The billboards had gone up 7 months ago, and now opening day was closing in on them. Standing in front of the large sign inside the zoo, staring at the massive killer whale in front of them with the comic book style lettering almost shouting KAZOO! at them, Fletcher, Robin and Nelly couldn't help but feel a little bit anxious about it all. Fletcher raised his cup to his lips and sipped on his straw as Nelly continued eating her cotton candy, Robin standing there with absolutely nothing.
"Isn't it supposed to be frowned upon to keep killer whales in captivity now?" Robin asked.
"Frowned upon doesn't mean illegal, it just means it's seen as less favorable than it used to be," Fletcher said, "which, for the record, by no means impacts a companies interest."
"I wasn't happy about it, believe me," Nelly said, "And I fought tooth and nail against it. But after some of the recent events, HQ and the board felt like it was necessary to bring something big and splashy to the zoo to maintain interest and generate new interest as well."
"Splashy, cause it's water based, I get it," Fletcher said, winking at Robin and elbowing her, making her laugh.
"It isn't just the whale either, he's just the main attraction. There's a whole little aquarium, dolphins, whatever you can think of," Nelly said, "Kazoo is just the main draw so that's why he's on all the promotional material."
"Why aren't I on any promotional material?" Fletcher asked.
"Because we want people to come back," Nelly said, turning and tossing her now empty cotton candy stick in the trash, walking off. Fletcher took another long sip of his drink, free hand in his coat pocket, and looked at Robin, who just shrugged.
"Am I that repulsive?" he asked.
"You're a goddamned eyesore," Robin said, the both of them chuckling. Little did they know that one week later, when the aquarium section of the zoo finally opened its doors and Kazoo began doing regular shows, that their lives at the zoo would change forever. And, by the end of it all...
...they'd be criminals.
***
Robin and Sophie were standing in the girls bathroom out near the small prairie rodent exhibits, both looking in the mirror. Robin was reapplying her eye makeup while Sophie washed her face, seeing as they'd just had lunch. The girls had come over to this area to eat and watch animals, and now were preparing to go their separate ways to get back to their respective jobs, especially Robin as today was a busy tour day for her.
"How many tours do you have left?" Sophie asked, and Robin thought for a second, biting her lip.
"....4? I think 4. It's a busy day," she said.
Just then one of the stall doors opened and Casper walked out, stepped up to the mirrors and sink and started washing their hands alongside them.
"You know this is the ladies room, right?" Sophie asked.
"Yeah, but have you seen the mens room?" Casper asked, "it's...it's like horrors you've never witnessed, far beyond your comprehension."
"Who designed it, Lovecraft?" Robin asked, the both of them laughing.
After finishing, Robin and Sophie left the bathroom hand in hand, leaving Casper on their own. As they exited, they leaned up against the trellis that surrounded the alcove to the entrance of the bathroom, Sophie pinned up against the wooden slats as Robin leaned in and kissed her. These had been the happiest seven months of her life, finally being in a relationship with a woman, this woman specifically. As a mother and teenage daughter walked past them, the girls tried to maintain their innocence, giggling like idiots before Robin pinned her again and kissed her more, this time with more passion.
"I really do need to get to my next tour," Robin whispered, forehead on Sophie's, making Sophie blush.
"And I should pick up more garbage," Sophie said.
"What, I'm not good enough for you?" Robin asked, laughing.
"You're not garbage," Sophie said softly, lacing her fingers through Robin's, "you're the best."
Robin blushed deeply. Sophie didn't really know how to banter exactly, the way Fletcher did for instance, but in a way that's exactly what she loved about her. She loved how just absolutely serious and sweet she always was. Robin pulled away a bit and ran a hand down Sophie's face, smiling at her, making Sophie look down at her feet, smiling but embarrassed. Then they headed out into the zoo, only to be surprised by the loud voice on the speaker blaring at them, all the kids and parents running in one direction. Robin and Sophie exchanged a confused look, before Fletcher pulled up in his cart.
"You guys are gonna wanna see this," he said, and Sophie climbed in beside Fletcher, Robin holding onto the back of the cart, standing on the bumper like they were pegs on a bike as Fletcher drove towards the area reserved for the aqua center construction.
"What's going on?" Sophie asked.
"Kazoo's finally having a show," Fletcher said, "First show at the zoo, so everyone's rushing over there."
