Robin Alexander - Murky Waters

Claire and Tristan could not help but laugh at his antics. “Tris, have you ever thought about having kids?”

“It crosses my mind every now and then. How about you?”

Claire nodded. “I think about it all the time. Even the mundane things like cooking dinner for them or helping with homework. I think children are wonderful.”

Tristan gave Claire a big grin. “If by some miracle I manage to get you pregnant, I will be happy to let you do the cooking and homework. I’ll do the fun stuff like building tree houses and playing softball. Of course, we’ll have plenty of time to do all that stuff. We’ll be the richest women in the world and be immortalized in every scientific journal on the planet.”

“Who says I have to be the one to carry our children? What if I get you pregnant?” Claire asked smugly.

“Okay, let’s get back to reality. Neither of us is able to impregnate the other. So that brings up the issue of a sperm donor.

I personally think I’m allergic to sperm because it makes me sick to think about it. Therefore, it will have to be you, Claire.”

Claire laughed uncontrollably at Tristan’s supposed allergy to sperm. The conversation, however, made Claire more excited about her life with Tristan. For the first time, she had met someone with whom she believed she would have a future.

Claire lay back in her chair, reveling in the soft sea breeze that blew in off the water, pondering a life with Tristan. She pictured them having and raising children together. Having a family life 149

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once again filled her with a peace she had not known for a long time.

When Tristan’s stomach began to growl, they decided to go in search of a place to have lunch. She and Claire decided on Hooters, which had an open deck that welcomed wet bathing suits.

They ate their fill of hot wings and fries as they relaxed, enjoying the shade of the deck.

Claire gazed at Tristan while she sipped her tea and stared out at the coastline. In this light, Tristan looked so different from the first day they met. She looked happy, especially in this environment.

Claire made a promise to herself then that when they encountered problems in their life together, this place would be their safe haven. They would come here to work out their difficulties.

“Claire, have you ever been snorkeling?” The question broke Claire from her ponderings.

“I’ve always wanted to try it but never really knew anyone who could teach me. Why? Do you know how?”

Tristan smiled. “There’s a place up the road from here near Orange Beach. I’ve been there a few times. Not much to see underwater, but it is fun to collect shells near the jetties. I have my gear in the back of the car, would you like to give it a try?”

Claire enthusiastically agreed, and they were on the road to Orange Beach in a matter of minutes. The dark-tinted windows of Tristan’s car shielded them from the hot sun outside. Claire looked her skin over and decided that she would need another coat of sunscreen, which would be a good job for Tristan. Unlike Tristan, who had tanned skin, she was fair-complexioned and would be red as a beet without her sunscreen.

“If you want to see where we will be snorkeling, look out over the water when we go over this bridge,” Tristan said as she drove.

Claire looked at the blue-green water. The entire area was alive with activity. She could see the divers’ flags floating on the surface. The beach area itself was peppered with bodies basking in the sun.

Once Tristan had found a spot to park in the crowded lot, they unloaded the gear from the back of the car. Tristan threw a netted bag over her shoulder that contained masks and snorkels. For good measure, she tossed a couple of bottles of water inside, knowing they would get thirsty quickly.

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Tristan led Claire down a sandy path to the water’s edge. “This is where a lot of dive companies conduct their classes; the water is very clear here. Let’s go around the point to the jetties. The waves wash up shells that get caught along the rocks. That’s where I find the most interesting stuff,” Tristan said as she led Claire along.

When they came to the spot Tristan thought was best, Tristan set the gear bag down and applied the defogger to the masks. Once the task was completed, she and Claire waded into the water about waist deep.

“Dip down into the water and slick your hair back. That way, the mask won’t get hung up in your hair.” Claire did as Tristan suggested. When she stood, Tristan helped her with the mask. She adjusted the snorkel until it was in a comfortable position for Claire to use.

“Snorkeling is very simple. You float on the surface of the water; the air in your lungs will keep you buoyant. When you see something you want to collect, you tuck your body and kick with your legs to the bottom. You can clear you snorkel by turning your head down and blowing the air out of your lungs before you break the surface. This will clear the water out of the snorkel without having to lift your face out of the water.

“While you’re snorkeling, water will invariably find its way into your mask. To keep from pulling it on and off your face, the easiest way to clear it is to press on the top of it, breaking the seal a little and blowing with your nose. The pressure will force the water out of your mask.”

When she finished speaking, Tristan noticed the puzzled look on Claire’s face. “You really expect me to remember all that? I’ll be lucky if I don’t get choked the first minute I put my face in the water,” Claire said as she kicked at the little fish that swam around her legs.

“Umm, okay, just remember this: Don’t swim too close to the jetties or the waves may push you into them; they are covered with sharp barnacles. Also, don’t stick your hands in any holes in the rocks. Whatever is living in there may not take too kindly to the invasion of its home,” Tristan said with a smile.

After a few tries, Claire caught on quickly. She swam alongside Tristan, who pointed out different things as they went by. As they approached the jetties, they began to see small groups of silver-151

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colored fish. Claire marveled as they bravely swam right up to her mask but darted away when she tried to touch them.

Tristan studied the floor of the warm Gulf for shells. She dived down and collected a few specimens. Finding them broken, she let them fall back to the sandy bottom. Claire watched her from the surface, still not feeling very confident in her abilities.

Instead, she would tap Tristan on the leg and point to things she found interesting. She was especially wary of the jetties, which were a big pile of slimy rocks covered in barnacles, just as Tristan had described.

After about an hour, they had gathered a nice collection of shells.

Tristan was careful not to take any that had a living creature inside. She and Claire were wading back to the beach when Tristan noticed that Claire’s back and legs were getting red, not to mention the portion of Claire’s bottom that her swimsuit did not cover. “Claire, I think we need to get out of the sun. Your entire back side is getting red.”

Claire didn’t argue the point as her skin began to sting. She glanced over at two men sitting in the sand enjoying the sun. One was openly appraising her as she dried off. Anxiety and fear gripped her as she allowed the thoughts that had been floating in the back of her mind to come to the surface. Were the eyes that had sought her out so many times before now upon her? She swore those eyes were near; she could sense their presence. It was as though she had a link to the person who caused her so many sleepless nights.