Sweet Lantern

Chapter 37

Alice

Sitting in the glass room, eating lunch, we watch as the colors soar around us. There are so many different fish, all different shapes and sizes, all different kinds. The windows are very colorful, and I am in awe, unable to speak, just watching as they go here and there, all around Darry and me.

When I am finally able to speak, the only thing I can think of is, "How can anyone see this and question whether or not there is a God? Look at the complex lifeforms swimming all around us, Darry. This is amazing!"

I take another bite of my burger and look over to see Darry looking straight up, his eyes wide, his mouth open, as a huge whale shark passes over us. It throws a dark shadow over the room until his large body moves, allowing light to fill the room once again. His size is impressive, and it feels like we're scuba diving, without all the gear or fear of being eaten or getting the bends.

The room is so relaxing. Some people have joined us and fallen asleep while watching the fish swimming. They sit, leaned against the wall, eyes closed, mouths slightly opened, and they're now softly snoring. It's kind of humorous, but I can totally understand, as I begin to yawn and feel an overwhelming feeling of fatigue sweep over me.

"I think we're gonna have to go soon, Darry, or I'm gonna take up my place against the wall and take a nap too." I laugh at the thought of this pregnant woman, snoring in the corner under the glass aquarium.

Darry stands up and gets in front of me, offering me his hand to balance myself as I stand up. "It's time for us to head to the hotel anyway. We need to grab our bags and make it to the airport in time so we're not rushing", he tells me.

We throw our plates away in the closest trashcan and head to the exit. But right before the exit, there's a big round black tub in the middle of the floor. Several people have started to gather around and there's a lady in a light blue polo telling them all about whatever is in the tub. We walk over and see little baby Atlantic Rays and Cownose Rays swimming around. The lady tells us to open our hands and make sure our fingers are lifted upward, then we can touch the rays as they pass by.

"Oh, you know I have to do this, babe!" I tell Darry, putting my hand down just as instructed, into the cool water. When the rays pass under my touch, I jump at the contact and pull my hand back, as I laugh at myself for reacting like a scared little kid. "You OK?" Darry's right behind me, making sure I wasn't hurt. "I'm fine, it just startled me, I guess." I say as I put my hand back into the water and wait for the rays to come back to me. When the next one passes under my touch, I stand very still and force myself not to pull my hand from its back. It's sleek feeling, soft and stiff all at the same time. It's a very cool and new sensation against my skin.

I let ray after ray pass under my touch and then Darry steps up to reach in and feel the shiny gray creatures. He smiles as they pass under him, "It kind of tickles the palm of my hand", he tells me, reaching in and chasing behind the ones that are passing by him. "This is so cool!" he exclaims, smiling over at me.

When we're able to pry ourselves away from the ray tub, we make it back to the car and Darry helps me in. He's driving back, at his insistence, so that I can see the coast and get that experience from a different perspective than just driving it. And he's absolutely right! Seeing it, not distracted, not having to keep an eye on the road, is fantastically different. The rocks, the waves below hitting the edge of the shore, the dolphins swimming and jumping in the water, the lighthouses, it's all so beautiful and overwhelming. The top is down, and the cool wind is whipping my hair around my face, the salt air filling my senses as I take in these beautiful sights around me. I feel free in a way that I've never felt before. Like it's just me and Darry and our baby in this world and this world belongs to only us.

This whole trip has been so magical and has filled my heart with a love for the ocean. "I really want to live here one day, Darry. This is too much to take in and have to give it up forever. I want to be able to see this every day."

"I know, Alley. I agree... it's all so extraordinary. I couldn't walk away from this unchanged any more than I could walk away from you. I would love to come back and live here. It's just going to take some planning and some time to get us here, but I will get you here, babe. If this is your dream, it's my dream. I will follow you wherever you want to go", he tells me, taking my hand to his mouth and kissing me.

We pass a rock formation out in the water and I'm instantly taken back to mine and Darry's childhood, sitting on the floor in front of the TV, watching, completely captivated by the moving images of adventurous boys and girls, searching for buried treasure in a dangerous underground cavern, just trying to save their childhood homes.

"Darry, look! Isn't that the rocks from... ?!" I begin to ask him excitedly, pointing out over the cliff.

"Yeah, I think so. I saw that on the way up and thought the same thing. Isn't that neat?"

"...never say die!" I call out into the wind, over the water, pushing my voice toward the rocks and then dropping my head back against the seat, laughing.

We pull up to the hotel and go inside to grab our bags. Darry calls the cab that's going to take us to catch our flight and then he returns our gorgeous rental car across the street. When the cab rolls up, we toss our bags into the trunk and get inside, me clutching the stuffed whale shark that Darry bought me at the aquarium, to my chest as I lean into him, tears falling down my cheeks as I silently say goodbye to this magical fantasy that we've enjoyed for the past few days. "Are you OK? What's wrong, babe?" Darry asks, lifting my chin so my eyes meet his. "I'm ok, I'm just going to miss this place. I had such a wonderful time here with you."

"Me too, my sweet Alice, me too. I love you", he says, lifting my chin and kissing my lips as we take off, headed to catch our flight home.

Home.

I wonder if it will even feel the same after this. I feel so different... so awakened, like it's been weeks or months instead of days away from the farms. A totally different life.