By lunch, the four swimmers had returned to the boat after spending their morning exploring a reef in the crystal-clear waters. The sun high overhead blasted down heat, forcing them under cover in the salon. Lucia had set out a substantial charcuterie platter, overflowing with meats, cheese, and fruits. Sarah and Carina, upon evaluating the sheer volume of food Lucia had prepared, decided to invite Chuck and Morgan to join them. As they nibbled and recounted their adventures, the calls of gulls overhead mingled with the loud splashes of the waves against the hull. Casey, seated nearby with a crossword, occasionally glanced up, clearly eavesdropping on their conversation.

Sarah, with a light blue slip dress pulled on over her bathing suit and her waterlogged hair clinging to her shoulders, laughed heartily. "And then he pops up, spits out his snorkel and starts swatting at his mouth!"

Carina, wrapped in a pink and blue sarong, popped a grape into her mouth and asked, "Wait, what? I thought you said he was just swimming? "

Chuck, still in his red shorts had pulled on a casual "Crit Happens" t-shirt with a big die on the front laughed as he reached for a piece of cheese. "I was swimming! And then the ocean attacked me!"

Sarah laughed, clutching at her stomach. "And that's exactly what he said! He stopped swatting his mouth and goes, 'The ocean attacked me! '"

Morgan, with his oversized blue swim shorts and an abundance of chest hair, tilted his head thoughtfully. "If I know my boy, and I like to think I do, if he says the ocean is attacking him, then it probably is… somehow."

Chuck threw his hands up. "It was attacking me!" He exclaimed, as though Sarah would stop telling the story if he insisted that was it.

Carina turned to Sarah, puzzled. "Okay, but I don't get what's so funny. What actually happened? "

Sarah, struggling to suppress her laughter, explained. "So I swam over," her grin widened, "and there was a tiny little jellyfish swimming away from him in a huge panic!"

"A jellyfish?" Carina asked incredulously.

Chuck gestured animatedly. "I told you the ocean attacked me!"

Carina chuckled. "Ok, but like how big, where did it sting you?"

Sarah demonstrated with her thumb and forefinger, indicating a fairly small jellyfish. "About that big?" she said, her eyes twinkling. "And where did it sting you again, Chuck?" she added with a mischievous smile.

Chuck mumbled, embarrassed. "On my lips."

Sarah's laughter erupted again. "He kissed a jellyfish!"

Morgan and Carina turned to Chuck, their amusement evident. "You kissed a jellyfish?" Morgan asked, astonished.

Chuck glanced at each of them, trying to defend himself. "It's not like I meant to kiss it! It just happened!"

Carina, with a teasing grin, said, "Who means to kiss a jellyfish?" The group laughed heartily, and Chuck's initial embarrassment gave way to a sheepish grin as he joined in.

Sarah picked at the plate, folding a piece of sliced meat around some cheese and popping it into her mouth. "For the rest of the day, he kept stopping and popping his head out of the water to look around him. I told him it was almost impossible to happen again, and all he tells me is 'well, it already happened once!'" She bobbed her head side to side as she tried to imitate the panic that was in his voice.

Chuck's mouth dropped open. "Well, it did!"

Carina's eyes gleamed as she fixed him with a seductive gaze. "Oh, poor Chuckles. Would you like me to kiss it and make it better?" Her tone was playful and provocative.

Chuck's eyes widened and his face flushed. Sarah kicked Carina gently under the table, giving her a warning look. Carina met Sarah's gaze and then turned back to Chuck. "Or would you prefer if Sarah kissed it to make it better?"

Chuck's face turned an even deeper red.

Morgan, trying to lighten the mood, suggested, "Maybe I could get stung too. I'd be okay with Carina kissing it better." Carina's seductive glare made Morgan gulp, and Sarah shook her head at her friend's antics.

Chuck used the diversion to smooth his shirt as his blush faded. Sarah reached over and placed a hand over his. "Thanks for being my swimming buddy today, Chuck. It was some of the most fun I've ever had snorkeling."

Feeling his pulse quicken under her touch, Sarah enjoyed the small thrill of his reaction, savoring the moment.

Bryce's voice cut through the room, shattering the relaxed atmosphere. "Babe! We did it! The deal is locked in!"

Sarah quickly withdrew her hand from Chuck's and turned to face Bryce as he sauntered into the room. "Oh? You finally got all the details worked out?" Her voice wavered, betraying her attempt at excitement.

