Take me to the Deepest Blue
CHAPTER FOUR

Louise eyed her with downright suspicion. She didn’t trust this girl, however innocent and pure she seemed. And what’s more, she sure had Nick under a spell. She hadn’t seen him pay anyone this much attention since—well, her. But that was a while ago, and she knew their relationship had been off the table for too long for her to have any jealousy rights. Still, she looked out for him, as he did for her. She watched Narya like a hawk, waiting for her to reveal who she really was underneath that cunning façade.

Narya was busy helping Nick untie the rope for the anchor. Her hands fumbled with almost everything she touched—like she’d never done the simplest human tasks.

Since Louise had gotten to know her better, she scratched off the possibility of Narya being a drug addict. Only the other day she’d begged Nick to let her try a cigarette, and she almost cough to death. She shook her head and flinched at the sight of her. As irritated she was by Narya’s presence, she knew she didn’t have an agenda. Nor did she seem like a criminal, or someone with a dubious history. But she was so full of mystery. Nothing about her made sense. And she had clumsy hands. Can’t even untie a damn knot.

Louise stepped forward to offer her a hand. “Here, let me do this. Why don’t you go over there and help Pete with the fishing rod?”

Narya nodded and smiled gratefully. She hurried toward Pete and the sudden movement made the boat swerve. Louise shot her a reproachful look.

“Slowly!”

“You’re having a good morning.” Nick stood beside her, his hands busy with the rope. He nudged her with his elbow.

“Yeah, yeah. This wasn’t part of my plan. You know, to have her onboard.” She rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you say she can’t swim?”

“Well, I don’t know. Ask her.” His boyish grin made Louise want to smack him on the head and kiss him at the same time.

“It’s not really any of my business. And frankly, I couldn’t care less.” She paused. “When did you two become such good friends?”

“Are you jealous?” Nick grunted as he pulled the anchor into the boat and sat down, already exhausted.

He still loved it—the boat, the deep blue sea, the unknown adventures that awaited them in the open waters.

“Of her?” Louise waved her hand dismissively.

On most days, she didn’t feel threatened by any other woman who showed interest in Nick. It had been almost three years since they decided to take it slow. Somehow that had transitioned into an indefinite break. She used to blame the accident, and she also blamed Katie. But now that time had passed and healed most of their scars, she was less resentful, and most of the time just blamed the damn ocean. It was hard to keep a grudge against something she loved so much. It was their dream to be here, studying under Pete in such proximity to one of the most pristine waters in the world. And the sharks—it was their common interest in these magnificent creatures that had first brought them together. At a bookstore in downtown Vancouver, when they both had reached for the same book on Carcharodon Carcharias, otherwise known as the Great White shark. At first, Louise was reluctant to let go, but when she saw that face and those light brown eyes, it was not hard to pretend to be more courteous than she normally would have been.

She still loved him, but it was less possessive, much less dramatic, and she felt that familiar feeling only during select moments like these. For the past few days, her feelings had grown stronger, and she knew they had been triggered by Narya’s presence. It bothered her to see Nick so intrigued by someone new. The girl was odd, but there was something about her simple, quiet beauty that was mesmerizing. Her face was pleasant, almost childlike, and those doe-like eyes only added to her innocent appearance. And Louse had to admit a head full of long, wavy hair was eye-catching, irritatingly so. Nick always had a thing for girls with long hair, despite that throughout the years they were together, she had insisted on keeping hers short out of defiance.

“Hey! Louise!”

She hated hearing her full name called out. Especially by Pete, with his raspy, old-man voice. As much as she admired him, she disliked everything about his personality. Despite the fact he was brilliant at what he did, he was unabashedly obnoxious (and proud of it), dismissive of other people’s ideas (especially hers, as apparent from his comment on all the papers she had submitted), and openly perverted. She noticed the way he blatantly stared at her when she was in her wetsuit. It made her want to punch him. And she could. She had a black belt in four different kinds of martial arts. She could kick his ass hard. On most days, she shrugged it off, but on days like this, when her mood was already dampened, her rage escalated faster than usual, and it was getting hard for her to contain it.

“Yeah?” She snapped and felt Nick’s gaze on her back. Pete never asked his students to address him formally, and he didn’t care for formalities. But her voice had an edge to it, and she knew that she had to try harder or she was going to lose it.

