Nina was sitting in bed, reading, when Nick appeared in the doorway.
"There you are."
Nick walked over and gave her a quick kiss.
"I am going to take a quick shower."
"How did it go?"
Nick headed for the bathroom.
"We'll talk when I'm done."
It was about fifteen minutes later when Nick came back in the bedroom, wearing sleep pants. He sat on the edge of the bed next to his wife.
"So the young boy is okay?"
Nick nodded.
"He will be fine. He got a pretty nasty cut on his hand, but I managed to get it cleaned up. Fifteen stitches."
Nina cringed.
"Wow."
"Yea wow."
Nick looked lost in his thoughts.
"You okay?"
Nick nodded.
"Yea. Kinda."
He looked at Nina.
"Do you realize that the nearest doctor is almost an hour away? And that in the winter, they can be almost isolated here."
Nina put down her book.
"I was talking to Matty about the same thing. She was in tears. She told me that people have died here because they could not get them to help in time."
Nick got up from the bed and went to the small refrigerator. He opened it.
"Want a drink?"
He laughed.
"They even have scotch here."
"I'll sip on a beer."
Nick pored a scotch for himself and passed Nina a beer. Once again he sat on the edge of the bed.
"I have never seen anything like I saw tonight. There had to be a dozen people there, with trucks, waiting to drive Lionel to Deer Lake."
He chuckled, as he sipped his scotch.
"And there was this one monster truck there."
"Freddy Simpson."
"Yea. I mean there were dozens of phone calls from people all over the Bay. The cellphones never stopped."
He looked at his wife.
"And when I was driving back with Bill, people were stopping us, so they could thank me and shake my hand. They want to throw me a party at the Pub tomorrow to thank me."
"Well the Bay will use any excuse to party."
Nina stroked her husband's face and kissed him quickly.
"It is a unique place."
"I have never seen a place like this."
Nina sipped her beer.
"You never will."
Nick smiled.
"So how is Colin?"
Nina shrugged.
"I assume he is okay."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Nick wondered, as he walked to the door to the second bedroom. He turned on the light, seeing an empty bed.
"Ah, Nina?"
"Yes hun."
Nick turned.
"Where is our son?"
"Our son is at Matty's. He didn't want to leave Matty, because she was sad."
Nick walked back to the bed.
"What?"
Nina sat back in bed.
"I told you that Matty and I were talking about the doctor situation here and she started crying. Our son, who won't even hug my mother, walked to her, arms wide open and asked her if she wanted a hug."
"Colin? Our son?"
Nina wiped a tear from her eye.
"He wouldn't leave her side and tomorrow, while we talk to Bill and Matty, he is going to go with a young woman named Tanya, to Sandy Cove and they are going to play on the beach."
"Okay. Who is that boy and what did he do with our son?"
"Didn't you notice, Nick? Even when Harriette went to him, he let her pick him up. He let Matty kiss him.
I'm telling you. There is something about this place. Something almost ...."
"Magical?" Nick suggested.
"Yea. Magical."
Nina took a deep breath.
"I love St. John's, but it is so ..."
"Cold? Empty? Uncaring?"
Nina shook her head.
"I'm not saying that, honey, but ..."
Nick leaned forward and kissed his wife.
"I know what you are saying."
"Do you?"
"I believe I do."
He put his drink on the night table and took Nina's beer, putting it on the night table, as well.
"And we will talk about it in the morning. But right now, I believe, we are here all alone."
Nina smiled and pulled him down to her.
"I believe we are."
Colin ran to Nina, as soon as she walked into the door.
"Mommy missed you so much."
"I missed you too, Mommy."
Nina looked at Bill and Matty.
"I hope he wasn't any trouble."
Bill laughed.
"Other than the fact I had to sleep in the spare bedroom, he was fine."
"You could have put him in the spare room."
"I know, but when I went in to check on them, Matty and Colin were sound asleep, so I just went in the spare bedroom."
"He was a doll," Matty added.
"He had a lunch last night. Peanut butter and banana. I hope that's okay?"
Nina laughed.
"That's his favourite."
"And Mommy, I had smoking salmon and eggs benny and toast and orange juice."
Nick looked shocked.
"Oh God," Matty gasped.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"He ate fish and eggs?"
"Yea," Matty laughed.
"Actually he had seconds."
"Where's my big man?"
Colin ran to the door and jumped in the young woman's arms.
"Auntie Tanya."
Tanya Rideout kissed the young boy on the cheek and put him back on the floor.
"So you all ready for the beach?"
