13. FALLON

Our night started out playing as Daddy read me a story and then we did some coloring, but it ultimately descended into adult play which was always fun. He'd bought me a toy, and I couldn't remember the last time anyone had bought me anything, well, I could, but not someone I was sleeping with.

It was nice to play around with Daddy and then get cuddles and fall asleep in his arms. I knew I shouldn't get too caught up in my feelings about it because it would undoubtably end once I was on the flight home. Long distance could've worked, but it was only the second night we'd spent together, and I wasn't going to bring that up.

That morning, Daddy's early alarm woke us both. He apologized a lot, giving me so many kisses that I'd even forgot it was six in the morning and we were both operating on less than five hours of sleep. But I did sleep for a little bit longer, I needed my energy for snorkeling, and also to spend another night Daddy—which he said he could do earlier tonight.

Henry pounded on my door. "Come on, lover boy," he shouted. "Is he still in there?"

Maybe a nap wasn't a good idea, I woke up restless, and no Daddy to give me kisses. "No," I grumbled.

He opened the door. He was in the matching onesie. He jumped on the bed, rocking me to wake me up. "So, what did you two—" he paused. "Oh my god. Fal!"

"What?" I asked, immediately seeing the bright red sex toy I'd used last night on the nightstand. "Don't look at it."

"Did he buy that?"

"Yes." I grabbed it and pulled it under the comforter.

"Oh my god. What are you doing?"

"Hiding it," I said, although the action was no suspicious. "Don't even think that." And just as I said it, I'd accidentally pushed the end of it, setting the vibrations off. "Oh my god."

Chaos ensued where I couldn't turn it off and instead, chased him around the bedroom with it until he left.

From the doorway he shouted. "Get dressed. We can't have a big breakfast either. Apparently the snorkeling people said not to, well, I think it's more because we're going in water."

"I was there when it was explained," I told him.

We'd booked it through the concierge at the resort. There was a little shuttle bus that took us a little down the coast to a snorkeling area. I'd been excited because it was on our list of cheap things we could do, and also it meant I got to swim with turtles, or at least they said there would be turtles.

I changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, as I always did, very casual. Alongside that, I packed a small bag with swimming shorts.

Sitting for breakfast at our now usual spot beside the pool, we looked over the breakfast menus, even though we both knew we would end up with something safe.

"Ok, so are you and him a thing then?" Henry asked.

"Him," I turned around. "Is he here?"

"No, but he could be, he does work here."

"And no, it's not like that, it's a vacationshio," I said.

"A situationship more like."

As long as the situation in question was two guys who clicked and realized they matched each other's sexual energy, then sure. "I like him," I said. "But I can't like like him."

"You mean love."

"Ew." I pretend to gag. "You can't jinx that."

We made it through breakfast without seeing Sterling. I wondered if he'd seen us though. It was entirely possible he'd been watching on some cameras somewhere stationed around the resort. But I also knew he was busy, and from the grey hairs which made me giggle for him to notice, I knew this place was stressful.

From there, we went straight to the pick-up point. The shuttle bus was put on by the resort and it took us directly to the place on the beach where we needed to be. There were other people on the bus with us. We'd even invited the girls, but they'd already organized something else. They were, however, both coming with us on the excursion, and then they were flying out the following morning.

"I was searching the place up online," Henry said. "And they give you an underwater selfie stick thing and you can take pictures with the fish."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I think they'll charge a huge mark-up on the prints," he said.

"If I get a picture with a turtle, I might find some wiggle room in my budget for it." I didn't know where it was wiggling to and from, but I really wanted a souvenir. I already had the teddy and the sex toy, but they weren't vacation specific. I needed something to brag about.

The bus took about twenty minutes, and we reached the place on the beach. It was a large hut almost with signs posted all over for it. There weren't many people around, we must've been the first trip of the day.

I was nervous and excited about it. I could swim, but there was always that little niggle in the back of your head whenever something happened and you began to doubt every little thing, like your swimming ability.

There were six of us total. A man came out and introduced himself as David. He spoke to us in Spanish and English, which helped me understand a couple words I'd heard since we'd been here.

"Ok," David said. "Let me take you through the snorkeling gear and then we can go outside into the shallow water, try it before we go out into the areas with the fish and turtles."

"Turtles," I repeated in a little squeal.

The gear involved the mask, snorkel, flippers, and a life preserving vest. Then, the revealed the selfie sticks with the underwater cameras attached. That's what I'd been waiting for. I need to see myself and a turtle in a picture.

