They’d planned the trip specifically around whale-watching season. She’d never seen one except on television and was super excited at the possibility of seeing one in person.

They arrived at the dock about an hour before the boat was supposed to leave and wandered around the marina a bit. She loved watching the boats come in and out and the peacefulness of the water.

When they were on board and had their life jackets on, she could hardly sit still. Chase was laughing at her excitement. She was harder to control than some of the children on the tour.

The ride out was bumpy and windy, but she couldn’t stop grinning. When they stopped to watch for water spouts, she kept imagining she was seeing them. Finally one of the tour operators pointed. “There!”

The boat made its way to the area where the wall had been sighted. She still couldn’t see anything. As they came to a stop, everyone stood up to look. Being short, of course, she couldn’t see around anyone.

Chase maneuvered her through the group so she could see. “Look!” she turned to him. “There’s a whale! I saw it come up and then dive back down!” She sounded as excited the kid next to her who was excitedly chatting with her dad.

As she turned to sit down, suddenly water splashed from the other side of the boat, soaking her. There had been another whale closer than they thought. Her hair was dripping and her shirt was stuck to her chest.

Knowing that she wasn’t a big fan of getting wet, Chase turned to help. He realized she was laughing. “I was in the splash zone!” she gasped. “And that water is cold!”

He stepped close enough so no one else could hear. “You look like you’ve been in a wet t-shirt contest. And you definitely would be the winner.”

She giggled. “Probably not the best day to go braless.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I think any day is the right day.”

She pushed him a little, blushing. “How about you hold that thought for a while? I’ve got more whales to meet.”