Page 122 of Ten Years and Then…
“I’ve never told anyone that, either. Well, except my mom. But otherwise just you.”
Shared secrets—even if they were a decade old and nobody else would even care about them—was something to build on, wasn’t it? Maybe he could be the man Leanne deserved after all.
Nora, November 10, around eleven o’clock
“I’m nervous about this,” Greg said as they boarded the tour bus to Sanctuary Bay. He’d been saying it all morning.
“If you really, really don’t want to do it, you can stay on land and go to the bird patio. The brochure said there are all kinds of exotic birds.” She hoped he’d overcome his anxiety and go in the water with her. Swimming with dolphins was the thing Nora had been looking forward to more than anything else on the cruise, and she wanted to share it with him.
He didn’t relax any during the ten minute bus ride, and she couldn’t understand why. He liked swimming; he’d done laps in the pool aboard the ship almost every day. She’d showed him the brochure, which had laid out all the safety measures—there was a dolphin trainer right there in the water with you at all times. Besides, it was a protected lagoon—there were no dangerous currents, no jellyfish, no surprises.
She couldn’t make him do it. That would be selfish and awful, and he wouldn’t enjoy it anyway. One thing about Greg she’d learned was that—unlike Daniel, or herself for that matter—he didn’t laugh at himself afterwards when you pushed him to do something he thought he wouldn’t enjoy and it turned out not to be nearly as bad as he’d feared.
It was not his best quality. But then, she had plenty of those herself. She could hardly begrudge him one tiny flaw.
“I can’t. I’m sorry, Nora,” he said, once they went through the gate and a guide led them to the changing rooms. “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow in Nassau—whatever you want to do, Okay?”
She pushed down her disappointment, and gave him a quick kiss. “There’s nothing to make up for. Go enjoy the birds, and I’ll meet you there when I get out of the water.”
Daniel, a few minutes later
He was disappointed the moment they stepped off the boarding ramp and saw no tour bus waiting where it was supposed to be—just a man in a Royal Caribbean uniform surrounded by a small group of frustrated passengers.
“Again, we apologize for this inconvenience,” he was saying. “There won’t be any snorkeling today—the water conditions are poor. But as an alternative, we’ve made arrangements to have your tickets honored at the Dolphin Experience. Anyone who would like to take part, please head over to bus number six, to my left.”
Leanne squealed with joy. “That was my second choice. Let’s go, Daniel!”
Nora would be there. She’d written it on the note board last night, just like they’d agreed.
Leanne was already heading to bus number six, almost skipping. She was so excited, and he couldn’t think of a single good excuse to say no, or suggest something different.
So he followed her onto the bus, sat next to her, let her take his hand—and prayed that he’d somehow be able to avoid Nora.
But on the bus ride over, all he could think about was how hurt and betrayed Leanne would feel if he couldn’t.
Nora, ten minutes later
Nora stood on the edge of the lagoon, watching the lucky first group of swimmers enjoying their time with the dolphins.
Belle, one of the staff at the Dolphin Experience, had explained that only six guests were allowed in the water at a time, along with a trainer, so the dolphins wouldn’t be overwhelmed. Nora had been seventh in line, so she’d have to wait until the first group finished their half-hour session.
Luckily, only three other people were waiting with her—maybe that meant more attention from the dolphins when it was her turn.
Everyone, both humans and fish … no, she knew better than that! Dolphins were mammals; she’d never hear the end of it if she slipped up like that at work.
Anyway, both the mammals with legs and those without seemed to be having a great time.
A loud voice called out in the distance. “Belle! We’ve got another bus, come help check them in.”
So much for a smaller group. Apparently the next round would be full after all.
Daniel, ten minutes later
Leanne was as excited as Daniel had ever seen her. If not for the staff of the Dolphin Experience leading them towards the changing rooms, he was pretty sure she would have run straight to the dolphin pool—or enclosure, or whatever it was called—and just dived right in, clothes and all.
When their guide—Belle, she’d said—pointed out where they had to go, Leanne pulled away from him, took three steps towards the women’s changing room, lost her balance and went down hard.
He ran to her to help her up, but she was already on her feet. “It was nothing,” she said. “I’m fine.” But she wasn’t fine; there was a nasty cut on her left leg. She was putting weight on it, so she hadn’t broken a bone or probably even twisted anything. But she would still need first aid for the cut.