"Gee, it's like they've never seen a whale performed trained gymnastics," Robin muttered.
Fletcher parked and they all climbed off and out of the cart, only to spot Nelly and Harvey sitting the bleachers, clearly here to keep an eye on things. The three of them watched from a bit aways, mostly because none of them were interesting in being what was commonly called the "splash zone". Fletcher turned his head and a read a sign.
"Warning: the first three rows will get wet," Fletcher said.
"Like I'm not always wet," Robin said, the two of them high fiving.
"Hey," a voice said from behind them, and they all turned to see a woman in a wetsuit coming up; she looked young, younger than even Sophie, her hair in braids and braces on her teeth as she smiled at them, "you guys work here?"
"No, we work there," Fletcher said, pointing back at the proper zoo, "you work here."
"Why do you have a Catfish on your wetsuit?" Sophie asked, leaning in and squinting at the image on her sleeve.
"Oh, well, we each had to pick a fish or aquatic animal we liked best, so I picked a catfish," the girl said, "I like their stupid whiskers, they're just cute. It's mostly to keep us organized into groups for showings and stuff."
"Well Catfish, it's nice to meet you," Fletcher said, "but really we're here to witness the inevitable disaster with the trainer, as is common with these things."
"I'm the trainer," Catfish said, all of them staring at her now.
"...well this is awkward," Fletcher mumbled.
"I'm sure you'll do great," Robin said warmly, "forgive Fletcher, he's an ass."
They watched as Catfish walked towards the tank, Robin sighing as Sophie hugged her arm and laid her head on Robin's shoulder.
"This is so girly but I always had this dream of swimming with a whale," Robin said, "when I was a little girl, we went to a theme park where they did shows like this, and I thought it looked so cool. I know it's, like, dangerous, potentially, but I love it. I just think it would be SO cool."
Sophie nodded as she listened, chewing on her lip, her brain racing.
***
After the show, Nelly was in her office doing paperwork. It had been a busy morning, what with the actual opening of The Splash Zone and she had been fielding a lot of calls from reporters and the media and, of course, the board. They were thrilled at the earnings the zoo had already seen thanks to influx of patrons due to it, which put her more at ease, but the ease never lasted, the anxiety always crept back in. The door opened and Harvey entered, carrying two bags in his hand. He shut the door with his foot and waited as Nelly cleared her desk so he could place the bags down.
"Lunch?" she asked.
"Yep," Harvey said, "figured some comfort food could be..."
"Comforting?"
"I was hoping to dredge up a different adjective, but I guess that'll have to do," Harvey said.
Nelly smirked as they unbagged and unwrapped their burgers, biting into their respective lunches. This had become a tradition, the two of them having lunch in her office. Thankfully it turned out they both enjoyed the same foods, so it wasn't a hassle, either.
"How're things going with the opening? Have you met who's running it yet?" Harvey asked, and Nelly shook her head.
"Surprisingly no," she said, mouth half full, "but I'll get to, I'm sure. Eventually we'll cross paths."
"That was quite a performance we saw," Harvey said.
"I guess I'm just worried moreso about the zoo turning into a park of sorts, you know? Like a...a Seaworld or something. Less about the animals and more about attractions such as that. I want to present a safe environment where animals are nurtured and seen in what is, admittedly, a pastiche of their natural habitat, so people can learn and respect them. We're not a goddamn circus, and that's what scares me about the Splash Zone...and Kazoo. It feels so very...circus like."
"Valid fear to have I think," Harvey said, picking up some curly fries and eating them, "but," he said while chewing, "I do think not having so much pressure on you is a good thing. You know, you were so worried about not pulling in enough people, enough money, always scared you were going to lose your job. Now it seems fairly secured, and that's something, right?"
Nelly didn't want to agree to this, but he was right, and she couldn't deny it. Still...she'd gotten into this business because she loved animals, not money. Was it unfair to the creatures she swore to protect to find some kind of middle ground between the two? After all, the zoo did need the money to stay in operation, keep the animals safe and well taken care of and healthy. She could care less about her paycheck, personally. Her priority when it came to the cash was that it was going to be put towards good use for the animals.
"Am I a hypocrite if I say I'm glad we're financially stable, even though I love the animals more?" Nelly asked.
