Watcher In the Water

Emily sat beneath the open weave cotton blanket on the beach and inhaled the scent of chocolate and cinnamon from her steaming cup of hot cocoa. She couldn’t believe Mark had proposed the night before. As she gazed at the waves, a tear fell, and she wondered; was it from joy or because her father wouldn’t be there to walk her down the aisle? He had said, “water will heal you.” Moments later, a whale breached in the distance, and Emily smiled. Her father would be there watching as she and Mark said their vows on this beach come fall.