She of the Sea

37 of 53 - A Mysterious Lighthouse

Cassie stood on the dock looking out past the harbor and into the Gulf. The weather lady on TV assured her audience the next few days would be carbon copies of today, hot and humid, with the possibility of a passing thunderstorm but nothing serious.

Why had the angel in the sea called to her if no bad weather had been forecast?

Rafe approached from behind, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on the top of her head. "If it was me, I would've taken advantage of my crewmates after winning that wager and ordered an expensive dinner. Why did you just order a turkey club?"

The premonition stole her appetite, and she could only eat half her sandwich. "It was a hollow victory. They let me win."

"So what?"

Cassie hadn't said anything yet to him about her calling, worried about how he might react. She also felt apprehensive about what awaited her and didn't want to be alone, so she came up with a pretense. "Rafe, thank you for agreeing to camp out with me tonight on the key."

He went silent for a moment before saying, "I don't want to read too much into your invitation to camp, but are we finally going to...you know?"

It's what they both wanted. Except, she needed to reveal the important things to him she had learned while cocooned. What would he think? She cleared her throat. "Rafe, I'm different from other girls."

"Duh, I already know that."

"You don't understand. Remember on Jurassic Park when the Jeff Goldblum character said, 'Life finds a way?'"

"Cassandra, I'm not big on movies. What are you trying to tell me?"

She took a deep breath. "I will get pregnant. Right away. I'm not on the pill. Even if I was, the chemicals in those pills don't work on me."

He regarded her. "How do you know that?"

"I just know, and my cycle works differently too. Orgasm is what causes my ovulation. There are so few of us in the world, I think it's nature's way of compensating."

She watched his expression carefully for any sign of anxiety.

He remained neutral. "We could use condoms."

"True, but what happens if there's an accident? I would keep the child, Rafe.  Not doing so would be a crime against my kind."

"This is a really deep conversation."

"If we're going to do it, it's a conversation we need to have. I want to be totally up front and honest with you."

He went silent for a long time before saying, "I would never abandon you or any child I am responsible for."

Could she believe him? Between her calling and the awkward conversation, she felt on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

He must have sensed her discomfort, because he pulled her into a hug. "It's obvious this bothers you. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Except she did want to. At least, she thought she did. She was so conflicted.

Rafe released her from his hug. "Everything is loaded onto my boat, a tent, supplies, snacks...and I do have condoms just in case."

They motored out of the harbor into the Gulf. As they approached the key, Rafe asked, "Where do you want to setup?"

"Close to the lighthouse but away from any other campers." She had the urge to investigate the abandoned structure.

Rafe moored his boat at the tourist dock, and they carried all their gear to a secluded spot within view of the lighthouse. It only took ten minutes to setup their little tent in the sand. They spread a blanket and sat facing the Gulf. A bank of clouds shielded them from the sun. "Sorry, Cassie, it looks like there isn't going to be a romantic sunset."