"He doesn't have any swim trunks or sunblock or anything," Nina said, sadly.
"Don't worry Nina. I have it all covered. I have some of my brother's old trunks and I have sunblock and towels and shovels, because we are going to look for treasures on the beach."
"Can Jarge and Mabel come with us?"
Tanya looked at Matty.
"Who is Mabel?"
"Mabel is Jarge's girlfriend. They are going to have little seagulls."
Nina looked at Matty.
Matty shrugged.
"I have no idea where he got that from. We never even came close to talking about anything like that. And we never named Jarge's girlfriend."
Colin laughed.
"Nanny Dove named her and she told me that Jarge was going to be a daddy."
Tanya's eyes opened wide.
"Are you sure it was Nanny Dove?"
Colin nodded.
"Yea. I had to pee last night and when I got up, she was sitting in the rocking chair. She is a nice lady, although she talks kinda funny. There was a lot I didn't understand."
"Are you sure it was Nanny Dove?" Matty asked, hoping it had been a dream.
"Yep. She is your Nanny."
Colin looked slightly confused.
"Although she was dressed kinda funny and well ...."
"Well what, honey?" Nina wondered.
"There were times I thought I could see through her."
Nina stared wide eyed at Matty.
"Your grandmother lives with you?"
Matty looked at Tanya.
"Hey aren't you two going to the beach."
Tanya nodded and took Colin's hand.
"Come on handsome. Let's go treasure hunting."
Colin said goodbye to his parents and he left with Tanya.
Matty looked at Bill.
"I'm going to fucking kill her."
"Don't think that's possible, sweetie."
"Fuck."
Nina looked concerned.
"Is something wrong?"
"Aw shit."
Matty looked at Bill for guidance.
"I don't think we can keep this from them."
"Keep what?" Nick half yelled.
"Is my son in some kind of danger?"
Matty shook her head.
"Not at all. Just a meddlesome old lady who couldn't stay away."
"Matty? Is there something you are not telling us?"
Matty walked to the bar.
"You want a drink?"
"Bit early, isn't it?"
Matty poured four drinks.
"You are going to need this."
Bill passed them drinks.
"Yea, best get ready for this."
"Is this about your grandmother?"
"It is Nina."
"She lives with you?"
"Yea she does."
Nina laughed a nervous laugh.
"What are you being so ..."
"Weird?" Nick offered.
Matty took a deep breath.
"My Nanny Dove died about ten years ago."
Nina and Nick looked at each other.
"Its not like Colin to make up stories," Nick assured Bill and Matty.
"He wasn't."
Nina stared at Matty.
"What are you saying?"
She looked at her husband and back at Matty.
"Are you saying my son was talking to a ghost?"
"Actually Spirit."
"What?" Nina barked.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
She downed her drink.
"This is crazy. People warned me about outports."
Matty nodded.
"Yea. The ignorant usually do."
"I thought you were normal," Nina whispered.
"But ..."
Matty nodded.
"Then we accept your resignation and it will be best that you and your family leave."
She looked at Bill.
"I'll get Nanny Dove to tell Tanya to come back."
"Well someone please tell me what is going on?"
Bill patted Nick on the shoulder.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Nina looked at her husband.
"They're all crazy. There is some kind of .... something.
I don't know what.
This whole village is weird."
Matty stepped toward Nina.
"Why? Because your son has come out of his shell? Because you felt a certain magic surrounding this place? Because you and your husband are thinking about staying here in the Bay?"
Nina started shaking her head.
"How could you possibly know any of that?"
Matty laughed.
"Nanny Dove has a habit of sticking her nose where it don't belong."
She took Nina's hands in hers.
"You are a sweetheart, Nina. Bill and I think the world of you, but ...
and there is always a but."
"Are you seriously trying to tell me that my son was talking to the spirit of your grandmother?"
Matty nodded.
"He was. I am sorry that it happened, but it did. Now you have a chance to get out of here and go back to your normal lives and forget this place."
"Does she only come out at night?" Nick wanted to know.
Bill rolled his eyes.
"I only wish. She can be such a pain in the ass."
"Now, Willam. Is dat bes any way to talks 'bout yer Nanny?"
Nina and Nick stared open mouth, as Nanny Dove appeared in her rocking chair.
"Dem two looks like dey 'as never seen a spirit 'fore," Nanny Dove laughed.
"Booooooooo."
"Aw fuck," Matty sighed.
She looked at Nina and Nick, forcing a smile.
"Folks. This is my Nanny Dove."