Beach House Reunion (Beach House #5)(77)
“I did. But Cooper is not alone. He has his good parents. And he has me. Let us be there for him.” She reached out to place her hand on Linnea’s shoulder. “My darling girl, I love you too much to allow you to throw your life away. I’m not saying go to San Francisco. I’m saying don’t feel compelled to stay here. Do you understand?”
Linnea nodded. “What if that means going with John?”
Cara took in a breath and straightened, lifting her hand. She asked urbanely, “As a lover? A friend? A traveling companion?”
“All of the above.”
“Not as a husband.”
“No.”
Linnea knew that Cara understood the ramifications of that decision with regard to her father, her mother, her reputation.
“Then I’d say be very careful. Not only of your own feelings, but of his.”
Chapter Eighteen
Veterinarians at sea turtle hospitals diagnose each turtle and work with staff and volunteers to provide treatments and care. Patients are given IV fluids, antibiotics, vitamins, and other medications, similar to any human patient. Based on the sea turtle’s condition, a variety of procedures may be performed, such as X-rays or ultrasounds. The goal is rehabilitation and release.
AS THE DOG days of August plodded on, the female turtles ended a productive season. They had been nesting on these local beaches since early May, going back and forth from sea to beach every fourteen days to lay another clutch of eggs. Their instincts fulfilled, their bodies empty of eggs, the tired and hungry turtles swam home to the sea to forage and gain strength before they returned in three years to repeat the cycle again.
One female turtle was not leaving. Not yet. Toy and Cara stood shoulder to shoulder in the great exhibit hall before Big Girl’s tank. She had been moved to the main exhibit when her health improved, and being so large, she was a star attraction. She enjoyed the larger tank, but today she seemed restless, swimming round and round the tank, her flippers stretching wide. Her carapace was gleaming, free of barnacles, and her eyes were bright and aware. Still, there was a frantic quality to her swimming.
It was early and the crowds had not yet been allowed in. Toy administered the medications and made notes. Flipping her clipboard closed, she looked at Big Girl.
“She wants to go home,” Toy said.
“I know. Poor girl, it wasn’t a good season for her,” said Cara.
“She laid more than seventy eggs in that tank. We did our best to catch them and bury them, but none of them hatched. No surprise there, but still . . . we hoped.”
“When will you release her?” Cara asked.
“As soon as the blood work comes back clear and Dr. Shane gives her the okay. Her shell will never heal, but there are a lot of sea turtles in the ocean living productive lives with shark bites. It’s got to be a badge of honor to survive it, right?”
“I was kind of hoping she couldn’t be released. That we could keep her.”
“I know. But our Caretta in the big tank wouldn’t like that. Remember—”
“I know. They’re solitary swimmers.”
“And that’s not our mission, is it? It’s like you said, Big Girl’s a prime example of the resilience of turtles and what we do here.” Toy looked at the turtle. “She’ll go back into the ocean where she belongs, and in a couple of years, hopefully she’ll lay thousands more eggs.”
“What a girl,” Cara said, and crossed her arms. The size of Big Girl’s head gave new meaning to the word loggerhead. “I really love this turtle.”
Toy grew serious. “This turtle was here for me when I needed her most. Remember how we examined her on a makeshift table of cardboard boxes? And look where she is now,” she said, indicating the gleaming new sea turtle recovery center. “When I look at her, I’m reminded of why I went into this line of work in the first place. She taught me so many lessons about life. Resilience. Big Girl was my teacher. And this place,” she said, indicating the aquarium, “has been my school.” She took a breath and tilted her head. “Having her come back into my life now was providential.”
Cara turned to face Toy. Her face wasn’t as pale and tired as a few weeks ago, and her golden hair had a brilliant sheen. She seemed healthier. Happier. Her baby bump was larger, too.
“How so?” she asked.
Toy watched Big Girl make another circle in the tank. “Big Girl helped me to realize how much I love working with turtles, all the animals in the aquarium, really. And how passionate I am about protecting them and their natural habitat. That’s why I was so excited about the new position as conservation director.”
Toy looked up at Cara. “But I know now that I don’t want to leave the sea turtle hospital,” she concluded. “I’ve watched it grow from a kiddie pool to a state-of-the-art hospital. I still have so much to offer. So much I want to do here.” She shrugged and smiled in sweet surrender. “I don’t want to leave.”
Cara was stunned. “You’re not taking the position?”
Toy shook her head. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized I don’t enjoy public speaking. I’m more a behind-the-scenes person. And the hours would wreak havoc on my personal life. Especially with this new baby.” She gently patted her belly. “I had to think long and hard about this decision. It didn’t come lightly. My biggest concern was that I’d end up failing both at work and in my home. Part of my strength is knowing what I’m good at and where I belong. And I love doing it. And Lovie used to say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’?”