Dolphin Tale 3

Prologue

[Dedicated to every single one of you who decided to give this book a chance. It means a lot.]

***

The stuffiness and confinement of the airplane was getting to him, yet not even the ache in his legs could extinguish the happiness held within his heart.

Sawyer Nelson was on his way back home.

Home.

His eyes lit up as he thought about what awaited him back in Florida. His mom, Hazel, Dr. Clay, Hope, and Winter. Sawyer thought about his best friend, missing the way that she looked at him and the way they played together. Winter was the possibly the best friend he had ever had, aside from Hazel, of course. Sawyer smiled, looking at his reflection in the small screen in front of him. The last time he had seen her, her long ginger hair had been flying in the wind, and even though he hadn't seen her face, he was sure that she had been smiling. Hazel's smile was one of a kind; it could make your day one-thousand times brighter or it could send shivers of excitement down your spine.

Sighing, he turned to look out of the window, looking at the wispy clouds floating past, stark white against the blue sky.

"Hey, Sawyer, you excited?"

Sawyer turned to face his cousin and nodded. "Yeah. Of course I'm excited; I've been waiting for this exact moment for three agonizingly long months, now."

Kyle Connellan gave Sawyer a lazy grin, leaning into the back of his chair. "How was SEA Semester?"

Sawyer turned his gaze back to the sky outside. "Good."

"Good?"

"Yeah," Sawyer said, turning to face Kyle. "Good. It was fun, too, and educational. I learnt a lot of new things about marine mammals. It was a great experience, Kyle. Thanks for recommending me."

Kyle smiled. "No worries, Sawyer; you deserved it. Dr. Aslan was right. You and Winter have the most amazing bond, and your work with her is outstanding."

Sawyer smiled. "Thanks."

"Passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are scheduled to land at Tampa International Airport in approximately twenty minutes. Please fasten your seat belts, stow away your tray-tables, and return your seat to its upright position. We will begin our descent shortly. Cabin crew, prepare for landing. Thank you."

Sawyer gripped his seat in anticipation. Landing always made him nervous, and he had never quite gotten used to the popping sensation in his ears. Nevertheless, he was excited to be so close to home once more.