I was first in the water once I had all my gear on, right beside Henry. We tested it all out in the shallows of the water, seeing underwater was a strange feeling. But after ten minutes, we were all ready to go a little further out.

There were two more people from the company in the water with us, watching us and making sure we were all safe. We were told to pair up and go in twos, which was easy since all of us had arrived in pairs of two anyway. It was to make sure that we didn't scare the fish in the crystal blue waters.

Floating in the water, looking down in search of turtles. I was hoping the other groups hadn't spooked them, or maybe these turtles were super friendly.

Henry splashed me to get my attention. And there it was, right under us, swimming, a large sea turtle. I looked to our guide who helped us go under and approach it. I was in shock, staring at its beauty.

The sound of the sea whooshing around in me as I went deeper toward the colorful corals where the turtle was swimming and the fish were hiding out, swimming around.

I found myself wanting to speak my thoughts.

This was magical. And for a moment, with the flippers on, I was living my best merman life. It was the first time I'd ever been in the sea like this before, especially the sea that was so clear. Getting closer, I managed to take a couple pictures with the underwater camera before surfaces.

The sounds of the world were once more surrounding more. The peace of the sea was magic. I wished I could've lived in it, even if it would make my fingers and toes go wrinkly.

Henry surfaced minutes later, followed by our guide.

"I took pictures of you," the guide said. "You want to swim a little further over there, I saw a school of fish you could swim near."

Henry asked the question I'd been dreading. "How much are the pictures?"

"No cost," the reply came, music to my ears. "We put them on a USB and you get a copy."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes, of course. You're guests at the Joya Rosa, you get the best treatment," he said. "Let's go see those fish over there. They change color, but not really. They're called blue chromis damselfish, my favorite."

I was sold as soon as he said no cost , and we had a little while longer of snorkeling. I needed. make the most of it.

The guide was right. The small school of fish seemed to shift color as they swam, left, right, all together like they shared a brain. They were looked blue with silver, then a little gold as they moved around. Now that we knew pictures were being taken of us, we posed for them together.

I didn't know how I'd ever be able to repay my best friend back for this adventure, but witnessing all of this beauty had me almost in tears behind my mask.

On the times when we surfaced, the guide would inform us of all the different things they do as a company to help the corals stay healthy and how they're keeping the waters clean. It made me appreciate the beauty I'd witnessed.

"You have a beautiful country," I said. "We're going to the temple tomorrow."

"Ah, Chichen Itza," he said. "It is very beautiful. Remember, don't leave trash, take it with you. And make sure everyone else does it too."

I could see why Sterling was stuck in this place. He was in love with it, and so was I.

There wasn't a world in which anyone could come into this water and leave in a bad mood. Although once we were out of the water, the world outside seemed a little dull. There wasn't the vibrancy of fish swimming by in magical colors, and the bright sun had me squinting hard.

The group we arrived with all said the same things about how much they enjoyed it. I almost wanted to do it again, but swimming was thirsty work, and I'd got a full work out in.

"I can't wait to see the pictures," Henry said, sitting on the small wooden footpath near the building.

I sat beside him. "I feel inspired."

"Inspired to do what?"

"I don't know." My body was itching to do something. "I want to change the world."

"Hold up," he said, snickering. "Let's think small."

"I don't know. I—I just want to get up and walk the beach picking any trash up and cleaning. You know, I want to preserve the beauty of this place."

"Do it," he said. "We've got like twenty minutes until the USB is ready. I don't remember how long he said, but you know. You got time."

Invigorated, I set off on the path looking for trash. It turned out, they had this part of the beach covered, which made a lot of sense, but during my walk. It gave me time to think. I didn't know what I was doing in New York City. I had no clue what the rest of my life looked like. Even now, with the intense passion I had in my body, I didn't know where to put that passion or energy.

By the time I got back to Henry, the swim shorts were almost dried.

"Photos are ready," he said. "And the next shuttle back is in ten minutes."

My first thought was about Sterling. I couldn't wait to tell him what we'd done.

Inside the small building that was filled with posters on fish, coral, and how to take care of our oceans, mostly in Spanish. I understand the recycling sign which seemed universal. Inside, there was a small shop. And since the USBs were covered, I bought a keyring with a fish plushie on it.

They gave us a small preview of all the pictures, and even the small preview of me and the turtle had been just squealing with excitement. I was going to get that printed, blown up and turned into a wallpaper for my bedroom back home.

Or at least I would try.