He pulls me to the side so I can see her name: The Grace. I’m surprised. “You named her after your mom?”
“Yes.” He cocks his head to one side, quizzical. “Why do you find that strange?”
I shrug. I am surprised—he always seems ambivalent in her presence.
“I adore my mom, Anastasia. Why wouldn’t I name a boat after her?”
I flush. “No, it’s not that . . . it’s just . . .” Shit, how can I put this into words?
“Anastasia, Grace Trevelyan saved my life. I owe her everything.”
I gaze at him, and let the reverence in his softly spoken admission wash over me. It’s obvious to me, for the first time, that he loves his mom. Why then his strange strained ambivalence toward her?