"It isn't like you're shoveling money down your throat, you're shoveling burgers. You're not some capitalist pig obsessed with cash, you're obsessed with the safety and the well being of the creatures we've sworn to protect. One facilitates the continuation of the other. So no, you're not a hypocrite. I'm sorry you think you are. For what it's worth, your moral compass is one of the things I love most about you, it's very attractive," Harvey said, and Nelly smiled. He always knew just what to say to put her mind at ease.
Now if only he'd tell her he was married.
***
The zoo was emptying out, cleanup for the day had begun, and Casper had volunteered to take Sophie's shift on the janitorial team. They weren't sure why, exactly, but they'd agreed nonetheless. Standing in their uniform trying to gather up garbage and empty cans near the Splash Zone, they turned at the sound of a metal door closing, and seeing a woman exit. She stopped upon seeing them and smiled politely. Casper raised the grabber they were using for trash pickup and waved back at her with it, making her laugh.
"I didn't see it, but I heard you put on a good show this afternoon," Casper said.
"I put on multiple good shows this afternoon," Catfish said, "it isn't like there's one show, I have to do it repeatedly throughout the day. The nice thing is there's 3 trainers, so we alternate throughout the week."
"Aren't you scared of getting killed by Kazoo?" Casper asked.
"Nah, honestly, it's a rarity, people make it out to sound like it happens more often than it does. I'm not saying captivity or making animals perform is a good thing, but our health and safety being questioned is far overblown," Catfish replied, "actually...if you want to come see, I'm about to go back into the tank right now."
"You are? The day's over, zoo's closing," Casper said, snagging a piece of trash from the ground and dumping it into the basket on wheels.
"Yeah, but someone asked me to do something, so," Catfish said, shrugging.
Casper put the grabber in the basket and left it there, opting to follow Catfish into the Splash Zone, towards the tank. Meanwhile, across the zoo, Sophie and Robin were heading in the same direction. Robin had no idea why Sophie had asked her to stay and go with her, but it wasn't like she was in any kind of hurry to get home. Besides, Robin liked Wild Kingdom at night. All the lamps turned on a low dim and gave the whole place a magical, almost ethereal feel. That, combined with the multiple sounds coming from the various animal exhibits made her feel calm.
"Where you two going?" Fletcher asked, pulling up and driving alongside them in his cart.
"We're going back to the Splash Zone," Sophie said.
"Why?" Fletcher asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Beats me," Robin said, "why are you still here?"
"I've been taking night shifts," Fletcher said, "anything to go home and be alone."
Robin nodded. That was a sentiment she understood more than she wanted to admit. Sure, Kyle was at the apartment, but she didn't want Kyle to be there. She wanted Sophie to be there. She wanted to spend her nights with Sophie, holding Sophie in her arms, but because she lived at home with her parents, and because of Kyle, they simply couldn't unless they opted to go to a hotel overnight, which would simply raise suspicions from everyone involved, especially Kyle. Robin sighed. They stopped by a bathroom so Sophie could run in for a moment, leaving Fletcher and Robin alone outside. Fletcher patted the passenger seat of his cart and Robin smiled weakly, sitting in it.
"Why is it so hard to get what you want?" Robin asked in a low voice.
"What do you mean?" Fletcher asked.
"Like...like I wanted to be an actress, but I'm here. I want to be with Sophie, but that isn't possible really...I want so many things that would make me so happy that I simply can't have," Robin said.
Fletcher sighed and rested his arms on the steering wheel, chin atop his arms. He shut his eyes and shook his head.
"Before I worked here," he said, "I went to college, as one does, hoping to obtain a degree in history, maybe eventually become a history professor. I was smart. I was good at it. I could budget my time efficiently and still have a somewhat active social life if I chose to do so. I had always been a history nerd in school so this was, like, my dream. And then, in my sophomore year...my little sister had an accident. She was hit by a car while riding her bike to school, and...and it was severe. Brain damage, physical damage, lots of surgeries and therapies and medications to manage the severity of the pain. Insurance wouldn't cover it all. We weren't wealthy. We weren't poor, but we were middle class. Somewhat lower middle class. I opted to drop out of school and use the remainder of my college tuition, which my parents had spent a lifetime building for me, to instead help fund whatever she needed. It was just the right thing to do. She's my little sister."