"Yeah, babe. Took a lot of long hours, but it's a done deal, approved at all levels of Burton Enterprises and Barker Technologies!" He flashed a knowing smirk as he closed the distance to her. "And that means you get me for the rest of our time out here. "

Sarah's smile faltered. "Oh, that's great!" She replied, her voice strained. She glanced at Chuck, who was now looking away, wearing an unreadable expression.

The silence grew heavier as Bryce reached the table and nonchalantly picked at some cheese. Chuck and Morgan exchanged awkward glances, clearly unsure of how to gracefully exit the situation. Bryce, completely unaware, enjoyed himself as he picked away at the platter.

Sarah's discomfort grew as Bryce said "Hey Chuckles," His tone lacked the teasing lilt that Carina's carried when she used the nickname. "How about you grab us some champagne? This deserves a proper celebration!"

Chuck nodded quickly and stood. "Yes, of course. I'll go grab some from the galley."

Morgan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing around the room. "Uh, yeah, I should probably go get changed." He said, scratching the back of his head. "Lucia mentioned she needs some help with dinner prep." He stood up, knocking his knee against the table and scattering bits of fruit from the platter. "Oops, sorry." He mumbled, his face reddening.

Chuck paused, his face moving through a range emotions. "Thank you both so much for today. It was amazing." His smile was subdued, but Sarah felt herself beaming at the honesty in his voice.

As Chuck and Morgan left the room in a hurry, Sarah felt the loss of their presence from the room. Carina's expression hardened as she picked at the charcuterie platter in silence.

Bryce, oblivious to the tension, continued. "Oh, and by the way, we're going to have a celebration dinner when we get back to Gustavia! I've already arranged everything with your parents and the Barkers. It'll be the perfect way to wrap up this trip."

Sarah forced a smile, trying to match his enthusiasm. "That sounds wonderful, Bryce."

Bryce took Chuck's vacated chair next to Sarah and leaning back with a contented sigh. "What were you talking about when I came in? Must've been a funny joke?" He asked as the silence stretched on.

Sarah forced a smile as she recounted. "Not a joke, just something funny that happened when we were snorkeling today. Chuck got stung by a jellyfish on his lips!" Her enthusiasm was strained as she tried to share the story.

Bryce winced. "Oh that sucks. He looked okay though. Do you remember our scuba diving trip in Thailand? When our guide didn't check his own tank? Now that was memorable!"

Sarah nodded, her enthusiasm fading as she joined Carina in picking at the platter. The joy that had filled the room moments before seemed to dissipate.

Casey, folding his crossword book and seemingly finished with his eavesdropping, grunted as he stood. "We'll be in port tomorrow. Need to resupply. Lucia and the boys will be gone to the market for lunch, so plan accordingly." With his announcements done, he shifted uncomfortably for a moment, as though he wanted to say more. "I should check on our course." Carina's gaze followed him with envy as he left the room.

Chuck soon returned, champagne bottle in hand. Bryce popped it to relatively little fanfare and filled their glasses.

As she swallowed the champagne, the sweet bitterness of it washed over the cool citrus of her lemonade, now abandoned on the table. Despite the significance of Bryce's achievement, Sarah couldn't shake the feeling of unfulfilled excitement. She wondered why she couldn't muster the enthusiasm she usually felt for his successes.

o-o-o-o-o

The sky was illuminated faintly by distant port lights, a promise of tomorrow as stars twinkled in the sky, countless dots across the black expanse while the moon cast a bright glow across the deck.

Her mood at odds with the way she expected to feel, Sarah found herself unable to sleep and wandering the quiet decks alone, searching for answers in the moonlight. Guided by a gentle sloshing in the water, she made her way toward the stern of the boat. Her loose white sundress fluttered with the occasional gust of wind, the salty breeze tousling her hair gently.

She moved silently down the stairs and saw Chuck seated on the swim deck, his legs dangling over the edge, swirling gently in the water. His crew shorts were rolled up his thigh a bit to avoid getting wet, and his t-shirt from earlier clung slightly to his skin. She cleared her throat gently to catch Chuck's attention. He looked up from where he sat on the swim deck as she spoke.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Sarah asked softly.

"Uh, yeah, of course." he replied, looking up with a faint smile.

Sarah settled beside him, their shoulders brushing as she dipped her calves into the water next to his. "It's pretty late, don't you have a lot to do tomorrow?" She asked gently.

Chuck nodded, his eyes drifting out over the water. "Yeah, but I couldn't sleep. I guess I got used to the boat rocking a lot more. It's too calm tonight."

She nodded as she tucked her hair behind her ear, making it easier to see him. "Yeah, same here." She said softly.

Chuck started swirling his legs in the water again, making patterns that caused the reflections of the stars to dance.

