Sheila slumped in relief, smiling toothily. Ro bit back a wince upon seeing the pink lipstick smeared on her pearly whites. “Oh, good. I’m so glad. You’re the best diver, Ro. We make one hell of a team. Best sheller and diver ever.” She giggled like a schoolgirl; an odd, jarring sound with her deep voice. “I really didn’t think you’d be able to. I mean, with Ryo and all…He was so upset this morning. I’m glad you talked him into it.”
“Yeah. About that. He’s still pretty sensitive. So it’s best if we don’t mention anything about it to him. He understands, but he’s….the doctors said he’s….still very emotionally fragile. He’s gonna be like that for a long time. Loosing his leg and all…” Ro faked a smile and sucked up a huge gulp of soda. A small worm of guilt wriggled in her belly but she ruthlessly squashed it. Ryo didn’t have to know. She wasn’t lying, exactly. It was for his own good. They needed the money.
“I understand completely.” Sheila’s square face radiated compassion. She leaned forward and covered one of Ro’s hands with her large one. “You and Ryo were so supportive of me when I transitioned. Now I wanna be there for you guys. I want to split the profits with you.”
Ro’s eyes widened in disbelief. She stared, shocked speechless at the offer. Divers made good money; up to a hundred thousand a season. But the real money was for the business owners who owned the boats and sold the abalone; they could make up to a million dollars. They also absorbed most of the operating costs.
“I… thank you. But no. I can’t accept. Very generous of you. But. No.” Ro croaked out.
“Yes, you can. And you will. I’m so relieved I don’t have to find another diver. Oh, look. There’s Marvin! Gotta go! Tootles!” Sheila jumped up and ran for the door before Ro could protest further.
Ro stared at Sheila’s empty seat. Her mind swam with the financial possibilities Sheila’s gift opened up to them. No worries about bills. Savings restored. She could take some time off work to focus on Ryo. Maybe they could even take a vacation once Ryo got back on his feet. Foot. Whatever.
A flash of movement caught the corner of her eye. She turned her head. Marvin and Sheila stood outside the restaurant doors, in clear sight of Ro’s view. They ate weird, gritty looking imitation ice cream. Marvin happily dug in, watching Sheila with hopeful, expectant eyes. Sheila took a small bite and shuddered. She grimaced and smiled at Marvin, looking like she was going to be sick.
Ro snorted. All that, just to make the dweeb happy? A small voice inside insisted that’s what relationships were all about. Communication. Honesty. Trust. Compromise. Sacrifice. She should’ve talked things out with Ryo instead of going behind his back. Guilt churned the food in her stomach into a leaden ball. He’d never been fully happy about her diving in shark infested waters, but he’d never protested or said anything openly. When there was a shark attack among the surfers, he steered clear of the beach for weeks. He loved it too much to stay away forever. She was the same with diving. Plus all that money. There was no compromise on this issue. All or nothing. Dive and money, or no dive and a bank account shrinking faster than she could refill it. Ryo wasn’t thinking clearly or rationally. It was all up to her.
Sheila and Marvin left. Ro stood up and headed home. She thought of her pretty boy lying so pale and frail in the hospital bed. He was so beautiful it made her heart ache. So pretty he could pass for a girl. With his looks, he was the one who should’ve been trans. Not big, manly Sheila. Ryo’s long, inky lashes added to his femininity. Especially when his eyes were full of tears, pleading and begging her not to risk her life. He was so vulnerable; he needed her now more than ever. She was his rock. If he ever found out she lied to him, it would break his heart. Shatter his trust.
She was near tears when she pulled into her driveway. She harshly reminded herself Ryo would never know. This was for the best. She wasn’t lying, not really. It’s not like she was having an affair. They just disagreed on an income-earning opportunity. Differing opinions on the risk versus the reward. She had to be strong and make a hard decision for both of them. Ryo was too unstable to think logically or clearly. To look at the facts and weigh the odds. He needed her. She wiped her tears, determined to get on with the rest of her day.