“He’s going to be just like you,” she would say quietly.
Belle would grin, her eyes lighting up. “He’s gonna surf before he even walks.” At least… that’s what Belle believed.
The first sign was the headaches. Small at first, easy to ignore. Then came the nosebleeds while surfing, the dizziness that made the world spin beneath her feet. She told herself it was nothing. Just tiredness. Just the sun. Until the day she collapsed. It was sunset, the sky painted in streaks of orange and fire, when Belle fell on the boardwalk.
One second she was standing, the next everything went black. The word came later. Cancer. Stage four. Incurable. Two months. Maybe. The doctor’s voice felt distant, like it was echoing from somewhere far away. Belle sat frozen, staring, trying to understand how those words could possibly belong to her life. It didn’t feel real. It couldn’t be real. Then the tears came. She buried her face in her hands, her body folding in on itself as sobs broke through her chest. Her mum cried beside her, holding her tightly, both of them clinging to something they couldn’t stop.
That night, Belle didn’t surf. She sat on the cold sand instead, knees pulled tightly to her chest, staring out at the dark ocean as moonlight stretched across its surface like silver glass. Everything looked the same, but nothing felt the same. It was like the world had tilted, just slightly, enough to throw everything off balance. The days that followed felt heavy. Her hair began to fall out in clumps. Her body grew weaker. Her surfboard sat untouched at the end of the veranda, slowly gathering dust and salt. Her mum wouldn’t let her near the water anymore, terrified of what might happen if she collapsed out at sea.
That was the hardest part. Not the pain. Not the exhaustion. The distance from the ocean. Some days, Belle would sit by the window, watching the waves roll in, her fingers curling like they still remembered the feeling of gripping her board. She swore she could hear it calling her the steady rhythm of waves, like a heartbeat she once matched perfectly.
“What are people going to think of me…” she whispered one day, her voice barely there. Everything felt like a battle. Just getting out of bed took more strength than she had. But Belle didn’t want pity. She didn’t want her story to end in a hospital bed under flickering lights.
So she made a list.
Belle’s Final Summer Bucket List
Watch the sunrise and sunset from the same spot, same day.
Teach her best friend Lenni how to surf.
Have a midnight bonfire on the beach.
Record a video message for her baby brother.
Catch one last wave.
Ask Lenni to keep a promise.
One by one, she completed them. Slowly. Carefully. With help. She watched the sunrise and sunset wrapped in blankets beside her mum, both of them holding onto the quiet moments in between. She taught Lenni how to surf, even if it meant standing on the shore, shouting instructions with a megaphone and laughing when Lenni wiped out.
The bonfire was her favourite. Music played, people laughed, and for one night, everything felt normal again. Like time had paused just for her.
Then came the video. Sitting in her room, her favourite shell necklace resting against her chest, the soft sound of the ocean playing in the background, Belle pressed record. “Hey little baby brother,” she said, her voice shaking but smiling. “You don’t know me yet… and you won’t get to. But I love you. You’ve got the best mum in the world, and you’re gonna be amazing. ”She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Just promise me one thing… learn to surf. Feel the water. Let it hold you. That’s how you’ll know I’m still here.”
Her last wish came on a quiet morning. The ocean was calm. Gentle. Almost like it knew. Belle stood at the shore, breathing in deeply, letting the salty air fill her lungs one last time. She closed her eyes, trying to hold onto everything, the sound, the feeling, the way the world seemed to slow down in this moment. She wasn’t afraid. With help from her mum and Lenni, she paddled out. Her arms trembled, her body weak, but her eyes stayed locked on the horizon.
Then the wave came. Soft. Steady. Perfect. She stood. Just once. Just enough. And then… she let go.
Two weeks later, Belle passed away in her sleep. Peaceful. Surrounded by love. Her baby brother was born the next month. They named him Kai.
Five years later, there was a knock at the door. Lenni stood there, older now, but still carrying the same spark. Tucked under her arm was Belle’s old surfboard, cleaned and restored, ready for a new beginning. “Hi, Ms Miller,” she said with a smile. “Is Kai ready for his first surfing lesson?” A small boy came bursting through the door, his face lit up with excitement. “Lenni! Are we going surfing?” he shouted. Lenni laughed. “Yeah, if you’re ready.”
They made their way to the beach, to Belle’s favourite spot. The sun dipped low, painting the sky in gold and orange. The waves rolled in steadily, calm but endless. “This is where Belle spent her last days,” Lenni said softly. Kai looked out at the ocean. “She must have been an amazing surfer.” Lenni smiled, her eyes glistening. “Yeah… she really was.”
Kai paddled out, small but determined. A wave rose beneath him. For a moment, everything stilled. Then he stood. Perfectly. Naturally. Like he already knew. Like the ocean knew him. Like it was holding him.
Lenni watched from the shore, her chest tightening as memories flooded back. It wasn’t just how he surfed, it was something deeper. Something unspoken. Something is still there.
And as the waves kept coming, rolling endlessly toward the shore, it felt like a promise had been kept.
Just like she wanted.