“Yes, Pete?” She turned back and made a face at Nick. He gave her a disapproving look.

Right. She needed to be on her best behavior if she wanted to go on that vacation.

“Hand me my notes, would ya? They’re somewhere in my bag.” He pointed at his khaki bag, stained with sand and spilled coffee. She made another face as she grabbed it. His things were always messy, filthy, and most of his notes were illegible due to his bad handwriting. How did a guy like this ever manage to have a such a stellar academic career?

“Here you go, Pete.” As she handed it to him, the boat swerved and she tripped on his bag. Before she landed on her face, Narya stepped in and caught her in her arms. She steadied herself with Narya’s help, noticing she had strong arms, almost like a swimmer’s.

“Are you alright?” Her eyes were earnest, almost annoyingly so, and Louise gave her a wry, half-smile.

“I’m fine. Thanks.”

Pete was shouting from the tail of the boat as he pulled two beers out of the cooler and handed one to Nick.

“Alright, kids. It’s a fine day for shark tagging!”

“What, we don’t get one?” Louise never missed an opportunity to point out Pete’s views on the lesser sex, another thing she disliked about him.

He scoffed and threw another beer her way.

“The other one looks underage. Ha ha!” He elbowed Nick jokingly and let out a hearty belly laugh.

“Might as well skip this one, Narya,” Louise muttered. “This guy only ever buys cheap beer, and they’re never cold.” She read the label on the beer with a disappointed look.

“I think we’re close.” Nick opened his beer and took large gulps. He was excited and always in his element out here. Though he hasn’t gotten over that incident yet, he could still be near the ocean, if not immersed in it.

“Roger that! Let’s drop the bait!” Pete signaled for Louise to get the bucket.

She hated this part of the job—the stench of dead fish. She groaned and went to fetch the bucket.

“I hear you can’t swim,” Louise said as she poured the shark bait overboard. But from what she’s observed so far, Narya didn’t appear nervous being on the boat. In fact, she looked as if she belonged. The sea breeze made her long hair dance, and she sat comfortably near the rim of the boat, relaxed and at peace.

“Oh, yes.” There was guilt in her eyes, and her hands clutched tightly around the metal handle of the boat.

Louise eyed her suspiciously again. She had very little patience for liars, and even less if they’re bad at their own game of charades.

“Look! There it is! That’s our shark!” Pete pointed toward the sea.

From the short distance, they could see a large black fin approaching the boat. The shark swam calmly toward them as it was successfully lured by their bait. Louise took in its gigantic size, its gleaming skin visible underwater. She stood, fascinated, with her arms crossed in front of her.

“Beautiful as hell, aren’t they?” She muttered under her breath, addressing no one in particular.

Pete walked toward Narya with a smile. “All right, sugar. It’s your turn to shine.”

When Narya saw the shark’s fin emerging from the water, she recognized it immediately. There was a faded scar on its pectoral fin. Her heart sank. It was Grey, and a sense of doom overwhelmed her. She started to back away from the edge of the boat. Perhaps she should jump into the water and put a stop to an adventure that was rapidly getting riskier.

“Hey, are you all right?” Nick stood with Louise and Pete to get a better glimpse of the shark and saw the sudden shift in Narya’s mood.

“Yes. I’m okay. Just a bit . . . seasick.” She never thought she would have the opportunity to use this word.

Pete was shouting and laughing at the same time. Oblivious to her reluctance, he signaled her to get closer. “Narya! Get back out here!”

She wanted to turn back, but how? She was on a boat in the middle of the ocean and near her grid since Grey was right here. She was home, and these people were trespassing. They wanted her to take part in tagging a shark. Grey. She thought of her own predicament and all that she wanted to replace out for herself during her time of transition. She also needed to get to Keames, and Nick was literally her ticket out. Reluctantly, she took a few careful steps toward Pete.

“Now, listen,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get to this one for the past few months. It’s an aggressive one, this shark. So I need you to help me get to it.” He pointed at her with a don’t-mess-with-me look. “I need you to do that thing you did with the other shark.”

She knew exactly what he meant. He wanted her to be bait. To lure Grey close enough so that he can tag him. But that would be betrayal at its very core. From the side of the boat, she saw Grey fast approaching. He would recognize her in no time, and then she’d be forced to commit the act of treachery that would certainly not bode well with anyone underwater.

