Chapter 11 The Arrival 231

EVERYTHING HAD GONE like clockwork once we arrived back home early Friday morning. Although Rosa had slept all the way home, I was still buzzing with the energy and joy of my experiences. After dropping Rosa off, my first stop was to the marina to reconnect with Estrella and Sol. Although I had missed sunrise, I was still there before they had begun their daily dolphin experiences for the tourists. The marina area was crowded with breakfast diners, but the shops were not yet open. I took my usual spot on the fence post, but instead of singing or whistling, I just closed my eyes and pictured the dolphins swimming around the pyramid at Chichen Itza and imagined the sounds that echoed off the stone ruin.

“Hola Rose,” came a female voice right behind me. “I hope I am not disturbing you.”
Shading my eyes from the glare as I turned around, I made out the tall shadowy figure of Vivian, the young, blonde dolphin trainer who had given me a ride back from the colletta weeks ago. I had not seen her since, but I did remember her name, for which I was grateful.

"Hola Vivian,” I responded. “No, you are not disturbing me. I just came to say hello to Estrella and Sol, as I have been gone for a few days. It’s my custom to spend some time with them every day. They are my teachers and my friends.”