A Dolphin Wish

by Natalie Grant

  “Sure, I understand that there’s red tape,” Jackson said.

  “Not red tape,” Gabrielle said. “We have to ensure that the animals are ready to survive on their own in the wild.”

  “They’re wild animals,” Jackson said, his patience beginning to crack. “Wild. Would you like to be locked up in a cage your whole life?”

  “No, I wouldn’t,” Gabrielle said calmly. “But I’m not an injured dolphin or a sea otter who’s too used to humans for her own safety.”

  “If they could speak for themselves, they’d tell you they wanted to be free,” Jackson said. “You can see it in their eyes. Maybe they wouldn’t survive forever in the wild, but why not give them a year of freedom rather than a long, boring life in a cage?”

  “An injured dolphin will hardly last a month in open sea, let alone a year,” Gabrielle said. “You know our animals not only help educate people so that more sea life can stay wild, but they also help to rehabilitate other injured animals. The resident animals make it possible for at least some of our visitors to return to a wild, free life.”

  “If they wanted to be teachers, you’d think they would have said so,” Jackson said.

  “Letting animals out of their habitats isn’t anything to joke about, Jackson,” Gabrielle said. “What if one of those penguins had climbed out of the park and was loose on a San Diego beach? What if a park visitor stepped on a sea turtle because he didn’t expect to find one outside the habitat?”

  “None of those things happened,” Jackson said.

  “But you were the one who let the animals out, weren’t you?” Gabrielle asked. Jackson stared at her and then down at his feet.

  Mia finally understood. Gabrielle had pulled the truth out of Jackson without ever accusing him. He’d never had reason to be defensive or shout or make excuses. Well, he’d made excuses, but not as a cover-up for what he’d done.

  As she watched Jackson stare at his shoes and listened to the silence that filled the room, a small voice inside her head whispered, You did it. After everything, she had solved the mystery. She’d been right about Jackson.

  Convincing Mom to come back to the park had been worth it. All the clue-searching and thinking and puzzling out, it had all been worth it.

  “All right, Jackson,” Gabrielle said. “I’d like for you to wait outside with Sara, and I’ll finish up with Mia and her mom.”

  Jackson trudged out of the office, and Mia wondered whether he’d walk right past Sara’s desk. Gabrielle poked her head out and called, “Sara, will you hang out with Jackson for a minute? I’ll be with you both shortly.”

  “That was amazing,” Mia said, as Gabrielle came back into the room. “How did you know just what to ask him? You should be a lawyer.”

  “Mia, thank you,” Gabriella said. “Without your insight, it would have taken us a long time to figure out that Jackson was the one behind this situation. From what I heard today, I’m guessing he might have even taken matters into his own hands and tried to release a seal from the sea pens. That wouldn’t have been anywhere near as easy to solve as rounding up a few escaped penguins. We’re so grateful to you for your help.”

  Heat rushed to Mia’s cheeks, and the glow of happiness that had begun when Jackson admitted his guilt—by not saying anything at all—spread through her.

  “We want to give your family lifetime passes to the park, of course,” Gabrielle said. “And is there anything else you’d like, anything at all we can give you as a thank you?”

  “I’m just happy that the animals are safe,” Mia said, meaning it. “I had a dream where one of the dolphins had gotten loose. He looked me in the eyes, his scared, scared eyes looking right into mine, and I had to figure out what was happening. I had to do whatever I could to help keep them safe.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got the beginnings of a marine biologist here,” Gabrielle said to Mom. “Oh! Mia, didn’t you say that you had wanted to swim with the dolphins?”

  “Yes, before I understood that having strangers in the water with them wouldn’t be healthy for them,” Mia said.

  “In general, that’s true,” Gabrielle said. “Particularly for the dolphins that will eventually go back out to sea. But our two full-time resident dolphins, the ones who can never go back to the wild, sometimes do provide educational dolphin encounters. Scientists need to interact with dolphins to learn more about them, so they can learn to work with injured animals. We don’t sell tickets for people to swim with our dolphins, but I’m sure in this special case, we could arrange an in-water visit. Would you like that?”

