“Me? Lucky?” he replied. “Why?”

“Don’t you see?” she exclaimed, still giggling and pointing to the screen. “Don’t you see where White Beak is?”

Rio shook his head, confused.

“She’s here!” said Marina. “She’s about to pass Ocean Bay any day now.”

“What?” Rio asked breathlessly.

“Yes!” Marina laughed. “You might get to see her with your own eyes!”

15

The Boat Trip

“You can’t come all this way to Ocean Bay and not do a boat trip,” Fran said the next morning over breakfast. “See? Even Pirate approves.”

The cat, who was perched on Fran’s lap, meowed in agreement.

Rio let out the biggest sigh of relief in the entire world. He had been so afraid his grandmother would find some excuse to say no. Back home, his mom got anxious about him crossing the road to buy milk let alone going out on the wild ocean.

But he truly was going to see the gray whales today. And not just any whales—he might even get to spot White Beak! Although Birch had played down the possibility of sighting her, Rio’s veins still fizzed and thrummed with excitement.

He hadn’t confided in Fran about the possibility of seeing his mom’s whale. And he most certainly hadn’t told her anything about his plan. After all, he knew what grown-ups were like. They spoiled things with logic. And Rio didn’t need logic right now. He just needed hope.

“Anyway,” Fran said, interrupting his thoughts, “it’s about time you did some normal things.”

Rio looked up in surprise. Going to school was normal. Looking after his mom was normal. But going out on the ocean? That was anything but normal!

“Just make sure you wear a life jacket at all times,” she said, grabbing her car keys. “No getting too close to the edge of the boat, and definitely do not lean out over the water or do any of the silly things you young people get up to.”

Rio could have remarked that he wasn’t about to do anything of the sort, but she had already bundled him out of the door, and before he knew it, they were on their way. At the marina, they found Birch chatting to a young couple on the jetty.

“Hello!” Fran called out.

“I thought that was you!” Marina appeared on deck, her hair blowing wildly in the breeze. At first Rio thought she was speaking to him, but then he realized she was actually talking to Fran. “What? Hang on—Mrs. Gilbert is your grandmother?”

Fran put a protective hand on his shoulder. “Hello, Marina. Yes, this is my grandson, Rio.”

“You two know each other?” Rio gasped.

Not just that, but from the warmth of their greeting, they also appeared to be friends. Of course, Ocean Bay was tiny compared to London, but he never would have guessed in a million years that someone like Marina could be friends with his grandmother.

“Mrs. Gilbert used to work at my school,” Marina explained. “It was thanks to your grandma that I passed my science exams last year.”