The girl comes a third time in the evening, just as the sun is starting to disappear. She sometimes comes twice a day, but never three times. It could mean she wants to spend more time with him, or it could mean that something is changing. He suspects it is change, though he dares to hope that it is for the other reason.
This time, she comes alone, and he is much happier. She also doesn't stand out on the strip of land, where he can't reach her. She stands just out of reach, but close to the water's edge. It is so much better. He still can't touch her, but it's a start. She's just so much closer, and it makes him hopeful. Maybe she might not think he's scary. Maybe she might not think he wants to hurt her. He doesn't. He doubts he will ever want to hurt her, even if she does something evil. He can tell that she is good, even if she is a human.
She stands there for a long time, twirling on her little human feet. Her voice is not like it normally is either. It is smaller. The girl sounds like she is worried. Maybe not scared, but worried. Is something making her act this way, or is she still afraid of him? He doesn't know, but he watches her with concern. He hopes that when she looks at him, she doesn't think he will hurt her, or drag her down to the bottom of the pond. But she doesn't look at him, not for a long while. She just keeps twirling on her feet, and bunching up her pretty yellow hair.
He doesn't know what is happening. Why is she here? The more he watches her, the more worried he gets. She is hiding something. It is a small something, but she's keeping it behind her back, where he can't see it. It makes him anxious.
When she finally takes a few small steps forward, he almost swims away from the water's edge. She is worried, and she is making him worried. It is hard not to swim away, but he doesn't. He stays, with his head out of the water.
She stops, and then takes a few steps more. He could reach her now, if he wanted to. He does want to, but he doesn't want to scare her. He doesn't know what he can do to help, so he waits for her.
Slowly, she pulls her hand from behind her back, and extends it out to him. She even bends over, so that he will be able to reach it more easily. In her hand, is set of the blue, shell shaped flowers. The same kind of flowers that Orange gave him. The ones that mean trust. He looks at them, shuttering in her little hand, then looks back up at her. Does she know what they mean? Is it a coincident? Do they mean the same thing to her? Are they important? Is she really, really asking him to trust her, as she stands there, her hand nervously shaking?
There are so many questions, and he thinks that maybe he will never answer all of them. This only worked with Orange, because Orange trusted him. The girl, she doesn't. Can he trust her, when she doesn't trust him? He surprises himself, by tentatively reaching up. The girl doesn't flinch, which is good. If she had flinched, he would have backed away, but she doesn't. He slowly reaches up, and takes the flowers. He sinks back into the water, and watches as the little shell shaped flowers quiver in his grasp. The answer is yes. He will trust her, or, at the very least, he will try. If that is what she is asking at all. For all he knows, the blue flowers mean something else to her, or nothing at all. But he doesn't want to think that way. They mean something between he and Orange. They should mean something here too. It's important.
She takes a step back, and smiles so brightly and beautifully at him. He is happy to see it, but it does not take away the worry that eats at him. Why does he need to trust her? Why hasn't he needed to in the past? What is different? Is it the boy? Did she not like how he acted around the boy? If he trusted her, maybe he really would have come out, but now, he almost has to. He hopes that isn't what she wants. He accepted her flowers, he should keep to that agreement, and trust her from now on. He tells himself, that he will try.
The first time Orange gave him the blue flowers, he lost his teeth. He shivers at the thought. What will it be this time?
The girl does not stay for much longer. He wants to hide, but he stays out with her, trying not the gnaw on his fingers. Instead, he holds the little blue flowers close to his chest, smelling them, and running his fingers along their soft shape. His eyes look at the girl, but they also look in other places. He's afraid something is going to jump out at him. He thinks that sleeping that night is going to be very hard.
When she turns to leave, the sun has disappeared, and darkness is setting in. There will be no moon tonight. If something comes for him, he'll only hear it. His night vision isn't bad, but it's better with the moon's light. It will be better when he's older, but now it isn't so good. The girl turns back, as she leaves, and waves her little hand, before disappearing into the human place.
He carefully places the little blue flower onto the big rock in the middle of the pond, and then wanders down to one of his nests. He tries to sleep, but it is much too hard. His mind keeps imagining one horrible scenario after another. Trust is so painful. He thinks of Orange helping the big humans take his teeth. He thinks of almost killing Orange. He doesn't want to know what will happen with the girl.
He is to alert, so when the sound of little footsteps echoes in the dark night, he dashes to the water's edge. He knows those foot falls. He is relieved when he sees that he was right. Orange is walking towards the water's edge, with a glowing thing held in one hand.
He is relieved. Orange will know what is going on. Then he stops for just a moment, and he thinks. Orange has never come twice in one day. Not ever. Just like the girl. He is instantly wary. Both Orange and the girl know that something is going to happen. He looks down at Orange's hand, and he wants to sink back into the water. There's another set of pretty blue, shell shaped flowers. They're working together. Something is going to happen, and both the girl and Orange know. He's the only one that doesn't. It isn't fair.
As if Orange can tell he is upset, Orange walks over, removes the things on his feet, and dangles his little human legs into the water like earlier in the day. Even though he is anxious, he swims closer, and hoists himself up, so that he can lay his head on top of Orange's legs. He makes a point of not looking up at Orange. It isn't because he's mad, it's because he's worried. He's worried what he will see if he looks at Orange right in the face. Instead, he reaches under one of Orange's legs, and squeezes the muscles he can feel there. They aren't big yet, not like the big human ones, but they probably will be. He wonders what Orange will look like as a big human. How long will his legs get? Will his eyes show more? Will his hair be longer? He can't imagine it, and wonders if he's going to see it for himself one day, or not.
He hears Orange place the glowing thing down. From here, with his head on Orange's lap, he can see the glowing thing as it reflects off the water. It's pretty. It's a warm sort of glow, not like the moon or the stars. It is, ironically, an orange color. He closes his eyes, and when he opens them again, Orange is dangling those blue flowers in front of his face. The sound that comes out of him is something of a whimper and a groan at the same time. He closes his eyes again.
A few seconds later Orange's other hand is running through his hair. He has to stop himself from making a sound of contentment. He is still worried. Blue flowers mean trust. Blue flowers mean they're going to test his trust. Blue flowers can mean pain, but humans are so warm. Orange's leg under his cheek is warm, and the hand petting and playing with his hair is warm, and the flesh of Orange's leg held in his fingers is warm. Humans are mean, because they play such cruel games, and they make him so nervous, and they hurt him, but Orange is there, and Orange is warm. It isn't enough, it might never be enough, but he is happy for it none the less.
He blinks his eyes open, and gently takes the blue shell shaped flowers from Orange's hand. He twirls them lazily in his fingers, watching as they quiver and shudder. Maybe flowers get scared too, they're so small and beautiful.
He finally turns his head, and looks up at Orange's face. He wonders if Orange can see that he is worried, that he is upset, and nervous, and anxious. He hopes. Orange's face is normal, but his eyes are different. It's not a big different, just a little different. He thinks he understands. Just like he is trying to tell Orange something with his eyes, Orange is telling him something to.
He chooses to believe that Orange's eyes are telling him that everything is going to be okay. It's not like he'll ever know, so what's the harm in hoping.