Page 86 of Seal of Approval

Her moans matched her breaths. She lifted herself up and we locked eyes. Her body tensed above me. Tremors followed. I exploded. Spasms rocked my body. No rising and falling. No thrusting. Just coming at the same time. All the while we watched each other.

Jasmine lay down on my sweaty chest. I held her close, my hands flat against her back. No one could ever fit as perfectly as she did.

* * *

The bed shifted beside me. I cracked an eye open. Rose was climbing up the bed to lie between us. The sky outside was showing the first signs of a new day. Rose settled down close to me.

Footsteps entered. Bailey. His footsteps were softer than his sister’s. Jasmine moved over so he could lie next to her.

Rose turned to me. “I wish you were my dad.”

I gave her a hug. “I wish you were my daughter.” Said the man who never wanted children.

“If you stayed you could adopt me.”

Oh shit. I thought they understood.

Jasmine opened her mouth.

But I beat her to it. “I can’t stay. I have work to do back in San Francisco.”

She nodded. “I know. You need to teach the world about sea lions. It’s important.”

“Yes, it is important.”

Bailey shifted. “If I become a doctor too could we work together?”

I thought about how long that would take. I’d be close to retirement. But Indiana Jones wasn’t good at retirement. I could follow in his footsteps.

I sat up slightly so I could see Bailey. “Absolutely.”

“Maybe we could do some more research here so we can be a family again,” he said in a hopeful voice.

“Sounds like a plan.” A plan thwarted by a million impossibilities. But I wasn’t going to ruin his dream. It was a good dream. A great one.

Timmy jumped on the bed and nestled between Rose’s legs. “Timmy will miss you too.”

“You’ll need to send me some surfing videos so I can show him off.”

I remembered the flash of orange on that first day as he’d run after the two wild children. I smiled.

“Will Angelo still be alive then?” Rose asked. “I bet he’ll miss you.”

Angelo always sought me out now when we went swimming. He’d grown in confidence. It was good in one way, but a problem in another. Humans' position here shouldn’t encourage interaction.

Bailey shook his head. “Sea lions don’t live as long as humans.”

“How long?” Rose asked.

“Twelve to sixteen years.”

“Oh.”

The bedroom was alight with the golden light of sunrise. I took a deep breath. It was another thing I’d miss about this place. Was there anything I wouldn’t miss? I could stay lying here forever with the people I loved most in the world, but time wouldn’t stop for us. My destiny awaited. It sounded like I was going on a life-changing quest. But the truth was I’d already been on one.

Jasmine shuffled up into a sitting position. “How about you go make us some breakfast while Ethan and I have a quick shower?”

Bailey rolled out of bed and picked up Timmy on his way out the door. Rose gave me a quick hug and then followed her brother.

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