  Mia looked up at Mom with big, hopeful eyes. “I didn’t wear my swimming suit!”

  Mom laughed. “I suppose we could buy you a swimming suit on Buccaneer’s Island, don’t you think?”

  “Thank you! Wow.” Mia said to Gabrielle, and then as laughter bubbled out of her, she said again. “Thank you!”

  “Thank you, Mia. Everyone on staff, and the animals too, can’t thank you enough for your help.”

  “Could my . . .” Mia started, and then was afraid to finish her question. No, she had to ask. She’d solved the mystery, but Maddie and Lulu had definitely helped. “My sisters. Could they come too?”

  “Three may be too many,” Gabrielle said. “But I bet they could come and watch if you’d like them to.”

  Gabrielle traded with Sara, taking Jackson back into her office and leaving Mia and Mom at the reception desk to sort out details for park passes and to set up the dolphin swim. Mia started to get nervous when it seemed there wouldn’t be time to set up the swim and make their plane in time. Finally, they settled on a 12:45 swim.

  Mom called Dad and asked him to bring the girls and Miss Julia to the park whenever he could. “There will be passes waiting for you at the front desk.”

  “All set?” Sara asked.

  “All set,” Mia said.

  THIRTY-TWO

  After they’d chosen a swimsuit, Mia and Mom took iced teas to a table on Buccaneer’s Island. Their table had a view of High Jinks on the High Seas. It was 11:45, so they had a little longer before it was time to suit up for the dolphin swim. The High Jinks boats had just gone out, and the person manning the water cannon wasn’t nearly as talented as Mom and Dad had been. Still, the pirate boat was losing badly.

  “I’m proud of you for including your sisters,” Mom said.

  “I didn’t solve the mystery on my own,” Mia said. “I understand now what Maddie meant about us helping solve her mystery. I get it now. I didn’t then, because I wished I’d been the one to chase down the thief. I couldn’t see straight.”

  “Jealousy can do that to us,” Mom said.

  “I’m glad you asked me about my reasons for coming today,” Mia said. “Yesterday, I was mostly focused on winning. On solving the mystery. But when I got my reasons straight, it was easier to do the right thing. Like to not interrupt when Gabrielle was asking Jackson what I thought were all the wrong questions—that turned out to be the right questions. How did you know what I was going to do, by the way?”

  “I know you, sweet Mia,” Mom said, smiling. “I could see the frustration written all over your face.”

  “It was awesome,” Mia said. “It was like being in a courtroom when the lawyer is grilling the witness, and the witness doesn’t even realize he’s the suspect. Then, wham! He’s caught.” She took a sip of her iced tea, watched a pirate fall into the lagoon and start climbing up a thick rope, and then frowned. “What do you think will happen to Jackson?”

  “I don’t know what level of crime it’s considered to let animals out of their habitats,” Mom said. “There will definitely be consequences, probably official ones with the park. And it sounded like there would be more at home with his dad.”

  “He seemed so sure he was doing the right th
ing, even when what he was doing was so wrong.”

  “The wrong thing for the right reasons?” Mom asked.

  “I still feel mixed up,” Mia said. “Last night, you said that sometimes it’s just hard to know the right thing to do.”

  “True,” Mom said. “I wish I could tell you that life came with an instruction manual that was simple to follow. But the best instruction manual we have is the Bible.”

  “Not simple,” Mia said.

  “No. Sometimes I imagine what it would have been like to be a person sitting on a hillside, listening to Jesus tell stories. All your life you might have thought that faith was cut and dried. The Pharisees certainly made things out to be that way. But along came Jesus, teaching faith with stories that left room for interpretation. And he refused to explain himself or answer all the questions.”

  “Yeah. Why did he do that?”

