The Sea

IV

The wind is blowing. The breeze feels good on the skin. The coldness brings warmth like a cooling blanket as the storm has died down and the sun has graced the girl its presence. She is at shore, by the sand, staring off at sea. Her face is red and puffy and tear-stains on her cheeks and yet her heart feels light, like something has been resolved. As the stories were told, she feels remorse. It's a good thing! The acceptance is occurring. Step one is complete.

The girl swims into the waters once again. She went back to the corals, back to the fish, back to every creature that swims. She went back to her mom and dad, back to her sibling, back to her friends, back to her classmates, back to every people she knows of – back to reality. These words she utter, "I'm sorry," as she hugs them as best as she could. Actions are better than words, but sometimes, people need to be reassured, not just them but also her.

The waves calmed. The currents are not as strong. Two words, one sentence – a short statement changed it all, maybe not completely, but it lessened the pain of years of self-pity. The girl, as she hugs those who are dear to her, bonds are mended, stronger than before. Years of thinking she is alone, her eyes are now opened as she let herself sink to the bottom of the seafloor. Underneath the waters, her eyes don't sting. She could see everything clearly, no blurriness in the way. "Everything is so peaceful here," she thinks as she swims. This is the paradise that she wanted all along, one that she has missed for so long.