Robin looked at Fletcher with wide eyes, so engrossed at his story, surprised at his thoughtfulness. She always knew, deep down, that he was, in actuality, a good person and not a jerk like everyone assumed he was, but she had no idea how deep that ran until now.
"Sometimes we don't get the things we want the most. She wanted to grow up, become a vet, she loved animals. I wanted to be a history professor. Closest I get now is reading historical books. But sometimes...sometimes I'll bring her here late at night, so she can see the animals, and she can at least, sort of, have what was taken from her in some weird way. So you aren't an actress, Robin, so what. What matters is you're here. I'm here too. Where we came from doesn't matter. What matters is where we are now. For what it's worth, I'm glad you failed. I failed too. But at least we're here together because of it. Silver linings and all that, right?"
Robin nodded, smiling warmly.
"...thanks Fletcher," she said quietly.
"Don't mention it," he said, shrugging, as Sophie finally re-emerged from the bathroom and got in the cart on Robins lap. Fletcher drove them the rest of the way to the Splash Zone and dropped them off before going about his night shift. The girls entered to find Casper and Catfish standing together chatting. As they approached the tank, Robin noticed Kazoo was out in the pool.
"What are we doing?" Robin asked.
"You said you always had a dream of swimming with a big aquatic animal," Sophie said, "so, uh...so I asked Catfish if she would mind helping that dream come true."
Robin looked from the tank to Catfish, then to Sophie.
"You...you did this...for me?" Robin asked.
"Well, you did a lot of sweet things for me when we first met, and...and I guess I wanted to do the same. Cause being with you has been the happiest time of my life, and you don't care about any of the things that I think are negatives about me. So I made sure your dream came true."
Robin grabbed Sophie and kissed her, making Catfish smile. They then also changed into wetsuits Catfish had brought for them, and, the three together, dipped into the water cautiously. The whole thing was magical. The soft lighting of the pool, the stars overhead, swimming hand in hand with Sophie, her other hand on a whale fin, Robin suddenly felt a freeness that she hadn't felt before, and suddenly her sadness about not being an actress, about her relationship with Kyle, all of it just melted away and she found herself laughing, feeling so very happy and in love. Kyle had been there when Robins dreams had fallen apart, but Sophie had come along when she needed new dreams. And Sophie...Sophie was determined to make them come true. Much like Fletcher did for his little sister, Sophie really just wanted to give Robin something she otherwise couldn't have.
And that...that was love.
"Isn't it supposed to be frowned upon to keep killer whales in captivity now?" Robin asked.
"Frowned upon doesn't mean illegal, it just means it's seen as less favorable than it used to be," Fletcher said, "which, for the record, by no means impacts a companies interest."
"I wasn't happy about it, believe me," Nelly said, "And I fought tooth and nail against it. But after some of the recent events, HQ and the board felt like it was necessary to bring something big and splashy to the zoo to maintain interest and generate new interest as well."
"Splashy, cause it's water based, I get it," Fletcher said, winking at Robin and elbowing her, making her laugh.
"It isn't just the whale either, he's just the main attraction. There's a whole little aquarium, dolphins, whatever you can think of," Nelly said, "Kazoo is just the main draw so that's why he's on all the promotional material."
"Why aren't I on any promotional material?" Fletcher asked.
"Because we want people to come back," Nelly said, turning and tossing her now empty cotton candy stick in the trash, walking off. Fletcher took another long sip of his drink, free hand in his coat pocket, and looked at Robin, who just shrugged.
"Am I that repulsive?" he asked.
"You're a goddamned eyesore," Robin said, the both of them chuckling. Little did they know that one week later, when the aquarium section of the zoo finally opened its doors and Kazoo began doing regular shows, that their lives at the zoo would change forever. And, by the end of it all...
...they'd be criminals.
***
Robin and Sophie were standing in the girls bathroom out near the small prairie rodent exhibits, both looking in the mirror. Robin was reapplying her eye makeup while Sophie washed her face, seeing as they'd just had lunch. The girls had come over to this area to eat and watch animals, and now were preparing to go their separate ways to get back to their respective jobs, especially Robin as today was a busy tour day for her.
"How many tours do you have left?" Sophie asked, and Robin thought for a second, biting her lip.
"....4? I think 4. It's a busy day," she said.
Just then one of the stall doors opened and Casper walked out, stepped up to the mirrors and sink and started washing their hands alongside them.
