Reunion Enchanted

The Dolphin Heiress

It was a cool spring night. London Tipton was sitting on the edge of her deck, shrinking in her white garden chair. She played with her hair, which was slightly damp, but had dried a bit in the night air. She shivered as a breeze swept over her large mansion, as she was clad only in a fluffy pink bathrobe. Usually London wouldn't dress in something so light if the public could see her, but her residence was so secluded that the chances of that happening were practically impossible.

London gazed out over the night ocean with dull eyes. Her mansion sat right over the water, so her hands could almost touch the ocean below. In the distance, two curved figures were hopping over the silver waves. They emitted loud squeaks and chitters, clicking their long snouts together.

Momentarily, London looked up from the dark water below her. She recognized the two dolphins, and could understand their calls clearly. They were chatting with each other excitedly, and were headed towards London's mansion.

She smiled faintly as they got closer to the edge of her deck, and sunk down into to her chair a little. Sitting like a princess wasn't required if there wasn't anyone around. When the dolphins reached London's fence, they called for her. She stood up from her garden chair and leaned over the deck, saying a sleepy greeting to the dolphins. They chattered excitedly with her, and she could barely keep up. Dolphin small talk could get extreme.

Feeling unable to respond with anything adequate, London yawned and told the dolphins that she was tired and wanted to go to bed. They looked at each other and understood, as humans had different sleeping patterns from aquatic mammals.

As the dolphins swam off, London sighed.

"Miss London?" spoke a familiar voice behind her.

She turned around, and Esteban was standing obediently outside the glass sliding door. "You should get some sleep you know, Miss London," he told her.

London had hired him as her personal butler when she moved into the mansion, and he was living there year-round. He enjoyed it. She paid him well, gave him good food, and the atmosphere was usually quite peaceful.

"But Esteban-"

"You'll catch a cold out here wearing only a bathrobe," he informed her.

She sighed, "I'll be inside in just a minute, please make my bedding for me," she said.

He nodded, "Will I come fetch you?"

"That's fine,"

Without a word, he went inside to fulfill London's request, leaving her alone. She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her bathrobe, and turned it on. There were two

notifications. Texts from Maddie.

Hey London, I'm in town. said the first.

We should hang out. said the second .

London stared at her phone screen, pushing down the inkling of excitement that built inside of her. It would only be one day. After that, Maddie would practically forget about her existence for another 3 years. She'd treat it as a casual tea date with a recently met acquaintance. After that, she'd forget about it.

Just as she was turning off her phone, Esteban stood at the door again.

"Your bed is ready Miss London," he said.

London, busy with her thoughts, strode inside, only offering a small thank you as she headed for her room.

"Miss London is acting strange... " thought Esteban.