“Hey! I’m not getting any younger over here!” There was impatience rising in Pete’s voice, and that was her cue to act.

“Okay.” She blinked as she watched Grey’s silhouette under the clear blue water. As she leaned forward, she stretched out her left arm and raised it slowly until her hand was above her head. Grey sprinted out of the waters and his snout touched the palm of her hand. They stayed like that for almost a minute. She wondered what would come next. From the corner of her eye, she saw Pete taking something from his bag—a large gun of some sort. She dropped her hand instantly. Go. Go now.

Pete was about to aim the tranquilizer shot when he saw what Narya had done.

“What the—”

Grey dove back into the sea, splashing seawater onboard as he sped off.

Narya felt the droplets of water burning her lower body, and before she could replace a towel to wipe her legs and feet, she caught a glimpse of Pete staring at her with an unreadable expression.

Nick knew by Pete’s stiff body language that he was pissed. They were all in the lab, Louise and Nick eyeing each other, unsure of what to say. Pete paced across the room, chewing on his lucky pencil. Narya was absent and therefore exempt from the rage that would inevitably come. He had asked her, as politely as he could have, to bring him a cup of coffee from the farthest bar on the beach strip before he slammed the door and started mumbling to himself.

“You know she did that on purpose, don’t you?” He faced Nick, his eyes wild, laughing to himself.

Louise cleared her throat and gave Nick a warning look. The soft laugh usually preceded the meltdown. They were both accustomed to Pete’s tantrums, and at least now they knew how to predict them.

Nick tread carefully. “What do you mean?” He wasn’t sure if his vacation was still a go. In any case, he’d be relieved if Pete forbade them to go. But it would certainly break Narya, and he wanted to remain optimistic for her sake.

“You saw her! She was talking . . . to that goddamn shark!” He was visibly shaken and flabbergasted by the incident.

Louise rolled her eyes. “You’re not serious, Pete. Besides, it’s not the first time someone managed to hypnotize a shark by touching its snout.” As much as Pete was stuck to this idea, she wasn’t convinced that Narya was a shark whisperer.

“No, no . . .” He was onto something now. He chewed his pencil more fervently, spitting out pieces of wood as he moved around. Frustrated, he forcefully kicked the aluminum trash can. The crashing sound echoed through the room.

“Even that first time,” Pete said. “The sharks—they paused right before they approached the boat, didn’t they?” He inched close to Nick and, seeing his stunned expression mirroring his own, it dawned on him that he wasn’t the only one feeling doubtful about Narya.

Nick wanted to keep these thoughts to himself rather than admit them aloud, but he did go over the events in his head. The sharks had sensed Narya’s presence on the boat and paused to . . . what? Smell her? He tried to dismiss this ridiculous theory.

“I . . . can’t say. Maybe it’s the boat,” he said, trying to appear oblivious. But Pete was approaching him with that don’t-fuck-with-me look that appeared every once in a blue moon.

“Nick, don’t play dumb with me. You were there both times. Didn’t you notice the sharks and their strange behaviors? There’s something about that girl . . .” He wanted to say something else but decided against it. He held Nick’s gaze before he his face relaxed into a sly smile.

“Alright, fine. Fine! Don’t let me keep you. Go! I’ll see you all back next week!” He needed time to think and waved them away nonchalantly. “Wait!” He reached into his pocket and dug out a crumpled fifty-dollar bill. “Here. You can give this to her. Tell her . . . I’m going to hire her part-time when you all get back.”

He sat down grudgingly, scribbling notes while he continued mumbling to himself. Nick and Louise left quietly, not wanting to risk their teacher throwing another tantrum and holding them hostage to more of his incomprehensible ramblings.

Nick exhaled his relief as he closed the door quietly behind them.

“That lunatic!” Louise said, walking past Nick, who stood by the door, busy with his own troubling thoughts.

“I need your last name.” Louise’s fingers sped across the keyboard as she searched for cheap flights into Vancouver.

Nick was busy in the kitchen, fixing a simple dinner. When she volunteered to book their tickets, he had been ushered into the kitchen, challenged to improvise and create something edible with frozen vegetables and a pack of shrimp in his fridge.

