Dolphin Tale 6

Chapter [5]

C h a p t e r   F i v e

HAZEL'S WORDS STILL FRESH IN his mind, Sawyer paced around Dr. Clay's office; his mother was due to arrive any minute. Ever since his discussion with Hazel, Sawyer had been mulling the idea of leaving Clearwater Marine Aquarium over in his mind, weighing up the pros and cons, attempting to make a final decision. But it was all in vain, as he simply couldn't make a decision - leaving the place he called home had never been a decision he had had to make (unless you counted the time his ex-father had asked him to leave).

Every single time Sawyer found a reason to leave, he'd find yet another reason to stay. And that frustrated him to the point that he had called his mother in to, hopefully, resolve his dilemma once and for all.

"Hey, honey."

Lorraine Nelson's cheery voice floated through the open window like a gust of warm air. The door opened and she walked into the office, smiling.

Sawyer stopped pacing when he caught sight of his mother and offered her a tight-lipped smile. "Hey, Mom. I was hoping you'd be able to help me solve a dilemma."

Lorraine frowned, all cheeriness gone, replaced by seriousness. "Of course, honey. What's wrong?"

"It's just a matter of to go or not to go," Sawyer said simply, leaning against the desk with a heavy sigh. "It would seem like a fairly simple question with a fairly obvious answer to some, but it's a dilemma to me. I've been thinking about it for a day or so but I still don't have an answer."

"This is about leaving Clearwater Marine Aquarium, isn't it? You want to have some time with Hazel before you come back, right?"

Sawyer closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. "It is, but then it also isn't. The way Hazel put it, I don't really know if we'll be back. I mean, I may have interpreted her wrong, but she said something along the lines of only coming back when the news of our marriage has died down. She only wants to come back if the media gets off our tail."

Lorraine nodded. "If you think that's your best option, then go right ahead. You know me and the CMA team well enough to know that we won't stand in the way of anything you do - unless it's downright ridiculous - and that we'll support you the entire way. You do know that, right?"

Sawyer opened his eyes and gazed into his mother's. There was a little spark of sadness in them, but he could tell that she was doing her best to cover it up. "I do know that, Mom . . . but the thing is, I don't know if leaving indefinitely is the right thing to do. I don't know if it's our best option."

Lorraine blinked and Sawyer noticed that the little spark of sadness had vanished, replaced by a fire he had never seen within his mother's eyes before. "Why don't you know, Sawyer? What makes you so confused and indecisive?"

"I don't know . . . " Sawyer closed his eyes. "I guess the prospect of leaving the place I've called home for a great portion of my life is daunting and scary. You can't predict what life's going to throw at you, and you never know if something's wrong until it's too late to make it right. I'm afraid to leave, Mom, because if I leave I feel like I'm going to lose you - and not just you - all of you: Dr. Clay, Phoebe, Kat, Winter, Hope . . . "

"But you'll have Hazel," Lorraine reassured him, "and doesn't she mean the world to you? Doesn't her company mean anything to you?"

When Sawyer opened his eyes, his mother was frowning. "I do, but it's not the same as being with you. I love you unconditionally, as I love Hazel, but it's a different kind of love - one that I simply cannot put into words. And I don't want to lose Dr. Clay, Phoebe, Kat, or anyone else for that matter. They've all had a huge part in who I've become; without them, I wouldn't even be half the person I am right now. I can't just let them go. I can't . . . and I won't."

"Sawyer," the frown had been wiped from Lorraine's forehead. Instead, the small spark of sadness had reignited within her eyes. "The world is in your hands, Sawyer. The world is your oyster, and it's up to you and Hazel to explore it. Don't worry about me and the rest of us at Clearwater; it's time for you to leave the nest; to spread your wings and feel the breeze filtering through your feathers; to soar high in the sky and explore whatever the world has to offer you. An adventure awaits both you and Hazel, Sawyer, and it's up to the two of you to grasp that opportunity before it slips through your fingertips like water; no matter how desperately you try to cling to that opportunity, it will always manage to escape your grip no matter what. You've got to take every opportunity  that life throws your way as they don't come very often and when they do come, they go by really quickly in the blink of an eye - faster than that, even."

"I know that, but-"

"All I'm trying to say, Sawyer, is that this is a great opportunity for both you and Hazel to get out and explore the world. If you do go, it'll be an adventure like no other - you'll have to tell me all about it."

"But what if I do lose you, Mom? What if I lose everyone else after we leave? That's the thing I'm afraid of the most."

"You won't lose us, Sawyer."

"How can you be so sure, though? How do you know for certain that I won't lose anyone if I leave Clearwater Marine Aquarium with Hazel?"

"Because we're always in here," Lorraine said, smiling as she gestured towards Sawyer's heart, "and the ones we lose always have a way of coming back to us, if not always in the way we expect. I promise you, Sawyer, that you won't lose us. You won't lose us until you personally let go of us, and you and I both know that you won't do that."