Dolphin Tale 4

Chapter [28]

The day dawned, and with it came a sense of dread. Even with the sun spreading its warmth across the land and with the birds spreading their melodious, harmonious tunes, there was still a sense of dread. The previous evening, Sawyer had told his mother of his choice to leave Florida and go and live with his father in Washington. They had both come to the decision that it would probably be for the best. They both agreed that today would be the day in which they would say their final goodbyes.

The walk to Clearwater Marine Aquarium was a long one. Normally, Sawyer would rush to get to CMA in order to check on the animals, but today he wanted to take in all the scenery around him. He wanted to absorb every little detail that surrounded him, from the way the ants moved in a straight line, to the formations of the clouds against the baby blue skies. Each step he took was one closer to being his last, and he wondered which step would actually be his last, and where his last step would be. Would it be on grass? On tarmac at the airport? Or on carpet? Questions swam through his head but he pushed them aside knowing that, in time, each and every single on would be answered. For the time being, he just wanted to focus on saying goodbye—nothing else.

When he passed by the beach where he had, purely by fate, met and saved Winter, he paused and took out a phone. He took a picture of the beach, its sand and the frothing surf. After all, pictures lasted longer. He stared into the distance for a while before deciding to move on. Sawyer walked on until he caught sight of  Clearwater Marine Aquarium silhouetted against the sky. Yet again, he took a photo of it before moving on.

A minute later, he found himself outside Clearwater Marine Aquarium. From the outside it looked empty—deserted, even—but Sawyer knew that behind the shabby-looking concrete walls, there was some sort of ation taking place, whether it was tending to animals or holding meetings or presentations, something was always happening at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. That's what Sawyer liked about working at CMA—there was so much to do that there was rarely time to think about anything else. But know, thoughts raced through his mind like speeding cars and it was giving him a minor headache. He also enjoyed the peacefulness of Clearwater Marine Aquarium. In general, Sawyer loved everything about CMA. Everything. Except that he would never be able to experience it again...

The staff entrance loomed ahead and Sawyer had the sudden urge to turn tail and head home. But his heart wouldn't let him do that. After all, he couldn't just leave without saying one last goodbye to Winter and Hope. Then there was Phoebe and Kat, and all the other staff members and volunteers. But there was also Dr. Clay and Hazel...

Just thinking about Hazel made Sawyer uncomfortable. He didn't know why, though. Just the thought of never seeing her again made his stomach feel unsettled, like he was on a boat in extremely choppy seas. If only Lacie hadn't happened. If only everything had gone to plan after Hazel had arrived back in Florida after her trip around the world. But it hadn't. Everything had gone terribly wrong.

The door swung open noiselessly and Sawyer entered, staring around the room. Nothing much had changed since the very first time he had stepped through the doors. Sawyer didn't want to think about what Clearwater Marine Aquarium might be like several years after he left. He didn't want to come back—if he did—and find out that Winter had...passed on. If that ever happened, he wanted to be here, with Winter.

"Hello, Sawyer, I haven't seen you in a long time. What are you doing here? Are you starting work again? We desperately need your help."

Sawyer's eyes fell on Phoebe who was standing by the window of the dolphin pool. He sighed. "I came here today to say goodbye to everyone, Phoebe. I won't be coming back. I won't ever be coming back."

Phoebe blinked and cocked her head. "Goodbye? Why, though? What are you talking about? Of course you're coming back, why wouldn't you be?"

"I'm leaving for Washington in a few days to go and live with my father. My mother's coming too. It's permanent—well, I think it is, anyway. I don't think I'll ever be coming back to Florida, hence the reason why I'm saying goodbye to everyone. I'm sorry, Phoebe, I should have informed you sooner."