  “No one knows for sure,” Mom said. “But I know that stories are like songs in some ways. The experience of listening to either touches each heart in a unique way. I’m not saying that one thing is true for me and another is true for you. Still, there are layers of meaning in any song or story and in most situations.”

  “I don’t like layers of meaning,” Mia said. “I want to know things for sure.”

  Mom burst out laughing at this. “I know you do.”

  “What’s so funny?” Mia asked.

  “It’s just that so many people in the world would agree with you. You’re right. It would be so much easier if there were black-and-white answers to every question.”

  “Do you think God wants us to be confused?” Mia asked.

  “No. I’m sure he doesn’t.” Mom stirred the last bit of iced tea in her glass. “I think it all comes down to our hearts.”

  “Like doing things for the right or wrong reasons?” Mia asked.

  “Yes. Sometimes it’s hard to even know our own reasons for doing things. We definitely can’t be sure of the reasons for other people’s choices. God sees everything, how we’re each growing and developing, how our choices affect the people around us. He sees every human’s life and purpose and the complex connections that weave us all together. From his perspective, right and wrong are simple to see. But from our limited perspective, it’s not simple at all.”

  “So that’s why we pray?”

  “Exactly,” Mom said.

  “Can we pray for Jackson?” Mia asked.

  Mom reached out her hands and took Mia’s. “Let’s do that.”

  “God,” Mia prayed. “Please help Jackson. I know he’s in a lot of trouble right now, but I also know he wanted to do the right thing. He wants the animals to have exactly what they need, just like I do. Help him to find the way he can help, a safe way. Oh, and help me to find a way to fix things with Maddie.” She opened an eye to see if Mom had looked up. Nope. “In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

  “Amen.” Mom took a last sip of her iced tea. “Are you done with your tea?” Mia handed over her glass and Mom took both over to the trash bin. “So, needing to fix things with Maddie?” Mom asked. “Want to talk about that?”

  Mia looked down at her hands. “It’s just . . . ever since London, she’s different. I know you said she’s more courageous. I know I should be happy for her. I suppose I am happy that she’s starting to get excited about singing in your concert. But we used to be so close that we could almost hear one another’s thoughts.”

  “And now you’re not?”

  “No.” Mia hated admitting this out loud. “I’m afraid it will never be like it was. I don’t know how to fix it.”

  “I’ve never had a twin sister, and I know that makes your relationship with Maddie particularly special. But, I also know that when I was ten and eleven and twelve, I changed too. I started to carve out my own special space in my family. I see you and Maddie doing that. But no matter what changes, you’ll always be Glimmer girls. That will always, always be true.”

  Mia finally looked up, into Mom’s eyes. “So I should try to figure out how to be now, rather than try to make things the way they used to be?”

  “Sounds like a starting place to me. Relationships aren’t very black and white either, are they?”

  Mia smiled a watery smile. “No.”

  Mom checked her phone. “Looks like everyone is here. Are you ready?”

  As she stood, Mia’s heart beat faster. It was time to talk to Maddie, to tell her sisters about the mystery, and then, finally, to swim with her dolphin. Yes, after the long wait, she was ready.

  THIRTY-THREE

  I never get to do the fun stuff!” Lulu shouted as she ran through the gates to see Mia. “You found Dr. Dolittle?”

  “Actually, you found him,” Mia said. “If you hadn’t asked him what he was drawing in his notebook, and he hadn’t been so secretive, I never would have put it all together.”

  Lulu beamed. “I helped!”

  Mia gave her a giant hug. “You did.”

  Maddie hung back, watching. She looked happy, the way she always did when Mia and Lulu worked things out on their own.

  “So tell us the story,” Dad insisted.

  Mia started from when they entered the park, explaining how they’d finally spotted Jackson near the dolphin and seal hospital with the key card, how they’d made their way to Gabrielle’s office, and how Gabrielle had tricked him into admitting the truth.

