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“Then prove it What’s the nae-and-white fish floating in a sea ane blue tentacles Its adorable little face poked out

“Clown fishalso known as anemonefish”

“Okay And what are its attributes?” pressed Shelly

Enrique studied the fish as the sea anemone’s tentacles caressed it “Well, it’s called anemonefish because it’s symbiotic with that sea anemone The anemone’s tentacles are poisonous—but not to the clown fish Those tentacles protect it from unwanted predators”

“And that?” Shelly pointed to two eyes in the sand

He rolled his eyes “A flounder, obviously Ask me a hard one next time, okay?”

Shelly giggled He really was a science nerd like her For a moment, her troubles dissolved, but then they rushed back in, like a riptide She glanced around and lowered her voice

“All right, so completely paranoid Tourists milled around the exhibits “But you have to promise me that you won’t think I’m crazy”

“I swear,” he said “Cross my heart”

“And we can’t talk here,” she added “We need to talk somewhere private”

He lifted the slop bucket “I know just the place”

Shelly and Enrique stepped out onto the sundeck, where the aquarium looked out on the open sea The waves rolled uneasily in the distance while clouds built overhead It looked like a stor in over the Pacific Cold hipped off the water and tousled their hair, bringing with it the briny tang of the sea It was a smell Shelly had once loved, but now it reminded her of evil

But instead of staying outside with the tourists, Enrique pulled her backstage behind the dolphin exhibit, where only the dolphin trainers were pernored the there with his brother, Miguel, for a long ti—and apparently studying Shelly like some curious creature while he was at it

Enrique tossed soathered in excitement He patted Lil’ Mermy on the head when he swam up to the side “Good boy,” he said as the dolphin squeaked and snatched another fish out of the air

“He is,” Shelly said, forgetting her worries for a moment The dolphins had that effect on her And as much as she hated to admit it, so did Enrique She could still re in the aquariu deal to have a newborn in captivity The tiny dolphin baby had grown up and was basically a er now Well, the dolphin equivalent, anyway