The Sirens Gift

Chapter 12.

I waited at the dock, once again the next morning, swinging my feet gently from the pier like I had every other morning. Today, I stared intently at the water, rather than let myself be distracted by my phone.

The water rippled gently a few yards away, different from the ripples the wind had been pushing toward the land. I caught only a glimmer of green before it dipped back down and only a few seconds later did Caspian's head and eyes slowly emerge from the water, surveying the surrounding area before letting his face come into full view.

I was amazed by how quiet he was each time he appeared, not even making an abnormal splash as he emerged.

I was even more amazed each time by how stunningly handsome he was. Today, though, I noticed his shoulder length ringlet curls had been trimmed much shorter than they had been the day previously.

“ Your hair…” I started, “you cut it…”

He frowned and nodded before placing his hand into his hair, grabbing a fistful of strands and mimicking a yanking motion. Before spelling “S-A-F-E-R.”

“Because it can’t be pulled as easily?” I asked, pretending to pull mine by the ponytail now hung over my shoulder. He nodded then motioned me toward the lighthouse and I nodded. “I’ll meet you there.”

He smiled before submerging himself again.

I stood and grabbed my bag from beside me and made my way to the lighthouse, back to the same hidden spot we had sat on the previous day. I set my stuff down and began stripping down my clothing.

He made a clicking noise at me to get my attention, then he signed “Cold” to me again.

I shook my head.

“It’s like 15 degrees warmer than it was yesterday. I’ll be fine.I have a late shift at work today so I can get wet.” He gave an uncomfortable frown, but I stepped into the water and slowly treaded my way into the deeper part of the sand shoal before leaning into the water. I sat back slowly, my bottom barely grazing the floor where I floated in a sitting position. The water sat just above my shoulders. I sighed in relief as my bones seemed to adjust into the weightless feeling.

I watched him smile as he sat about the same way facing me, I could see the shimmering blue tail fins ripple beside my legs as the water moved around us.

“It feels natural… you know?” I asked softly as I rolled my shoulders in bliss.

He c****d his head to the side.

“Being in the water… I mean.” I sighed as I leaned back. “It feels like I’m supposed to be here… I tried to tell that to my sister the other day… how it felt like I was supposed to be in the water… how being on land felt unnatural, like I didn’t belong…” tears formed in my eyes, dripping down my cheek as I sniffled. “She doesn’t understand… and I mean… Why would she?”

He turned his head to the other side, his dark eyes softening under his brows as he watched me. A soft, sympathetic sounding chur came over his body as he leaned in slightly, seeming to wait for me to continue.

“I’m adopted…” I said softly, “Nobody knows where I came from… My exact birthday… what my name was before… The orphanage said I was maybe a few days old when I was found… a week at the most… they gave me an “honorary birthday”. As if it meant anything…” I scoffed at it, but tears continued. “When my parents got me I was 2… nobody had wanted me… because nobody knew where I was from… they fostered me for a year… adopted me when I was 3… and we were so happy… we are so happy… My mom passed away when I was 12 but my dad has raised my sister and I all these years alone… and I love them so much, and they love me but…” I paused as I choked back a sob, dipping my head down. Then his hand set on my forearm beneath the water. Despite the cold water, he felt warm. I looked at him and nodded as I sniffled. He waited patiently for me. “But I never felt like I truly belonged… and then… the first time my parents took us to the beach I wouldn’t get out of the water… it felt so normal… and then as I got older it just called to me… even in the winter I wanted to be in the water… I didn’t get cold and I didn’t get tired of being in the water…” I blew air through my lips in a huff. “That’s what I was doing when I met you…” I laughed, and he smiled, “I was out here swimming… getting away from everything…”

He squeezed my arm and I looked into his eyes as he signed “Thank you” to me.

“Sorry…” I chuckled, “I’m sort of rambling, aren't I?”

He shook his head and his bright smile made my stomach weak.

I smiled, “I’m glad I met you.” I said softly, “I’m glad I was here to help you… I know you can’t really talk…and it just gives me an advantage talking to you… you can’t tell me I’m being crazy or talking too much… you can’t tell me I’m being ridiculous…” he moved forward and quickly wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me tightly to him. His well built arms were warm, obviously strong but gentle as he held me. His embrace was comforting and I wrapped my arms around his chest as he held me there. The fins of his spine felt smooth against my arms where they crossed on his back. He couldn’t express what he wanted to say in words, but somehow his hug seemed to convey all the sympathy his gaze held for me. His damp hair pressed against the side of my head and the bangles on his wrists dug into my back. There his arms tightened. I could feel his fingers dig into my shoulder blade and listened to him sigh heavily as we embraced

When he let me go, he signed thank you once more, a sincere look spreading across his face as he stared intently into me.