"You know this is the ladies room, right?" Sophie asked.
"Yeah, but have you seen the mens room?" Casper asked, "it's...it's like horrors you've never witnessed, far beyond your comprehension."
"Who designed it, Lovecraft?" Robin asked, the both of them laughing.
After finishing, Robin and Sophie left the bathroom hand in hand, leaving Casper on their own. As they exited, they leaned up against the trellis that surrounded the alcove to the entrance of the bathroom, Sophie pinned up against the wooden slats as Robin leaned in and kissed her. These had been the happiest seven months of her life, finally being in a relationship with a woman, this woman specifically. As a mother and teenage daughter walked past them, the girls tried to maintain their innocence, giggling like idiots before Robin pinned her again and kissed her more, this time with more passion.
"I really do need to get to my next tour," Robin whispered, forehead on Sophie's, making Sophie blush.
"And I should pick up more garbage," Sophie said.
"What, I'm not good enough for you?" Robin asked, laughing.
"You're not garbage," Sophie said softly, lacing her fingers through Robin's, "you're the best."
Robin blushed deeply. Sophie didn't really know how to banter exactly, the way Fletcher did for instance, but in a way that's exactly what she loved about her. She loved how just absolutely serious and sweet she always was. Robin pulled away a bit and ran a hand down Sophie's face, smiling at her, making Sophie look down at her feet, smiling but embarrassed. Then they headed out into the zoo, only to be surprised by the loud voice on the speaker blaring at them, all the kids and parents running in one direction. Robin and Sophie exchanged a confused look, before Fletcher pulled up in his cart.
"You guys are gonna wanna see this," he said, and Sophie climbed in beside Fletcher, Robin holding onto the back of the cart, standing on the bumper like they were pegs on a bike as Fletcher drove towards the area reserved for the aqua center construction.
"What's going on?" Sophie asked.
"Kazoo's finally having a show," Fletcher said, "First show at the zoo, so everyone's rushing over there."
"Gee, it's like they've never seen a whale performed trained gymnastics," Robin muttered.
Fletcher parked and they all climbed off and out of the cart, only to spot Nelly and Harvey sitting the bleachers, clearly here to keep an eye on things. The three of them watched from a bit aways, mostly because none of them were interesting in being what was commonly called the "splash zone". Fletcher turned his head and a read a sign.
"Warning: the first three rows will get wet," Fletcher said.
"Like I'm not always wet," Robin said, the two of them high fiving.
"Hey," a voice said from behind them, and they all turned to see a woman in a wetsuit coming up; she looked young, younger than even Sophie, her hair in braids and braces on her teeth as she smiled at them, "you guys work here?"
"No, we work there," Fletcher said, pointing back at the proper zoo, "you work here."
"Why do you have a Catfish on your wetsuit?" Sophie asked, leaning in and squinting at the image on her sleeve.
"Oh, well, we each had to pick a fish or aquatic animal we liked best, so I picked a catfish," the girl said, "I like their stupid whiskers, they're just cute. It's mostly to keep us organized into groups for showings and stuff."
"Well Catfish, it's nice to meet you," Fletcher said, "but really we're here to witness the inevitable disaster with the trainer, as is common with these things."
"I'm the trainer," Catfish said, all of them staring at her now.
"...well this is awkward," Fletcher mumbled.
"I'm sure you'll do great," Robin said warmly, "forgive Fletcher, he's an ass."
They watched as Catfish walked towards the tank, Robin sighing as Sophie hugged her arm and laid her head on Robin's shoulder.
"This is so girly but I always had this dream of swimming with a whale," Robin said, "when I was a little girl, we went to a theme park where they did shows like this, and I thought it looked so cool. I know it's, like, dangerous, potentially, but I love it. I just think it would be SO cool."
Sophie nodded as she listened, chewing on her lip, her brain racing.
***
After the show, Nelly was in her office doing paperwork. It had been a busy morning, what with the actual opening of The Splash Zone and she had been fielding a lot of calls from reporters and the media and, of course, the board. They were thrilled at the earnings the zoo had already seen thanks to influx of patrons due to it, which put her more at ease, but the ease never lasted, the anxiety always crept back in. The door opened and Harvey entered, carrying two bags in his hand. He shut the door with his foot and waited as Nelly cleared her desk so he could place the bags down.
