“I don’t think anything you have to say is boring, habiba.”
Her lips parted slightly. He sounded so sincere. To her, that was the most shocking part.
“What?” he asked, tilting his head.
“You surprise me. I’m not used to it.”
“Used to what?”
“Guys caring.”
A slow shake of his head. “You’ve had some real shit exes, huh?”
“You have no idea,” she muttered, almost laughing.
“I’ll gladly demonstrate to you how a guy should treat a woman he’s interested in. Faking it, of course,” he added, with a glint of mischief in his eye.
She rolled hers, but her heart twisted a little too hard.
“My dad was recently diagnosed with colon cancer,” she said, turning her face towards the horizon. “And I started looking into ways to help ease the chemotherapy effects, or at least, help him feel better. As a scientist, my first instinct was research.”
Her voice faltered. Ilias didn’t interrupt.
“I found a couple of studies about the Blue Mind effect on cancer patients. I sent them to him. He lives in Genova, by the sea. The Mediterranean is part of his soul.” She finally looked at him, and his eyes were locked on hers.
Still, he didn’t speak. Just… listened.
“The research was weak, inconclusive. A lot was based on feeling, instead of data. So, I decided to make it my own. Then I found a study suggesting that whale songs can help reduce stress and pain perception. So now… I’m working on a small, self-funded study exploring the healing effects of whale song and ocean acoustics on cancer patients. I’m using my dad and his group during chemo. My mom’s helping monitor things. She sends me the data. And I needed the money from Salacia to fund the entire study, to buy new microphones to record whales’ songs underwater.”
She was sure he’d say something teasing. Light. Pivot away from the heaviness. Instead, again, Ilias Ríos El Idrissi surprised her by asking her the most normal, yet difficult question to answer.
“How are you?”
She blinked. “What?”
“About your dad. How are you?”
His hand moved to her leg covered by the wetsuit, stroking gently. Just a gesture. But her body flared under it like he’d touched her bare skin.
“Terrible,” she whispered. “I should be there, but I’m not. I feel selfish.”
“Why don’t you go then?”
“Because it’s easier to pretend he’s okay from here than see him... like that. Crumbling. He has always been my anchor, but now he needs someone to anchor him. And I don’t feel like I’m the right fit. I just feel adrift, constantly trying not to drown. This research is the only thing I can do.So, I focus on that.”
He reached over the board and pulled her into him, an arm curling around her shoulders. His chest was firm beneath her cheek, the steady rhythm of his breath grounding. It didn’t matter that the boards slightly wobbled on the calm ocean. She needed his steadiness.
“I’ll give you a proper hug once we’re on land,” he murmured into her hair.
She melted, just for a moment.
“Thanks,” she whispered into his chest.
“Anytime you need to talk about it, I’m here.”
She pushed back slightly to see his face. “Why?”
“Because it helps.Talking about it. Not bottling it up.”
