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“It sure is,” their father said

Shelly cracked open the container she was holding and shoveled soue, she alust

Her father shot her a strange look “What is it, honey?”

Dawson cracked up “Shelly’s going to puke!”

Shelly set the kung pao shri, and settled for plain rice instead What is wrong withthis had so to do with her wish, too

She wouldn’t be surprised

“Kiddos, it’s really nice to have you here,” their father said, looking up fro the week, even with all our fishy friends for company”

“Yeah, Dad, we miss you, too,” she said, and she meant it

She quickly wiped away a tear and finished her rice

After dinner, while her father worked on the leaky tank and Dawson released his pent-up energy in the interactive play area, Shelly wandered through the labyrinth of the aquarium’s corridors It felt like a different world down there—wild, exciting, alien, and free She loved being there hed heavily on her heart like an anchor

She glanced down the halls, which were empty and dimly lit It was after hours, butup after the busy day of visitors or tending to the many animals in their care Usually, she’d love to check the pH of the tanks with her father or feed the dolphins their gleaht she wanted to be alone

She pressed her face to the glass of Queenie’s tank “I wish you could talk to me”

The octopus seeht tentacles undulating in the eerie underwater lighting that filtered through the tank

“You see, I have all these probleraceful movements “But I can’t tell anyone about themand it’s the worst to feel alone—”

“Hey, Shelly, what’s up?”