"Lunch?" she asked.
"Yep," Harvey said, "figured some comfort food could be..."
"Comforting?"
"I was hoping to dredge up a different adjective, but I guess that'll have to do," Harvey said.
Nelly smirked as they unbagged and unwrapped their burgers, biting into their respective lunches. This had become a tradition, the two of them having lunch in her office. Thankfully it turned out they both enjoyed the same foods, so it wasn't a hassle, either.
"How're things going with the opening? Have you met who's running it yet?" Harvey asked, and Nelly shook her head.
"Surprisingly no," she said, mouth half full, "but I'll get to, I'm sure. Eventually we'll cross paths."
"That was quite a performance we saw," Harvey said.
"I guess I'm just worried moreso about the zoo turning into a park of sorts, you know? Like a...a Seaworld or something. Less about the animals and more about attractions such as that. I want to present a safe environment where animals are nurtured and seen in what is, admittedly, a pastiche of their natural habitat, so people can learn and respect them. We're not a goddamn circus, and that's what scares me about the Splash Zone...and Kazoo. It feels so very...circus like."
"Valid fear to have I think," Harvey said, picking up some curly fries and eating them, "but," he said while chewing, "I do think not having so much pressure on you is a good thing. You know, you were so worried about not pulling in enough people, enough money, always scared you were going to lose your job. Now it seems fairly secured, and that's something, right?"
Nelly didn't want to agree to this, but he was right, and she couldn't deny it. Still...she'd gotten into this business because she loved animals, not money. Was it unfair to the creatures she swore to protect to find some kind of middle ground between the two? After all, the zoo did need the money to stay in operation, keep the animals safe and well taken care of and healthy. She could care less about her paycheck, personally. Her priority when it came to the cash was that it was going to be put towards good use for the animals.
"Am I a hypocrite if I say I'm glad we're financially stable, even though I love the animals more?" Nelly asked.
"It isn't like you're shoveling money down your throat, you're shoveling burgers. You're not some capitalist pig obsessed with cash, you're obsessed with the safety and the well being of the creatures we've sworn to protect. One facilitates the continuation of the other. So no, you're not a hypocrite. I'm sorry you think you are. For what it's worth, your moral compass is one of the things I love most about you, it's very attractive," Harvey said, and Nelly smiled. He always knew just what to say to put her mind at ease.
Now if only he'd tell her he was married.
***
The zoo was emptying out, cleanup for the day had begun, and Casper had volunteered to take Sophie's shift on the janitorial team. They weren't sure why, exactly, but they'd agreed nonetheless. Standing in their uniform trying to gather up garbage and empty cans near the Splash Zone, they turned at the sound of a metal door closing, and seeing a woman exit. She stopped upon seeing them and smiled politely. Casper raised the grabber they were using for trash pickup and waved back at her with it, making her laugh.
"I didn't see it, but I heard you put on a good show this afternoon," Casper said.
"I put on multiple good shows this afternoon," Catfish said, "it isn't like there's one show, I have to do it repeatedly throughout the day. The nice thing is there's 3 trainers, so we alternate throughout the week."
"Aren't you scared of getting killed by Kazoo?" Casper asked.
"Nah, honestly, it's a rarity, people make it out to sound like it happens more often than it does. I'm not saying captivity or making animals perform is a good thing, but our health and safety being questioned is far overblown," Catfish replied, "actually...if you want to come see, I'm about to go back into the tank right now."
"You are? The day's over, zoo's closing," Casper said, snagging a piece of trash from the ground and dumping it into the basket on wheels.
"Yeah, but someone asked me to do something, so," Catfish said, shrugging.
Casper put the grabber in the basket and left it there, opting to follow Catfish into the Splash Zone, towards the tank. Meanwhile, across the zoo, Sophie and Robin were heading in the same direction. Robin had no idea why Sophie had asked her to stay and go with her, but it wasn't like she was in any kind of hurry to get home. Besides, Robin liked Wild Kingdom at night. All the lamps turned on a low dim and gave the whole place a magical, almost ethereal feel. That, combined with the multiple sounds coming from the various animal exhibits made her feel calm.
"Where you two going?" Fletcher asked, pulling up and driving alongside them in his cart.
"We're going back to the Splash Zone," Sophie said.
"Why?" Fletcher asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Beats me," Robin said, "why are you still here?"