“My last name?” It didn’t occur to Narya until now that she required one. This was why transitions with the Changed Ones proved to be so useful. And here she was, preparing to travel without a last name. She wanted to run into the washroom and hide from Louise and her incessant questions.

“Yeah, do you have one?”

“Um . . . yes.” Her eyes darted nervously around the room. One of the papers left scattered on Nick’s kitchen counter was visible. Biological Information System for Marine Life and role for biodiversity research by H. Yamamoto.

“Yamamoto.” She thought the name sounded a bit foreign, but it might work.

“Really?” Louise looked at her dubiously. “You don’t look Japanese. Are you mixed?” Her skin was too tanned to be considered Japanese, but her features were slightly exotic, hinting at a trace of Asian with her almond eyes that arched slightly at the end.

“Yes.” Narya stared back steadily into Louise’s questioning gaze.

“All right.” Louise typed the name as she spelled it out. “Y-a-m-a-m-o-t-o?”

Narya nodded and rearranged Nick’s papers so the one authored by Yamamoto was no longer visible.

“Passport number?”

“What?” She hadn’t been briefed on any sort of identification number by the Elders.

“Wait, you don’t have one? Or did it expire?” Either she was raised in a cave, or she was plain stupid. Louise was getting annoyed.

“I guess—I need to get it . . . again.” She tried not to sound too dubious.

“Yeah, yeah. I guess we’ll have to stop by the Embassy tomorrow. U.S., I’m assuming? I hope you have other I.D.s on you.”

Narya was unsure of what to say in response.

“Dinnertime, ladies!” Nick walked in with a big bowl of improvised seafood pasta. Narya craned her neck with anticipation. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she smelled the food. She froze as she spotted the shrimp collection on top.

“Oh, don’t worry. This one’s for you.” Nick handed her a separate dish with pasta noodles and tomato sauce, devoid of seafood. He gave her a quick wink. “No shrimp.”

“Okay. Here we are—third floor.” Nick walked out promptly when the elevator door opened.

Narya reluctantly followed behind. She had not the faintest idea of what would happen.

When Louise asked her that morning to bring all the necessary documents, she had nodded and answered mm-hmm to everything until Louise was satisfied and left for her morning dive. Nick volunteered to take her to the embassy, knowing that she’d have no idea where it was.

She stood before an office clerk while Nick sat in the reception area, flipping magazines. This was going to be disastrous. The night before, after he and Louise were cleaning up in the kitchen, she had used Nick’s laptop to look up passport information. The booklet seemed harder to obtain than replaceing a conch pearl in the middle of the ocean.

A young, bright-eyed girl with a high ponytail and a loose chiffon shirt greeted her cheerfully at the counter. “Hi, how can I help you?”

“Yes. I . . . need a passport.” She kept her voice low, hoping this would be as uncomplicated as ordering a drink.

“Right. Are you re-applying, or did you lose your passport?” The question sounded routine as though she was asked it a dozen times a day.

Narya was baffled, and she started to stammer. “Um . . . I don’t . . . I’m not sure . . .”

The girl stared at her more guardedly, her eyes moving to the faint scars on her neck where gills used to be. She had thought they might attract unwanted attention, but neither Nick nor Louise had said anything. Nonetheless, she regretted now not having covered them.

“Well, let me see if I can help you. Do you have any other identification on you? ” The girl’s hand accidentally grazed hers, and when she felt the coolness, she recoiled and her eyes lit up in recognition.

“What is your name?”

“Narya . . . Yamamoto.”

“Narya,” the girl muttered.

She excused herself and hurried off to a back room. The door was shut, and Narya was left at the counter waiting, already dreading the outcome of her coming in here. A few minutes later, the clerk returned, her face more solemn, and she asked Narya to follow her.

Nick looked up from his magazine and watched with a puzzled expression as Narya was led into a hallway in the off-limits area.

She was brought into a spacious office with tall windows that looked out to the sea. A woman in her mid-forties glanced up from her paperwork. Seated behind her large desk, she held a stamp in her hand, which paused in mid-air as Narya was escorted in.

“Ah, hello,” the woman said.

“Hello.” She was unsure what to make of this meeting. Had she been caught without a passport? Was she going to be detained?