"How's your friend's website coming?" Sarah asked, filling the silence.

"It's done." Chuck replied with a nod. "I sent it to her this morning. She's really happy with it."

Sarah paused, hoping for more before continuing, "That's good. I'm not surprised. You're really talented."

Chuck offered a sad but genuine smile. "Thanks, Sarah."

Seeing the sadness in his smile, Sarah felt a pang in her heart. "Did you ever consider doing more of that? It might be better than being stuck on random yachts."

Chuck met her gaze, his eyes pulling her in. "Yeah, I do. I've been thinking about it a lot recently." Sarah held her breath as he hesitated. "I almost went to Stanford when I graduated high school." He began, his eyes flickering over the water. "Couldn't afford it at the time."

Sarah's eyes softened as she studied him. "Stanford is pretty expensive, but there are other design schools that are cheaper."

Chuck shook his head with a small, modest smile. "It wasn't the school. I had a full ride scholarship for their engineering program. But my sister was just starting medical school. It was my turn to help her, so I got a job and didn't go to university." His gaze grew distant, looking back to his younger self. "She told me I was being stupid at the time. It might have been a mistake, but I wouldn't change a thing."

Sarah dropped her head, feeling a pang of shame as she compared her privileged life with Chuck's challenges. Tears welled in her eyes and one left a trail down her cheek. She gently wiped it away.

Chuck watched her with concern in his eyes. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not sad about it. My sister is doing great and that makes me really happy."

Sarah struggled to keep her emotions in check. "No, Chuck, I'm not crying for you. It's..." she paused, catching her breath as her throat tightened. Chuck waited patiently, giving her space as she gathered herself. "You've faced so many difficulties. I've had so little adversity, and I came on this vacation to get away from my own privilege." She laughed softly, almost bitterly. "It feels kind of pathetic to think I went on a private yacht to escape privilege."

Chuck's laugh was slow and deep. It wasn't the rich and boisterous laugh when he was with Morgan or Carina, Sarah cherished this laugh as it was a special laugh she had only heard for her alone. "Yeah, that's a bit of an oxymoron. But don't try to compare yourself to others too much though. Everyone has their own struggles, and they're all real." He changed patterns he was making with his legs in the water, the dance of the stars changing with it. "Just because my past might seem harder doesn't mean your challenges aren't real. Sometimes, sharing our difficulties helps us understand ourselves better." He paused again. "Talking about mine with you is part of why I'm thinking of going back to school."

Sarah felt a flicker of pride at his words, realizing that her support might be helping him. She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly. "My dad wants me to start taking over his company."

Chuck's eyes widened in surprise and Sarah felt embarrassment welling in her. Her problem seemed trivial compared to his. She looked away, bracing for judgment. Instead, his tone was understanding. "That must be a lot of pressure. Is it something you want to do?"

Sarah hesitated, wiping away new tears. Turning back to him, she saw only curiosity in his gaze. "I think so." She admitted softly, trying to not flaunt her good fortune.

He snorted a small laugh as his tone took on a gentle teasing lilt. "Ok, so you think you want to start running one of the biggest corporations in the world. Care to elaborate on why that's a difficulty?"

Sarah chuckled through her tears, wiping them away. "Jerk." She said affectionately. "I've been learning about the business since I was a child. I have some ideas that could improve it, but I'm scared of failing. What if the older managers resent me? Even if I succeed, people might say it's only because of nepotism."

Chuck's gaze was steady and supportive as he listened. "That's a lot of pressure." He said slowly. "And yet it's something you still want to do. Do you feel ready for it? Is there anything you could do that would make you feel more prepared?"

Sarah looked out at the ocean, reflecting on his words. She had never considered asking herself whether she felt ready. Her father was ready to retire and that was pushing her to make this decision. "Maybe an advanced business degree could help me feel more prepared. But they're long courses, and I don't know if my dad would wait that long."

Chuck nodded thoughtfully. "Have you talked to him about it?"

Sarah shook her head. She realized she hadn't asked her dad much about how he wanted to retire. He had dictated the terms, but she hadn't voiced her own concerns or thoughts. How could she know what he wanted if she didn't talk to him? How could he understand her perspective if she remained silent?

A wave of realization washed over her, and she grew quiet. She looked at Chuck and smiled fully, a deep and real smile. "I think you might be right, Chuck. Sometimes sharing your difficulties does help."

Sarah leaned into him and bumped his shoulder, as they both resumed playing with the still water. The dance of the stars on the ripples more entrancing where their ripples joined and rolled over each other, building greater waves in their union.