“No, Thank you Caspian.” I took in a deep breath and smiled, “I needed a few minutes to vent… so thank you.” His smile returned as he nodded.

“So… enough about me… tell me about you?” I asked, he grinned and I laughed. “I’ll just ask questions.”

He nodded.

“Do you live nearby?” I asked.

He nodded, then he pointed behind us toward the ocean. Then he put his arm down flat and pointed to the side closest to me and my hen pointed to me. Then he took his hand and jumped it over his arm and pointed to the other side of his arm.

“Like… over the reef?”

He shook his head as he rocked his hand from side to side, then dove his hand down beneath his arm in a dolphin-like motion and wiggled his hand beneath his arm.

“Inside the reef?”

He nodded.

“You live inside the reefs at the end of the bay?”

He nodded.

“That’s amazing… how do you keep from being found?”

He signed out “M-A-G-I-C”

“I should have paid more attention to that sign language course in school… it would be a lot easier if you didn’t have to spell everything…”

He shrugged and smiled at me.

“So what do you eat? Like seaweed?”

His shoulders heaved in a laughing motion, the short chortling noise coming from him made me giggle back. He shook his hand.

“Not your favorite?”

He nodded in response.

“So like fish? Crabs?”

He nodded his head and then rubbed his stomach before bringing his fingers to his lips in a chef's kiss.

“For someone living in the ocean, you know a lot of references… Italian chefs kiss is not something I’d assume you’d know.” We laughed.

Then he gave me a smile, and without hearing his words I could tell the look meant “There’s a lot of things I know that you’d be surprised about.”

“Do you have hobbies?” I asked.

He nodded, then put his hand to his throat and pushed his hand outward and up . I c****d my head at him and he did it again.

“I don’t… understand that one…”

“S-I-N-G”

“Sing… you can sing?”

His smile was almost mischievous. Then he gave me a thumbs up.

“I bet you’re a good singer.” I laughed and he nodded in agreement.

Then he signed “You?” back to me.

“My hobbies?”

He nodded.

“I like to read, and besides working, my only other hobby is swimming, and collecting shells when I find neat ones… my mom, sister, and I used to go shell hunting all the time. Sabrina and I have these big glass vases around the house just filled with shells and cool sea rocks we found over the years. My dad calls them out little touches of the ocean.”

His smile never seemed to fade, but he was transfixed on my face as he listened to my words. As if he was sucking in every single word and digesting them piece by piece.

Maybe it was because he couldn’t talk to me that made him such a good listener. Our staggered, broken way of communicating made it hard for me to understand everything he meant, but simultaneously allowed me to follow his actions as he painted out stories with his movements instead of his words.

Despite not being able to share words with one another, our conversation was lively, and we laughed and talked for the better part of the morning. I told him about my sister and dad, and about the restaurant and school. He shared that he also had a sister and shared vivid stories of them swimming and playing together.

“It’s almost time for me to go back to work…” I said softly after a while. His smile finally fell into a frown as he nodded. I stood and dried off with my towel before pulling my leggings and sweater back on. I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. Pressing damp hair back behind my ears.

Then he signed “Tomorrow?”

And I nodded. “Same time?” I asked.

He smiled and nodded before he signed “Goodbye”

I signed it back to him before he pushed himself into the water and dipped down, the green and blue of his tail once again disappearing into dark water as he moved out of the alcove.

Every time he left, I felt a hollow space open up within me as he faded away…

“Adalaie… you’re late again…”

My dad tapped his foot as he set down a plate at one of the tables closer to the door. He blocked the aisle of the restaurant with his burly arms crossed over his chest. He stared at me with bright blue eyes that were squinted into a scowl. His fluffy grey eyebrows furrowed downward.

“Sorry dad…”

“I don’t mind you going off and seeing your… friend… but you need to remember you have a job to do… late three days in a row you’d be fired anywhere else…”

I nodded. “Sorry…”

He sighed and shook his head, his face lightening as he stepped aside. “Go get cleaned up and get down here…”

“Thanks dad… love you!”

“Love ya too kiddo… hurry up.”