“Narya, I am so sorry. I had no idea that—” the clerk began in an agitated voice, but the woman silenced her with an imperious sweeping motion.

“Alicia, you can go now.” The woman commanded an invisible authority, and her mannerisms seemed familiar.

The door shut quietly as Alicia exited the room.

“I’m sorry,” Narya said. “I just need a passport—” She too was met with a dismissive wave.

“No need.” The woman removed her glasses and rubbed her temple. “Alicia—the girl you just met—was supposed to meet you at the dock. She was caught up in . . . well, a rather important date, and couldn’t make it on time. For that she is truly sorry, and has been reprimanded accordingly.” The woman squeezed out a faint smile before continuing.

“Narya, we’ve been looking for you ever since.” She stood up and came out from around her desk with a friendlier expression and her hand extended.

“My name is Jane. And I was a former Elder in our ocean grid. I’m now here.” She gestured around her office with a cold smile. “You probably shouldn’t use your real name up here. Do you have an alias?”

“Alias?” She was trying to make sense of it all. Was she actually conversing with another mermaid in an office in the U.S. Embassy?

“Yes, another name for you to use while you’re here. Or . . .” She eyed her contemplatively. “Perhaps you can keep it. I suppose you’ve already made friends around here?”

“Yes.” She wondered if she should say anything about Louise and Nick and their research subjects.

Jane nodded contemplatively. “Right. Well, in that case, I suppose there’s no sense in changing it now.”

“You . . . you are a Changed One?” Narya needed to confirm this. She had finally met one of her kind in the least expected place. She quickly glanced around her and saw framed certificates in acknowledgment of doctorates and various distinguished titles then turned her gaze back to Jane, a former mermaid. She still had broad, swimmers’ shoulders and an elegant posture supposedly distinctive to merpeople. According to rumors she had heard, several mermaids had become professional ballerinas. But the woman who stood before her was someone who held an important position in the U.S. government. How convenient. Mermaids working at the embassy in a coastal region.

Jane smiled at Narya, her pale, grey eyes crinkling as she did so. She went back to her desk and opened a drawer. “As delayed as it may be, Alicia can take over for now for your transition. And you should probably meet with her once a day as you get settled in.”

“Yes,” Narya replied. She felt oddly intimidated by the former mermaid, and her shoulders stiffened—like she’d been caught doing something wrong.

“And where exactly are you going?”

“Vancouver. I . . . want to meet someone. A friend from the grid.” Her answers were short and abrupt. Though it was unlikely, she didn’t want Jane to read her mind and discover who her new friends were.

“I see. Well, just make sure not to go to the beach while you’re there.” She put her hands into her jacket pockets and carried on speaking. The brief friendliness that was just there a moment ago had vanished.

“That should be all. Alicia can assist you with your picture and help procure the other documents needed to process your passport. She’ll also give you your weekly allowance—for your expenditures while you’re on land. That is, if you don’t change your mind before this week’s up.” She said tersely, eyeing the young mermaid with a contemplative look.

“Right . . . Thank you.” Narya started to walk away, and Jane cleared her throat.

“One more thing. I’d be wary of your human friends. Don’t get too close to them. And don’t divulge anything.” This time, her gaze was cold. There would be no room for discussion, as Narya could tell that this was not a request, but a direct order.

“I understand,” Narya muttered before making her exit. Outside the door, she gasped for air as though she’d been holding her breath throughout the entire interview.

Alicia was standing outside with a sheepish smile. “She can be a bit intimidating, huh?”

“Yes.” As much as she thought she’d be angry with her, Narya couldn’t bring herself to scold the girl who stood before her with one of the guiltiest expressions she’d ever seen.

“I am so sorry,” Alicia said, biting her fingernails.

Narya could see part of the same faded scars on her neck, cleverly masked by a silk scarf.

“It’s okay. I’ll just need my passport. I’m . . . traveling with some friends.”

“Oh, did you replace a group of Changed Ones to show you around?” Alicia asked, looking puzzled.

“Yeah. Yeah, I did.” She smiled reassuringly. A little white lie wouldn’t hurt anyone. “They’re great.”

“Oh, that’s good news!” Alicia smiled broadly at her. “Okay, I should get the documents prepared for your passport. We’ll get your picture taken here, and you can come back in two days to pick it up.”

