Dolphin Tale 4

Chapter [2]

“Morning, Sawyer.”

Sawyer turned to face the speaker. “Morning, Phoebe.”

Phoebe smiled. “So, how is Lacie doing?”

“She’s great. Lacie is really enthusiastic about learning. She’s really good with dolphins, as far as I can see. She’s got a good, kind nature.”

“Sounds like you two get along really well. I think you two would make really good presentation partners. Well, I’ve got to go now. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Phoebe.” Sawyer stared after her as she left, frowning. Hazel was his presentation partner, not Lacie, and nothing could change that. Nothing. He shook his head and made his way over to the main dolphin pool. Winter and Hope were lounging on the blue mattress, basking in the early morning rays of sunlight. The water glittered and shone, ripples disturbing the otherwise mirror-like surface. He climbed down into the pool and sat on the platform, watching as Winter and Hope rested.

“Hey, Winter.”

Winter opened her eyes and whistled, waking Hope up. Hope slid off the mattress and swam towards Sawyer, squealing.

“Hey, Hope,” Sawyer said, laughing, “good morning to you, too.”

Winter slid off the mattress and swam towards Sawyer , clicking and whistling. She pushed Hope aside gently and pressed her nose to Sawyer’s palm. Hope squealed indignantly and nudged Winter with her pectoral fin. When Winter refused to move, she splashed water everywhere with her tail.

Sawyer laughed as water droplets showered them. Winter whistled, but still refused to budge.

“Want to go for a swim?”

Winter waved her pectoral fin and bobbed her head up and down in agreement. Hope squealed and dove beneath the sparkling surface.

Sawyer smiled before sliding into the depths of the water, Winter following close behind. He sank to the bottom of the pool and watched as Winter and Hope interacted above. He smiled as he watched the two dolphins. Hope had grown a lot since she had been first rescued. She was now as big as Winter, and just as playful as she was when she had been a calf.

After a while, Sawyer surfaced for air. He treaded water, watching as Winter and Hope circled his legs, clicking and squealing. Winter nudged his legs a few times before surfacing. She splashed him playfully, whistling.

Sawyer laughed and splashed her back. Hope joined the fray, and soon they were having a full-scale water fight.

“Stop! Hope, Winter. Stop!” said Sawyer, gasping for air as water continued splashing over him, some ending up in his mouth.

“Looks like you’re having fun there,” said a voice from behind.

Sawyer turned his head, still fending Winter and Hope off, and saw Lacie standing on the ground, smiling. She looked amazing. Her hair seemed to emanate a soft golden glow in the sunlight. Her smile reached all of her features. The sun was shining from behind her, casting a strong spotlight on her. He closed his eyes, thinking of Hazel and how nobody could ever replace her.

“Need some help?”

Her voice was so sweet, so melodious, and so genuine. 

Sawyer sighed and opened his eyes. “I’m fine. Thanks, Lacie. Where you looking for me?”

Lacie shook her head. “No, I just thought I’d come by in the morning to see what you guys do. So far, I’ve seen so many things. The amount of paperwork that Phoebe was doing seemed like Mount Everest. There were just so many papers. I offered to help but she declined.”

Sawyer swam over to the platform and sat there, trying his best not to stare at Lacie. “Yeah, there’s a lot of paperwork to be done. I don’t know how Dr. Clay did it all on his own.”

Lacie looked at Dr. Clay’s office. “Speaking of Dr. Clay, do you know when they will be back? You know, Hazel…”

Sawyer shrugged. “Soon, I hope. I miss Hazel, and I love her so much. My heart is incomplete without her.”

Lacie looked uncomfortable. “Right. You love Hazel?”

Sawyer nodded. “Yeah, I love her. She loves me. She’s the meaning in my life. I love her so much, because, without her, I would be nothing. I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

Lacie opened her mouth then shut it. She sighed. “I see. Well, I’ll be off, then. I’ll see you later, Sawyer.”

Sawyer stared after her, confused. One moment she had been happy, the next, she had seemed so empty. “Wait! Where are you going?”

She turned around and shrugged. “Home, I guess.”

Sawyer looked at her, frowning. “Do you want to—?”

“Go to the beach?”

“—swim with Winter and Hope?”

Lacie blushed. “Sorry, I don’t know where that came from. But, I’d love to swim with Winter and Hope.”

Sawyer stared at Lacie, smiling slightly. “You know, sometimes you remind me so much of Hazel. You two are so different, but there’s just something about you that makes you two seem so similar in a way…”

Lacie looked away. “Oh.”

Sawyer glanced at his watch. “I’ve got enough time to supervise you if you wish to swim with these two,” he said, gesturing towards Winter and Hope. “If you’d like to, that is.”

Lacie smiled. “I’d love to, Sawyer. But you don’t have to supervise me. I’ll be fine.”

Sawyer shook his head. “I have to supervise you. You’re not an official staff member yet, and I’m your trainer, so I have to supervise you in everything you do.”

Lacie walked back to the pool and sat on the edge, her feet dangling into the water. “My trainer… That makes me feel like a dolphin.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like a dolphin.”

“No, it’s fine. I love dolphins. Really.”

Sawyer frowned. “Okay… Come in, then.”

Lacie slid into the water and sat beside Sawyer, watching the two dolphins interact with each other. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to supervise you, I guess,” Sawyer said, shrugging.

“Don’t supervise me.”

“I have to. It’s what I’m supposed to do,” said Sawyer.

“Don’t supervise me, Sawyer,” said Lacie, smiling, “swim with me instead.”