"I've been taking night shifts," Fletcher said, "anything to go home and be alone."
Robin nodded. That was a sentiment she understood more than she wanted to admit. Sure, Kyle was at the apartment, but she didn't want Kyle to be there. She wanted Sophie to be there. She wanted to spend her nights with Sophie, holding Sophie in her arms, but because she lived at home with her parents, and because of Kyle, they simply couldn't unless they opted to go to a hotel overnight, which would simply raise suspicions from everyone involved, especially Kyle. Robin sighed. They stopped by a bathroom so Sophie could run in for a moment, leaving Fletcher and Robin alone outside. Fletcher patted the passenger seat of his cart and Robin smiled weakly, sitting in it.
"Why is it so hard to get what you want?" Robin asked in a low voice.
"What do you mean?" Fletcher asked.
"Like...like I wanted to be an actress, but I'm here. I want to be with Sophie, but that isn't possible really...I want so many things that would make me so happy that I simply can't have," Robin said.
Fletcher sighed and rested his arms on the steering wheel, chin atop his arms. He shut his eyes and shook his head.
"Before I worked here," he said, "I went to college, as one does, hoping to obtain a degree in history, maybe eventually become a history professor. I was smart. I was good at it. I could budget my time efficiently and still have a somewhat active social life if I chose to do so. I had always been a history nerd in school so this was, like, my dream. And then, in my sophomore year...my little sister had an accident. She was hit by a car while riding her bike to school, and...and it was severe. Brain damage, physical damage, lots of surgeries and therapies and medications to manage the severity of the pain. Insurance wouldn't cover it all. We weren't wealthy. We weren't poor, but we were middle class. Somewhat lower middle class. I opted to drop out of school and use the remainder of my college tuition, which my parents had spent a lifetime building for me, to instead help fund whatever she needed. It was just the right thing to do. She's my little sister."
Robin looked at Fletcher with wide eyes, so engrossed at his story, surprised at his thoughtfulness. She always knew, deep down, that he was, in actuality, a good person and not a jerk like everyone assumed he was, but she had no idea how deep that ran until now.
"Sometimes we don't get the things we want the most. She wanted to grow up, become a vet, she loved animals. I wanted to be a history professor. Closest I get now is reading historical books. But sometimes...sometimes I'll bring her here late at night, so she can see the animals, and she can at least, sort of, have what was taken from her in some weird way. So you aren't an actress, Robin, so what. What matters is you're here. I'm here too. Where we came from doesn't matter. What matters is where we are now. For what it's worth, I'm glad you failed. I failed too. But at least we're here together because of it. Silver linings and all that, right?"
Robin nodded, smiling warmly.
"...thanks Fletcher," she said quietly.
"Don't mention it," he said, shrugging, as Sophie finally re-emerged from the bathroom and got in the cart on Robins lap. Fletcher drove them the rest of the way to the Splash Zone and dropped them off before going about his night shift. The girls entered to find Casper and Catfish standing together chatting. As they approached the tank, Robin noticed Kazoo was out in the pool.
"What are we doing?" Robin asked.
"You said you always had a dream of swimming with a big aquatic animal," Sophie said, "so, uh...so I asked Catfish if she would mind helping that dream come true."
Robin looked from the tank to Catfish, then to Sophie.
"You...you did this...for me?" Robin asked.
"Well, you did a lot of sweet things for me when we first met, and...and I guess I wanted to do the same. Cause being with you has been the happiest time of my life, and you don't care about any of the things that I think are negatives about me. So I made sure your dream came true."
Robin grabbed Sophie and kissed her, making Catfish smile. They then also changed into wetsuits Catfish had brought for them, and, the three together, dipped into the water cautiously. The whole thing was magical. The soft lighting of the pool, the stars overhead, swimming hand in hand with Sophie, her other hand on a whale fin, Robin suddenly felt a freeness that she hadn't felt before, and suddenly her sadness about not being an actress, about her relationship with Kyle, all of it just melted away and she found herself laughing, feeling so very happy and in love. Kyle had been there when Robins dreams had fallen apart, but Sophie had come along when she needed new dreams. And Sophie...Sophie was determined to make them come true. Much like Fletcher did for his little sister, Sophie really just wanted to give Robin something she otherwise couldn't have.
And that...that was love.