“Thanks! Sounds great!” Narya wanted to ask her a multitude of questions about her life as a Changed One, but she didn’t want to spoil her trip by having anyone meddling into her preparations now. She’ll be here when I get back.

“I should go see Jane and get her to sign a few things then. Speed things up for you.” She clutched her pile of files and started walking away.

“Oh, and how was the date?” Narya asked.

“Turned out to be quite uneventful, actually.” Alicia turned around and lowered her voice conspiratorially as though she were about to disclose classified information. “Human guys, as you’ll replace out, are usually not that interesting.” She hurried away before Narya could answer.

Lingering on what she had heard, Narya returned to the waiting area where Nick sat waiting for her.

“Hey, so what happened?”

His concerned gaze momentarily locked with hers, and she emphatically decided that Alicia’s statement couldn’t possibly apply to all men on land.

Louise stuffed her duffle bag into the overhead bin as they settled down in their respective seats on the plane.

“I don’t usually say this, but you need to do some serious shopping.”

While packing that morning, Louise was astonished that Narya had nothing to pack for the trip. She had to run back to her apartment and grab extra clothes, even buying a few pairs of underwear for Narya at a local drugstore. She had been horrified to learn that Narya didn’t feel the need for underwear.

For the past few days, she had worn Nick’s T-shirts paired with Louise’s jogging pants. They were too large for her, but Narya didn’t care for her appearance that much. She was simply passing by with no one to impress really, except maybe Keames. As her thoughts drifted to him, she felt butterflies in her stomach. Louise had searched the internet and found out what film he was working on, and where the film set would be for the next few weeks. She also discovered it was no longer based in Vancouver but in Squamish.

As she sat between Nick and Louise on the plane, she felt trapped. She’d never been on one before, and the thought of flying terrified her and made her question whether Keames was worth all this trouble. She declined the window seat that Nick so generously offered her, claiming she’d love the sight of the mountains when they neared the Canadian Rockies. Inexperienced with mountainous landscapes and with little enthusiasm for anything else other than jumping back into the ocean, she tried not to think what was about to take place. The distance between the air and the ground. Clouds . . . mid-air. She thought she was brave and daring enough to leave the water. But this was another level of challenge she had not anticipated.

When the plane engine revved, she almost jumped from her seat. Her teeth chattered as she glanced around her, surprised to see that no one else was affected by this horrifying sound.

Louise sneered. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever been on one of these before. Alright, kids. I’m getting my beauty sleep. Enjoy the ride, Narya.” She yawned loudly and yanked down her eye mask.

“First time flying?” Nick asked, flipping through the airplane magazine. He was nervous too, but for a different reason.

“Yes. First time.” Her hands fumbled with the seat belt. It was too loose for her, and she tried not to think about what would happen should the plane swivel upside down. She had just watched Alaska with Nick the other night, a frightening introduction to flying to be sure.

“Here, let me help.” He put down the magazine and reached over to adjust her seatbelt. She instantly recognized the scent of his after shave—a musky yet refreshing fragrance.

She didn’t realize how much she’s gotten used to living at his place—at such a proximity to a human. A guy. A few times they had bumped into each other in the middle of the night in front of the bathroom door. He’d nodded sleepily and let her use it first. She enjoyed being around him but had begun to sense a kind of awkwardness between them. He was the first one who found her at the beach, and he’d been playing the part of her guardian; she’d gotten used to depending on him. But she wasn’t sure what he felt toward her. Did he see her as a burden? On most days, she felt convinced he wanted her there. At other times, she found him to be distant and indifferent and it befuddled her to no ends.

“Is your family in Vancouver?” She asked, wanting to focus on something other than flying. She swallowed hard as she felt the plane move. They would take off soon, and in her head she counted down from one-hundred.

“Well, no . . . I don’t have any family left.”

“I’m sorry.” She realized that she chose the wrong question to ask, but she was beyond nervous now and couldn’t focus on anything else but her own panic. She took the safety-instruction pamphlet from the seat pocket in front of her and fanned herself.

The question didn’t faze him, and he shrugged it off. “That’s OK. You want a snack?” He unzipped his bag and took out a piece of chocolate bar. He dangled it in front of her like it was something she might crave.

