10 Dane Waters (1/2)

Denise woke up with a start, she looked around the room and saw an empty bed. Shocked, she stood up quickly but the pain in her neck stopped her. Holding it for a moment she thought about where he could have disappeared to then she heard the laughing. Her eyes went wide when she knew what that laugh meant.

”Darya!” She whisper-shouted to herself and quickly descended the stairs. Stopping at the bottom, she knew Darya would ask why she was coming from upstairs. She slid against the left side wall and scooted to her bedroom without anyone hearing her. Taking a breath, she exited her room and entered the kitchen without Darya asking her about coming from upstairs.

”Morning mom, your guest here is really funny. He knows so much about the ocean, maybe more than you.” She poked as Denise walked into the kitchen to join them. She smiled at her daughter and stuck out her tongue. Turning to the other person in the room she couldn't help the slight blush that appeared on her cheeks. Hoping her daughter didn't see it, she took a seat in the middle of them at the table.

”I don't know...I have a masters in marine biology, I know a lot about the ocean.” Denise bit back while trying to not look at Dane sitting next to her on the left. Darya looked at her strangely but ignored it. She cleaned her plate and took it to the sink quickly.

”Marty and I are going on a scavenge today. We don't have any lessons or training. Want me to bring you back a seashell?” Darya asked as she finished off her glass of soy milk. She didn't particularly like soy milk but her allergy made it nearly impossible to enjoy regular milk.

”Sure hun, try and find that elusive blue one?” She asked hoping Dane didn't read into the seashell thing.

”Sorry David, my mother is a big seashell collector. It started when she met my father. He would bring her one every day. Now it's my job since he disappeared.” She joked while picking up her bag and heading for the door. Denise was a little confused about the David thing, but she would ask him later. She kind of wish Darya didn't bring up the shell story but it happened and now she had to face the music when she left.

”Seashells are the jewelry of the sea,” Dane said with a deep look towards Denise even if she wasn't looking at him, he knew why of course, but that was being saved for later.

”She says that too.” Darya pointed at her mom and walked out the front door.

”Stay safe!” Denise shouted to her as the screen door slammed behind her. Denise swears she could hear her heartbeat inside of her rib cage. She never thought a day like this would come, a part of her wanted him to stay as sleep because then she wouldn't have to face the man that left her.

”David?” Denise started almost snarkily.

Dane leaned back and smiled to himself. Chuckling out a deep covered laugh he looked up at her and deep into her eyes. For a moment he was locked into the last time they spent together but he shooked it from his head and focused on the present.

”She asked me my name and I was not sure what parts of me you had informed her about so I made a name up.” He said matter of factly. He was a bit nervous and Denise could tell. It made her feel a bit better actually and she was happy about the name thing. She wouldn't know what to do if Darya found out about him this way.

”So Dane, obviously you know about-” She began but was cut off.

”I know she my daughter, and even if I hadn't been nosey and looked at all of your family photos on the walls, I would still be able to tell. She has the same eyes like me, she may look very much like you but you cannot deny those eyes. I am...I don't know where to start.” He looked at her with those big beautiful eyes she missed so much. The ones that haunted her dreams and that her daughter shared.

”Maybe start with that night. Where did you go?” Denise gathered her courage and decided to get straight to the point.

”It is very complicated but the less confusing parts begin with the fact that I'm not from here. I told you that remember?” Denise nodded her head hoping this was going somewhere.

”I was called back home that night. When I get a call like that, I'm not allowed to ignore it. My family needed me and I had to leave. I know it was sudden and believe me I did not want to leave you. I fell in love with you over those months and it took everything in me not to stay. Please don't take that in a negative way. My family is complicated, but had I known you were pregnant I would have moved oceans to come back to you.” He said with the sweetest voice she had ever heard.

It was the perfect mix of deep and rough but sweet and soft. He was pulling her back in and she didn't know what to do.