived at the point where the waves broke into the sand, laughing as her feet tickled with the strange sensation on her skin.
Then, something strange happened. The waves calmed down and a soft breath of fresh air kissed her skin. She closed her eyes, enjoying the breeze, giggling when her hair danced with the wind, and suddenly she felt a hard material poke her toes. Looking down, there was a white little thing that she didn’t recognize.
She picked it up from the ground and heard a voice from behind her.
“That’s a shell. Someone used to live inside of it.”
She turned around to find a little boy, about the same height was her, with the same beautiful blue eyes as the woman from earlier. He was carrying a small box with one hand and a fishing rod with the other. He was wearing only a pair of shorts, without shirts or shoes on his feet. His hair was dirty blond and unruly, a little too big for a boy, but he didn’t seem to care. He took one step closer to her, placing his belongings on the sand and pointing to the ocean.
“The Sea likes you. He doesn’t just gives shells to anyone. They are special. Which means you’re special too.”
“He likes me? But I’m a girl.. And he’s… water!” She exclaimed, confused. “Why the sea doesn’t like a pond or something?”
“Well, we don’t know who we’re gonna end up liking, right? We just do.”
“The Sea ever gave you a shell?” She asked, looking at her gift. I seemed to shine against the sun, like if it had sparkles glued to it.
“No.. I guess he doesn’t like me that much.” He answered on a low voice, kicking a bunch of sand with his right feet. “I didn’t like it either when I moved here. I prefered the farm I used to live. But now I guess I’m okay with it.”
“I’m moving away too… My dad got a new job. We are going to our new house when summer ends.” She tried not to cry anymore, but it was clear she wasn’t happy. All her friends were in Arizona, it wasn’t fair that she had to find new ones in California, even though her mom made it seem super easy. She liked her old classmates and didn’t see why she had to start all over again.
“That sucks… But at least you got two new friends here… The Sea… and me.”
“Thanks! What’s your name?”
“I’m Blake. You?”
“I’m Gwen.”
“Are you staying at my stepdad’s inn?”
“The blue house up the hill?” She asked, pointing to the building, and he nodded, confirming. “Yes. I think him and my dad are friends.”
“That’s cool. C’mon, Gwen, let’s see what my mom made for dinner.”
Winter, 2044
“Mom, why are you back here? You’re gonna catch a cold on this snow and you know there’s no good hospitals around.” She heard the voice of her youngest son approaching her on the porch and opened a big smile. He was always the worried one. “Let’s get inside, please.”
“I was just thinking, dear. Come sit with me for a bit.” She turned her face to stare at him with pleading eyes, showing the blanket she was covered with for him to see that she was warm enough. He then shook his head, knowing that fighting against his mom was a lost battle. He had learned that lesson when he and his brothers tried to convince her to leave this house and move in with one of them. No, nobody would take Gwen Stefani away from her beloved home, not even her kids. She would live the rest of her days here.
“Alright, alright. But just for a moment, then we go to sleep. Deal?”
“I promise. Now come sit with me under the blanket.” She slided to the far end of the bench, leaving some room for him. When he sat down next to her, she rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a content sigh. They stood a moment in silence, admiring the night sky and the white infinity ahead of them.
“We lived a good life, didn’t we, dear?”
“Yes, mom. I loved every second of it. I still do.”
“I’m glad. I loved it too.”
“Are you happy, mom? Do you have everything you need here? You know the invitation is always standing. You can move in with us anytime, just say the word.”
“I’ve been better, sweetie. You know that. But the Sea and I could never be apart, you know that.”
“It’s because it reminds you of him?”
“That too.” She waved at the air, dismissing the subject that makes her sad. “But don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“We will never stop worrying about you, mom. You’ve been through so much already.” She didn’t answer this time, because it was the truth. She had lived a couple of lifetimes inside her own. Her son placed his hand on top of hers, squeezing it a little bit, “C’mon., let’s get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.”
This time, she didn’t argue. Using the help he offered, she stood up, looked one last time to the ocean and went inside.