She shook her head and closed her eyes. They weren’t even flying yet, and she was already nauseated.

“Hey, hey. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. No. Well, I don’t know.” The plane accelerated, and she tried not to imagine the wheels on the ground and what would happen when they lifted off. Her body began to tremble and she couldn’t make it stop. With her eyes tightly shut, she could hear Nick shuffling in his seat and unzipping his bag again.

“Alright, here. Try this.” She felt him place something over her ears. It was soft and spongy as it gently cupped her ears. A soothing melody resonated throughout the plane. She opened her eyes. No one else seemed to have heard it. Nick smiled reassuringly at her. He pointed to her ears, and she touched the headphones covering them.

“That’s for you. It’ll calm you down.” He scrolled his phone screen, looking for something. “Let’s see . . . I don’t think you’d be a fan of heavy metal, right?” He laughed to himself as he kept scrolling. “Um, maybe something more . . . acoustic. Jason Mraz?”

She had heard music before: at bars, from Nick’s laptop, and occasionally from the radio that blasted from the boat when she went out with Nick and Pete. But never like this. She closed her eyes and listened to the guitar strumming, and the soft, angelic voice that sang words she’d never heard before. The music put her mind at ease and it was like she was home again—swimming against the current, her arms teasing the water as she moved forward.

She didn’t realize that she had been smiling until Nick tapped gently on her shoulder.

“Look.” He pointed out the window. A sea of white clouds surrounded them.

They were flying.

The city hadn’t really changed all that much, but the air seemed stuffier. Perhaps he was used to the clean air on the island, free from unending street traffic congestion that only worsened by the year. There were a few more high rises in his neighborhood. As the taxi driver turned the familiar corner, dread began to fill his mind as his house came into view. He wasn’t really prepared for this, his homecoming. His home seemed larger, emptier, devoid of anyone waiting for him. From the outside, nothing seemed to have changed. Granted, he was still paying the gardener, and he had arranged for a new paint job a few months ago since he was planning to eventually sell the place. He’d had several offers in the last month but couldn’t bring himself to accept any of them, even those way above his asking price. His real-estate agent thought he was nuts and had stopped bugging him with interested offers. Maybe he wasn’t ready to let go yet. Memories. Katie. Seeing it so close now, the threshold only steps away, the sight of his old home made him want to run. But Louise had already skipped her way up to the porch and, still holding bags in her hands, she signaled impatiently for Nick to open the door.

Here goes—a trip down memory lane.

“This is much bigger than your other place!” Narya exclaimed. She took in the high ceilings, the large, gold-framed paintings of abstract artwork that hung on the white walls—a stark contrast to the shark posters in his two-bedroom apartment.

“Yeap. Nick here leads quite a charmed life,” Louise remarked sarcastically as she opened the closet in the luxurious foyer and hung up her jacket.

“I call guestroom number three! That’s the one with the large Jacuzzi, right?” Her eyes shone with excitement as she made her way up the stairs with her bag.

“No, that’s guestroom number two. On the far left.” Nick lifted Narya’s bag and slung it effortlessly across his shoulder. It was so light, practically with nothing inside.

“Lou, be careful with the vase in that room! I’m still planning to sell this place!” Nick shouted after her as he walked toward the staircase.

Narya lagged behind, her eyes surveying the lavishly decorated house. As she passed the tall bookshelves near the threshold, a family picture caught her attention. Pausing to gaze at it, she recognized a slightly younger version of Nick standing behind his parents who sat on their living room sofa. He had his mother’s kind eyes. The young girl beside him bore a striking resemblance to his father, and her warm smile reminded her of the sun. Her left arm rested on Nick’s shoulder, and the picture displayed their closeness. There was something else about the girl—something so familiar—that made Narya take a step closer to inspect the picture. A necklace with a small pendant in the shape of a seashell around her neck. She wondered why she was unable to peel her eyes away. She’d seen this necklace before. Squinting as she took in the details, she tried to remember whether it had a pearl nestled in its core.

“Is that your sister?” Her fingers glided along the glass surface of the framed picture. It was dusty, presumably forgotten for a while.

“Yeah, that’s Katie.” A shadow cast across Nick’s face, and he hurried to where she stood and turned the picture face down. “Come on, let’s go upstairs. I’ll show you to your room.”

