Hart of the Sea

Chapter 10

The morning after Princess Peitha's birthday ball, the sea lion mail for the week had arrived. Remembering the letter I'd written to Calliope and Oriel, I quickly brought the mail inside and sifted through it to see if they'd responded yet. My heart fell when I'd made it through the entire stack of letters and hadn't found a single one addressed to me.

I was starting to worry. Marsh said he hadn't heard from them in a while, and now they weren't responding to me either. Maybe they didn't have the time on their swim home to write us back, but still...something was off.

I need to ask Marsh if he's heard from them yet. I rushed back to my room and grabbed a piece of kelp parchment, hastily scribbling:

Marsh, it's me, Hart.

Have Oriel and Calli written you back yet? Just got this week's mail, and...no letter from them. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but...this isn't like them. Just let me know if you've heard anything.

I darted out of my room so fast that I nearly knocked my mom down as she left her own room. "Hart, where are you going in such a rush?" She called after me, but I was already outside.

My eyes scanned the open water in front of me, searching for the sea lion that delivered our mail. He couldn't have gotten far... I needed to have this letter delivered as soon as possible. I couldn't wait a whole other week before sending it.

I finally spotted the sea lion downcurrent a few houses from mine and swam towards him as fast as I could. He scowled as he turned his lithe body towards me. Taking a deep breath, I held up the folded parchment in my hand and grimaced apologetically. The sea lion deliberated for a second before he grumbled irritatedly, nudging his head towards his mail carrier woven from thick seaweed that was draped across his back.

"Thank you," I breathed, and tucked the letter to Marsh snugly inside the mail carrier before I turned on my fin and swam quickly back home.

Mom and Dad greeted me in the kitchen, confused expressions etched into both of their faces. "What was all that about?" Mom asked me, a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth as she set down a clamshell bowl of kelpmeal on the dining table.

I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could. "Oh, you know. Last minute letter to Marsh."

"How is he doing?" She asked, scooping some more kelpmeal into another bowl with her abalone ladle. "I know that shell collecting is an iffy business to be in. I don't care how highly regarded it is, it's always changing. I never thought of it as a stable career option." She handed the bowl of kelpmeal to my dad, who sat down at the dining table and gestured for me to do the same.

I sat in my usual spot next to him, which was where Mom put the first bowl of kelpmeal. I took a bite and chewed it slowly, buying time as I brainstormed how to get myself out of this small talk.

"Hart?" Dad said after a few moments. "Your mom asked you a question." They both stared expectantly at me, waiting for my answer.

"Oh, you know, he's doing great," I said finally. "He actually just got promoted to Shell Quality Consultant, or whatever it's called." I took another bite of kelpmeal, knowing what the next question would be and dreading it.

"That's nice, his parents must be proud," Mom beamed, swimming over to her seat holding her own bowl of kelpmeal. "How are Calliope and Oriel doing?" She asked once she sat down. "They must be having so much fun on their vacation. Tide, we should save up to go on vacation next summer. You know, to celebrate Hart's graduation, get away from the villages...I think it could be good for us."

"It's a possibility," Dad mumbled thoughtfully around his bite of kelpmeal. Mom's mouth lifted in a small smile before she turned her attention back to me.