A Brush of Blue

Chapter 18: Visions of Tomorrow

Naomi was hunched over a workstation at the marine center, carefully reviewing the latest data with Sarah. The screen glowed with intricate migration patterns, illustrating the paths of sea turtles from their recent tagging trip. They had spent the morning sifting through the data, comparing trends, looking for signs that climate change was impacting the turtles' behavior. It was the kind of work Naomi usually found fascinating, but today her focus drifted.

"Look at this," Sarah said, her finger tracing a new plot on the screen. "The migration routes have shifted again. These turtles are heading further north than they did last season. That's not normal for this time of year."

Naomi furrowed her brow, leaning in closer. She tried to concentrate, but her mind was elsewhere, lost in the events of the past few days. "We've been seeing this pattern for the last two seasons," she said distractedly. "It's definitely related to rising ocean temperatures, but I want to dig deeper into their feeding patterns. Maybe it's more than just the water temperature affecting them."

Sarah nodded. "That makes sense. If we can isolate the feeding patterns, we might be able to pinpoint how the changes in their habitat are affecting migration."

Naomi was barely listening, though she agreed with Sarah. The data was important, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Selah. Her phone buzzed against the workstation, vibrating with an incoming message, and instinctively Naomi glanced down. Her heart fluttered at the sight of the name on the screen—Selah.

From Selah:

Just finished up with the meeting. I have so much to tell you. Can we talk later?

A soft smile spread across Naomi's face, and she felt the familiar warmth that came every time Selah reached out to her. Even with all the stress and pressure of work, Selah's messages were like little beams of sunlight cutting through the clouds of her day.

Sarah glanced over at Naomi, catching the smile that had lit up her colleague's face. Her eyes twinkled with a knowing look. "Well, well, well," she teased. "Who's got you all smiley at work?"

Naomi tried to suppress the grin but failed miserably. "It's Selah," she admitted, her voice softer than usual. "She just got back from her meeting with Lorraine and Meredith about her gallery showing."

Sarah leaned back in her chair, folding her arms as she tilted her head with interest. "Ah, Selah. The artist girlfriend. Things seem pretty serious with you two."

Naomi felt a warmth bloom in her chest. Serious. It wasn't a word she had consciously thought about when it came to her relationship with Selah, but it felt right. Everything about their connection felt significant, deep—serious, even if neither of them had put it into words.

"It's going really well," Naomi said after a moment, her smile widening as the reality of that statement hit her. "She's been painting more, and she's got this big gallery opportunity coming up. I think it's the first time she's really felt like herself since..." Naomi hesitated. She didn't need to finish the sentence. Sarah knew. Since Grace.

Sarah's grin softened into something more sincere, her teasing replaced with genuine support. "That's amazing, Naomi. I'm really happy for you both. You deserve this."

Naomi leaned back, exhaling softly as she let herself think about how much things had changed with Selah. It had started quietly, cautiously, with both of them unsure about opening up. But now, things felt easy between them—natural in a way that had taken Naomi by surprise. They didn't have to force anything. It just worked.

"Thanks," Naomi said, her voice warm. "It's been easy with her. We just... get each other. I haven't felt this way in a long time."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "That's how it's supposed to be. If it's right, it doesn't feel like work. It's just... there. I'm really happy for you, Naomi."