Page 71 of Seren

Two dolphins swam side by side behind the glass wall and I couldn’t contain my smile. One of them returned within seconds, making a pass by us before twisting back around and swimming by again. I held my hand up to the glass and, as it made another pass by, it slowed, letting my hand drift over it through the glass until it disappeared. But, it wasn’t finished with me yet. It twisted back around and stopped right in front of me, turning so his snout tapped the glass gently as he stared at me. Excitement bubbled inside of me as my eyes cut to Seren.

He was recording the whole thing with his phone. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like it sees you and wants you to communicate with it.”

A bout of sadness washed over me. I was happy Seren was there to see it, but I couldn’t help thinking that my dad wasn’t there to see it.

“Or, it just knows a beautiful girl when it sees one,” Seren said, lowering his phone and attempting to make me laugh.

I appreciated him trying to bring levity to the moment because it would have been so easy for me to stay in that sad place.

Once the dolphin swam away, Seren directed me toward a sign for the Dolphin Showcase. “Come on.”

My heartbeat hastened in my chest as we entered through the cave-type entrance, stepping into the auditorium filled with rows of empty metal benches and a huge pool in the front. A rush of anticipation swelled in my chest until I saw the showtimes sign. “Looks like the next show isn’t for another hour.”

I heard a splash and looked to see what had caused it. A male trainer in a wetsuit waded in the water with a dolphin. A female trainer crouched at the side of the pool in a wetsuit. She looked up at us. I was prepared for her to tell us we needed to leave, but she didn’t. “Seren?” she asked.

“And Grace,” Seren said.

She smiled. “Come on over.”

My eyes cut to Seren who tugged on my hand, moving us closer.What had he done?

“I’m Jim and this is Lori,” the trainer in the water said to me. “We hear you’re gonna be a marine biologist.”

I nodded.

“And you want to work with dolphins,” Lori added.

“I’d like to work with their rescue and rehabilitation.”

She smiled. “Well, come around.” She motioned to the area beyond the railing where she kneeled at the side of the water. I joined her. “You don’t mind getting wet, do you?” she asked.

“Not at all.” I kneeled beside her, my knees becoming damp from the small puddles on the tiled floor.

“This is Peekoo,” Jim explained as he held his hands beneath the dolphin who stayed in front of him. “She was rescued from the waters off the coast of Florida. We found her tied up in rope from a fishing trap which injured her fin right here.” He moved his hand gently over a spot on her fin that had been slightly distorted.

“Put your hand like this,” Lori said as she placed her hand on the top of the water—barely touching it. I did. Jim moved his hands from Peekoo’s belly and she swam to us, gliding beneath our palms. Her skin felt like wet rubber and goosebumps scampered up my arms. I laughed, feeling so alive at that moment. Peekoo swam in a circle and returned, doing the same move under our hands again.

Jim made a swirling motion in the water with his hand.

Peekoo rolled onto her back and glided beneath our hands on her back while a clicking sound emanated from her.

Laughter tumbled out of me again as she stopped in front of me, letting me move my hand over her belly as Jim held his hand beneath her, making sure she stayed. I looked into her eyes and tears pricked my own. My dad was right. I needed to work with these beautiful creatures. I bet he knew it would help ease my pain once he was gone.

I glanced up at Seren. He gazed down at me with his arms crossed wearing a satisfied smile. He had every reason to be pleased with himself. He’d done something selfless. Something he knew would make me happy. Something that would show me therealhim. He wasn’t the heartless person he wanted people to think he was. There was so much more to him, and I was really starting to like that person.

* * *

“How did you ever manage that?” I asked Seren as we walked back to the car after spending over an hour in the Dolphin Showcase with the trainers.

“Let’s just say they appreciated the donation from the Grayson family.”

“Seren. You didn’t have to do that.”

He stopped in the middle of the parking lot and wrapped his arms around me. “I wanted to.”

I stared into his beautiful green eyes, unable to articulate all the things I wanted to say about his generous gift. I settled for the easy one. “Thank you.”

“I wish you could’ve seen your face,” he said. “I get what you said about being able to read them. That dolphin adored you.”

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