  “I asked if they’d let you both swim with the dolphins too. They said it would be too much to have all three of us in the water,” Mia said. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re the one who wanted to swim with them most,” Maddie said. “But thank you for asking.”

  “They said we could all come and watch,” Mom said. “And we should hurry, because the appointment is in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Let me take a quick picture of our detectives,” Miss Julia said, snapping a photo.

  “Glimmer girls to the rescue again!” Lulu said. “Can that be the caption, Miss Julia?”

  “That can absolutely be the caption,” she said.

  As they walked across the park, Dad put an arm around Mia. “I’m proud of you, Mia. Your dolphins will be safe now, and so will all the other animals.”

  Zarin met them at the entrance to the dolphin and seal hospital, already in her swimsuit and cap. She had wrapped a towel around her body. “So, Mia, it’s time for you to have that swim with the dolphins. Did you wear your swimsuit?”

  “We bought one,” Mom said.

  “You can change in our staff locker room,” Zarin said, leading the way. “After you change, you’ll want to rinse off and wet your hair. I have a swim cap for you to wear. The rinse and the cap will help protect the dolphins from any lotions or oils on your skin and hair. Plus, the salt water helps too.”

  “Can Maddie come with me?” Mia asked, needing a little time alone with her sister.

  “Of course,” Zarin said.

  “What about me?” Lulu asked, but Mom swept her toward the windows that faced the sea pens. “While we wait, let’s see if we can spot the baby dolphin. Okay?”

  “Okay . . .” Lulu said.

  Mia and Maddie found a bench, and Mia sat to take off her shoes. With one shoe off, she looked up at Maddie. “I’m sorry, Maddie.”

  Usually Maddie would ask, “For what?” but she didn’t now. Clearly, she knew, just as much as Mia did, that things were off between them.

  “Since you snuck out back in London, everything has felt weird. Wrong.”

  “I tried to apologize,” Maddie said.

  “No, I’m not blaming you,” Mia said. “I know you’re sorry for breaking the rules. I accused you of becoming the kind of person who breaks rules, but that wasn’t what I meant. I think I was . . . what I was trying to say
was . . . I miss you.”

  “I miss you too,” Maddie said. “And I’m sorry for getting upset with you about the treasure hunt. I don’t think I was angry about the golden key at all. I think it was just . . .”

  “Everything felt wrong,” Mia finished her sentence for her. Their eyes caught, and they broke into twin smiles.

  Maddie threw her arms around Mia in a giant hug. “Okay, now change already. The dolphins are waiting!”

  Mia slipped into her swimsuit and went to rinse off. Maddie helped her into the swim cap, and then they hurried back out to where everyone was waiting.

  “I saw the baby dolphin jump!” Lulu announced.

  “Awesome!” Maddie and Mia said in unison.

  Mom flashed them a bright smile; her girls, back together again. Happiness ballooned in Mia’s chest for the second time that day, and then the fizz of excitement grew, too, as they went through the door out onto the dolphin deck.

  “Here’s a life jacket,” Zarin said, handing one over. Mia was a strong swimmer, but the water was deep, she knew, and she didn’t want to have to think about anything but the dolphins. She strapped on the jacket. Miss Julia snapped pictures as Mia and Zarin sat on the deck and then slipped into the water. The day had warmed up, so even though the water was cool, it wasn’t too much of a shock.

  “Come out away from the deck,” Zarin urged.

  Mia pushed her arms and legs through the water, but then froze as two fins sped toward her, sleek and glistening in the sun.

  The dolphins broke apart just before colliding with Zarin and Mia and circling them. Then, one of the dolphins broke out of the circle and nudged Zarin with her snout. Without warning, she flipped over and slapped the water with her tail, dousing both Zarin and Mia with water.

  Zarin bobbed underwater and back up again. “Xena’s the jokester of the two.”

  Something smooth and cool slid against Mia’s skin. She spun to find herself nose to nose with the other dolphin, Titania. One second, two, three, they stared into one another’s faces.