Chapter 20

The feel of the cool water surrounding me,

and the warm sun hitting my exposed chest relaxed my body in ways

that it had not been relaxed in a long time, making me feel clean

and peaceful. The smell of the salty water reminded me of a home I

had not been to in forever, and I could feel my hangover going

away. I floated on my back, drifting as the current pulled me back

and forth.

Although I was not keeping time, I would

guess that I had been floating for about a half an hour, just

enjoying the ocean, when I felt their touch. All tension was gone

from my body, as I lay open-armed and open-legged floating through

the water. Every time the current pulled me up and down, I felt my

body relax on a whole new level. It was right after one of those up

and down pulls of the current that I felt the first bump.

I call it a bump, but it was more like a

caress, a big solid caress that ran from the bottom of my left foot