Dreams in the Arms of an Anemone
The clean crisp air of the November morning was just cold enough to make Jessica glad for her woolen toque. She wandered slowly towards the dock that stretched onto the still waters of the Bamfield inlet. The sun was beginning to melt the low clouds, so Jessica could just see the marine station through the fog. The morning was particularly quiet, the stillness broken only by the lapping of water against the boat and the occasional cry of one of the many water birds the frequented the area. Jessica walked onto the dock, enjoying the creaking sound and the rolling feeling. She carefully undid the knot that kept her mode of transportation from escaping, and pushed the boat away from the dock, jumping in with one fluid, very practiced motion. She carefully maneuvered her boat along the shore of the inlet, enjoying the cool wind on her face. The sky was clear now and the colors from the sunrise still lingered on the clouds. At the station dock, she tied her boat up and started the trudge up the hill to her wet lab. At the door to her building, she took off her hat, mitts and rain jacket, placing them on her hook. On her way down the hall, Jessica stopped and poked her head into Ryan’s lab.
“How’s it goin’?” she asked cheerfully.
Ryan looked up with a smile on his face and jokingly clutched at his chest.
“Be still my beating heart. Miss Jessica has graced me with her presence.” He smiled. “What can I do for you?”
“I was thinking I haven’t seen you since you got back… Grab me on your way to coffee, we can catch up.”
This wasn’t what Jessica wanted to say. She wanted to say one of the witty lines that were forever floating around in her head, but was too shy to ever say.
Ryan smiled again, “Make it coffee and lunch and you’ve got a deal!”
Jessica meandered the rest of the way down the hall. At the end she stopped briefly at the door, admiring her nameplate. Her own lab, the idea still sent tremblies to her toes and made her smile. The grant money kept coming, her equipment kept getting better and soon she was getting her own assistant. Her studies on the effects of global warming on intertidal life were becoming some of the most talked about work.
Currently she was researching some of the first work on the Blue Anemone, Metridium bellae. It was the main focus of her study. It didn’t take long for her to become completely absorbed in her work. When Ryan knocked on her door two hours later, she jumped.
“You look busy, want me to take a rain check?”
Part of Jessica wanted to keep reading, but the desire for a cup of coffee and good conversation won out.
“Not at all. Let’s jet,” Jessica said, sliding off her stool and grabbing her green mug.
They walked over the boardwalk to the cafeteria and filled their mugs with the rich-smelling, brown liquid. Ryan led them to the window.
“So, what did I miss while….”
“How’s everything at home?”
They both started at the same time. Jessica laughed, “Alright, you first.”
“What did I miss out here?”
Jessica thought for a minute, “Not too much. The guys out on Orca Island spotted a new pod, Jackie finally left her abusive husband.”
Ryan nodded his agreement.
“Outside of that, it’s been pretty quiet. Now your turn. How was home, the girlfriend?”
Ryan lost his smile for a second.
“We broke up.”
Jessica cringed. “Sorry, foot in mouth.”
“No worries, I’m actually ok with it. It’s kind of for the best, she couldn’t understand why I, and I quote, “waste my time up here.” At that point, I didn’t care enough to explain it to her. But, c’est la vie.”
“Well, just so long as you think it’s best….”
“We didn’t belong together anymore. The high school sweetheart thing just wasn’t working. Anyway enough of that, I promise lunch time conversation ill be better!”
Jessica laughed.
“Alright, I’ll see you later then.”
Back in the lab, Jessica realized her life was at the place she wanted it to be. Her best friend was her roommate, her work was important, she was making progress and the guy of her dreams was finally smartening up. Life was beautiful.
“Yeah,” she agreed aloud with Ryan’s comment “C’est la vie.” Jessica smiled to herself as she got back to work.
Fin