She was done exploring her room. It was grand, just like the rest of the house, but it was also devoid of memories. No trace of anyone having ever stayed here. She found the lack of personalization boring and decided to venture out.

Louise’s low voice behind her made her jump. “Are you lost?” Her arms were crossed, and she eyed her as if she were an intruder. But she was smiling. At times, it was difficult to tell whether she was seriously angry or jokingly sarcastic.

“No. I’m just looking for Nick.”

Louise’s moods were tricky to decipher. They constantly shifted like ocean tides. Unpredictable, wild, and inarguably beautiful at the same time. She gazed curiously into Louise’s face and wondered whether she was still skeptical of her.

“I see.” She frowned as Narya stepped closer and threatened her comfort zone. “Why the hell are you looking at me like that?”

“Oh, nothing.” Narya smiled self-consciously. “Can I come in?”

“Sure, why not.” Louise swung the door opened and waved her inside.

She stepped across the threshold and walked toward the bed where Louise had her suitcase opened. She was busy rummaging through her things and occasionally opening a drawer nearby to inspect the objects inside. It was hard not to notice her familiarity with the place.

“This is a big house,” Narya said. She fiddled with Louise’s luggage tag, a cartoon shark, smiling as it flashed all of its glorious teeth.

“Mmm-hmm.” Louise sat on the bed crossed-legged, digging for something deep inside her backpack.

“Have you been here before?”

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Why, did Nick finally tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Narya sat up, curious to know what she had to say.

“Oh, well, that we dated for a few years.” Louise took a deep breath and rolled off the bed to open a drawer and pull out a pair of socks. “Oh, great, I was looking for these.” She threw the socks into her luggage. “Anyway, it’s complicated. I don’t want to bore you with the details.” She wanted to end this conversation, as if she might already have divulged too much.

Narya couldn’t quite picture Nick and Louise together. Not that they didn’t suit each other. But she found the more time she spent with Nick, the more possessive she felt toward him. “Was it serious?”

“Well, kind of.” Louise pursed her lips and rested her glasses above her forehead.

Narya had never noticed how her blue eyes sparkled, or how Nick might have been attracted to her. But she was beginning to see it now. Louise was intimidating in many ways, to be sure. But there was also a magnetic charm about her, something that made one crave her approval.

“I mean, I gave up a research position in Seychelles for him, so that’s gotta say something, right?”

“Really? Why did you do that?” She didn’t know much about Africa, but from the way Louise said it, it seemed to be somewhere she still wanted to be. Why would she give up the appealing prospect of being somewhere so idyllic to her?

Louise frowned and made a scoffing sound.

“Haven’t you ever liked anyone so much that you’d give up stuff for them?”

Narya let the silence answer for her.

“Well, anyway, I don’t really want to talk about this anymore.”

“Okay.” Her ability to read people’s mood was improving. She now knew when to stop probing, especially with Louise, who preferred to keep a distance from everyone, except for Nick.

“So, where’s Katie?” Narya asked, her eyes drifting to the busy city scene outside the window. Lines of cars formed below them, and the smoke sputtering from tailpipes was visible everywhere. She began to understand why Nick preferred the Bahamas.

Louise kept her back to her, and although Narya couldn’t see her face, she knew she was annoyed, especially after her incessant questions.

“She died two years ago in a diving accident. ”Narya knew that her questions should end here, but she wanted to know, and her curiosity got the better of her. “Where?”

“In the Bahamas,” Louise said, folding and unfolding her clothes.

Her eyes glazed over and they held a genuine, profound sadness that made Narya want to wrap her arms around her, if only to console her for a little while. This was a side to Louise that she had not seen before.

There had been something strikingly familiar in Katie’s picture that Narya couldn’t put her finger on. Now, the pieces were coming together at an alarming speed, as though they were attracted to each other like magnets. The same seashell necklace. She’s seen it once before. Underwater.

“Hey, you girls ready to go grab a bite and stretch your legs?” Nick stood by the door. He was smiling, but his eyes were tense.

Narya wondered how long he had stood outside Louise’s room, and how much of their conversation he’d heard. That diving incident that tore him and Katie apart. He must have endured many sleepless nights—and her heart broke for him, because now she knew.

She had been there when it happened.