The Shape of Water CONTINUED

10 - Searching and Waiting

And then there were three.

They arrived in the night when the temperature was low and the humidity high. Elisa cried a little when she described Gemmalyn's struggle to take her first breath of air. "If we didn't make her use her lungs right away, they might never develop," Elisa's voice shook. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done."

The nipper is a delight. 'Darling' and 'adorable' are words Zelda uses when she holds her. 'Little Monster' are others she says when she's sporting a wounded finger that got too close to baby's sharp teeth.

On a sweltering afternoon when Zelda was in town, and Iggy was away fishing, I sketched Elisa with her baby. It would be another contribution to the baby book Elisa was making. Gemma, still attached to her mother's breast, had a full belly and was resisting sleep. Elisa rocked, in no hurry to put her daughter down.

"He took me to the city for Gemmalyn's birth," Elisa began. "I've never had the stamina to make it without help. When we've gone in the past, he holds me around the waist; I help kick. This time he carried me, just like when we left. That position creates a lot more drag," she laughed softly. "It was an effort, but he got us there. It was the first time I felt sad about the place being deserted."

"He took me to the women's hall, then, in his language, he gave me the sights and sounds of the city as he'd known it. In that way, I saw his female relatives, and the traditional birthing circle," Elisa raised glassy eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "It's indescribable, Giles, understanding how it was and watching Iggy trying to make it right."

Behind the mother and child scene, I began filling in the background with structures. A bustling, underwater metropolis with lots of Iggies.

"He did the work of the women, helping me bring his daughter into the world. It hurt, there was blood, and sharks circled above, just like buzzards, waiting for a chance."

"Iggy kept us safe. We stayed in the royal's suite in the grand palace. While I recovered, Iggy made sure Gemmalyn didn't swim out of his sight."

"And then we came home, to you and Zelda," Elisa sighed, her eyelids growing too heavy to stay open."

For a moment, I wondered how this mud brick structure compared to a royal suite, what held such attraction to keep them coming back here?

I put the baby in her bassinet, covered Elisa, then went to cool my feet at the river bank. My mind was churning with things only aquatic life can experience.

Iggy emerged with fish on a kelp stringer. Wrapping it securely around a branch, he let our lunch enjoy a reprieve. 'What is on your mind, Giles?' he signed as he sat next to me.

"I'm tired of sitting around," I said, no longer bothering to sign back. Though he could not speak, he understood our language perfectly well. "I want to go with you, to help search."

We started my endurance swimming and free diving lessons that afternoon.

I enjoyed my new quest, searching with Iggy sometimes, and other times alone.