“Because you wouldn’t have signed it, and time is of the essence,” Papa said easily.

“You’re getting way too good at forging my signature,” Camille said to Julie. “First the surf rescue permission slip and now this. You are so grounded.”

“I’m already grounded from everything,” Julie said.

“Well, now you’re even more grounded.”

“Drink your wine, Camille,” Papa intervened. “There is no harm in getting a passport.”

“Without my knowledge? You crossed a line. This is my life, and Julie’s my child.”

“It’s done,” Billy said. “Now you have a fresh passport, and the world didn’t come to an end.”

“That’s not the point.”

“What is the point, Mom?” Julie asked, finally looking up. “Papi wants to go to France. I want to go. Mrs. Marshall even said we should go. The only thing stopping us is you.”

“I have my reasons.” She pushed her glass of wine away. Her father had made a nice dinner for them, but she wasn’t hungry.

“None of those reasons make sense,” Julie said. “Mom. Please. Don’t make me spend the whole summer here. I hate this town. I hate everything about it.”

“You do not. Bethany Bay is our home. It’s where we belong.”

Her father made his French sound—pah—and put his arm around Julie, planting a kiss on her head. The two of them went to the garden together, talking with the intimate familiarity they’d always shared.

“It’s just for the summer,” Billy said. “And for your dad. You said he’s looking to settle some things over there. Doesn’t he deserve to make peace with the past?”

“Of course, but why does that have to entail uprooting ourselves for the whole summer?”

“Because it’s going to be awesome. Think how good it’ll be for Julie to see the world. And to regroup. You know, after the bullying thing.”

“What am I teaching her by taking her away at the first sign of trouble? Isn’t that letting the bullies win?”

“If you were sending her to chore camp in the Badlands—maybe. But France. That’s a win for Julie, not the mean girls.” Billy took both her hands in his. “Listen. I know you, Camille, and I know the one thing more powerful than anything else in your life is Julie’s well-being. Imagine how shitty it would be for her to stick around here this summer.”

“I want her to love it here,” Camille said, gazing out the window. “The way we did.”

“Then take her away for a while. She’ll come back with a new appreciation of where she’s from.”

Observing her father and daughter together, Camille felt herself running out of excuses. Papa seemed so fragile, yet so determined to make this journey. Her own neurotic fear of moving out of her comfort zone was starting to affect Julie. Intellectually, she knew they were right. Julie deserved to have the kind of childhood Camille had enjoyed, exploring and traveling and not being held back by a mother who had been irreparably damaged by tragedy.