I nodded, earnest and excited. He led the way up a dimly lit staircase. We passed by a group of kids who were squealing over an albino shark being fed by a diver. Finn glanced back at me with a rare look of excitement in his eyes as we neared the area with a large glass ceiling that looked up into a vibrant tank. The glass curved, showing off the various species existing harmoniously. I spun in a circle to take everything in. It felt like we’d been transported to the bottom of the ocean. The closer we got to the glass, the more a sense of calm set into me.
“I saw this on the map,” Finn spoke in his usual quiet tone. I turned to him, making sure I caught every word. “And for some reason, it sparked a memory. I would stand right here…”
He grabbed my hand and led me to a dot on the carpet that indicated this was the center of the room. I smiled when he pressed his hand against my back. He wanted me as close as possible. We tilted our heads up to marvel at the water above.
“Stand right here and wish I had gills,” he said while still staring up. “I wanted to swim to the bottom of the ocean so bad to see what was down there.”
My hands were on Finn’s chest. Instead of taking in the incredible view, I focused on him. Finn was so unlike me in every way. He loved sports and hated talking. Didn’t know how to express himself most times. Could spend weeks in his own company. Yet we found one another and bonded. Even after a brain injury, he’d chosen to know me. My heart swelled thinking about it. After everything that happened, he chose me for a second time. I didn’t realize how long I’d been staring until Finn squeezed my elbows and asked if I was okay.
“I’m good,” I said.
“Is this too boring?” he asked. “The guys thought I should take you to drive go-karts or paintball.”
I shook my head. “No, no. I don’t want to be anywhere else but here, learning what little Finn wanted to be. A merman, you said?”
“I wanted gills…so, yes, I suppose I wanted to be a merman,” he said, hesitantly.
I laughed. “Why are you blushing? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be a merman.”
His skin seemed to get two times more red. “I’m not blushing. I don't blush.”
“You’re brighter than most tomatoes right now,” I teased.
“No, I’m not.” Finn kissed me as a distraction. I didn’t mind it at all. When we pulled away, there was a smile on his face. My eyes widened.
“You know, I can tell when you’re blushing, too,” he whispered against my lips. “Your eyes get all wide and your skin’s hot to the touch.”
“Finn,” I said, ignoring his statement for something more pressing.
His expression changed into one of concern. “What?”
“You smiled.”
He frowned then, which made me laugh. “What do you mean?”
“You smiled at me,” I gushed. “For the first time.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t the first time.”
“It was the first time.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. He chuckled at my excitement. And there it was again. A beautiful, perfect smile that lit up his entire face. The curve of it revealed a dimple in one cheek. His eyes wrinkled around the edges, revealing the genuine nature of the expression. This smile felt like it was made for me alone.
“You’re so silly,” he murmured and kissed my cheek.
“And you’re so incredible.”
Finn shook his head, trying to protest. I did a little dance in his arms and hummed a tune to celebrate the smile. This was momentous. We had to celebrate. Finn didn’t agree but still enjoyed my little shimmy. He even stepped back to get a better look. It took a moment for me to realize he wasn’t watching because of my silliness. He was blatantly checking me out. My skin warmed at the longing in his eyes.
“What?” I asked, even though I knew exactly what.
“Let’s keep moving,” he said with a determined look. “See what else there is to see before it’s time to go?”
“What's on the agenda after this?” I blinked, trying to look innocent.
“I have a few ideas. We’ll workshop them and decide together.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Finn
