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The rubber ducky incident had broken through her fear and the rest of her class had gone very well. She even admitted that her concern about Alex making things difficult had proven completely unfounded. He had been calm and encouraging throughout. Now I need to find a new way to tease him.
She turned to watch him peering into coral crevices, trying to find animals to show her. Further down the reef, Alex pointed to several stubby pieces of brown coral anchored by a large white area at their base where they attached to the rock. They looked kind of ugly. She raised her gaze to Alex writing on his slate, then he flipped it around: Coral transplants. Doing really well! With a sharp inhale, Sara looked again, now noticing the areas where the corals were growing over glue at their base, becoming one with the reef.
After he pointed them out, she recognized many scattered about the reef, making her even more excited. It made her want to see the nursery even more, but before the dive, Alex had explained they didn’t have time to go over there. Jack can show me.
Most fish, used to people, simply ignored the two divers. Occasionally, one would dart out at her, usually damsel fishes like the one earlier. Alex slowly led, and she did her best not to bump into him or the reef. Then he stilled and held up his hand to her, pinching his thumb to his fingers and away like a hand-puppet. She shrugged at him, not understanding, and he pointed back at a coral head.
As Sara examined the reef more closely, a large yellow and green eel stared at her, tucked back into its hole with just its head exposed. It rhythmically opened and closed its mouth as it breathed. Alex showed her his slate. Yellow margin moray. She gave the eel a respectful distance, glad it was content to stay in its lair. After checking his dive computer, Alex motioned them into shore, where they performed their safety stop, breathing off the excess nitrogen their bodies had accumulated over the dive.
Finally surfacing, Sara inflated her BCD and thought about shouting. Nah, that’s a little over the top. But her grin must have given away her thoughts because Alex gave her a wide smile and high five. “Congrats. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“It’s still awkward, but I was more relaxed by the end.”
“Give it time. Every dive you’ll get more comfortable.”
As they waded to shore, Hope stood in the shallows, nearly bouncing up and down. “How did it go?”
Alex gave her a kiss. “Another certified diver in the family.”
Hope squealed and gave Sara a clumsy hug. “Great job!”
Sara’s smile could have broken her face. “I must admit, I’m pretty proud of myself.”
“You should be—we certainly are.” Hope removed the arm she’d been holding behind her back, revealing a bottle of champagne. “Let’s go back to the house and celebrate. I already talked to Zach, and he’ll take care of your gear.”
Sara glanced down the pier as they walked by. Jack was wheeling a cart filled with tanks toward the compressor room, intent on his task, and didn’t see her. Too bad he can’t join us. But I guess he’s still on the clock. She felt a regretful pang, then hurried after Hope and Alex.
Sara headed straight for their guest bath to shower. Afterward, she wrapped her hair into a bun and entered the kitchen. A freshly showered Alex was already there, popping the cork on the bubbly. He poured into the three flutes Hope had set out and they sat around the table. A Christmas tree stood in the corner of the great room, but that was the only embellishment. Hope decorated the resort fully, but kept their house simple.
“I can’t wait to dive with you!” Hope said. “We’ll try to get on the boat as soon as possible.”
“Don’t get your expectations too high,” Sara said. “I was all over the place down there.”
Alex finished his glass and set his flute on the table. “You just need some practice. And you’ve got plenty of people to dive with.”
“No offense, Hope, but I feel better having Alex or Jack in the water for my first few dives.”
Hope smiled at her. “Of course. Believe it or not, the first time I dove without Alex was just a few months ago. He’s like my big security blanket.” The two shared a smile.
“And I’ll try not to collide with anyone’s fins, either.”
“Definitely learn from my mistakes.” Hope’s smile faded. “God knows there’s been a lot to choose from.”
“What? My perfect sister, making mistakes?”
“I’ve done some remarkably stupid, impulsive things since I’ve been here.”
“I’ve thought about tying a giant bungee cord to her,” Alex teased. “Then I could just yank her back when needed.” Then he sobered, brushing back a lock of Hope’s hair. “Don’t regret being who you are. I don’t.”
Sara leaned forward. “I agree. It makes me happy to hear you talk like that.”
Hope’s face went blank. “That I’m stupid and impulsive?”
Sara and Alex both laughed, and he poured out the rest of the bottle.
“Yes, actually,” Sara said. “The fire is back in your eyes. Hope, you just drifted through life for so many years. You’re finally living again.” She turned to Alex. “When we were kids, her neighborhood nickname was Headstrong Hope. She was the ringleader of all the shenanigans we could dream up.”
“I can believe that.”
