‘Want to go again?’
I’m never doing that again as long as I live.
‘I might swim a little first.’ Adrenaline is pumping through my veins. I take a few deep breaths as the shock turns to curiosity. Every rock surface is reflecting the sun, and the water is causing a rainbow of colours to ripple around the cave. People are splashing about around us on various rope swings and bridges.
‘It’s like a movie set for Indiana Jones,’ I marvel. ‘The water is so clear.’
‘It’s thousands of years old,’ Cam says, treading water. ‘The waters have healing powers. Local myth says they can fix you. Fix the soul, so you can be reborn. Start again.’
‘I’d like that.’
‘Me too,’ he says.
‘I’ll start again as Beyoncé or Taylor Swift.’
Cam laughs at me. ‘You’re better just being yourself. You are enough. Repeat after me. You, Libby Jackson, are enough.’
It’s almost like he wants me to fall in love with him.
‘You’re right. I am enough. It’s time for me to try new things. Move on,’ I say, bobbing around, trying to converse while keeping an eye out for creatures lurking.
‘Moving on sounds like a plan. I have an idea,’ Cam says as the instructors start shouting from the rigging for people to clear a space. ‘We could… if you… I’d be… the village… on a date… No one from… would see us.’
He’s giving me the strangest look.
‘We should give it a try,’ he yells over the nearby splashing. A group of tourists are ruining our private moment.
‘Give what a try?’ I yell back.
‘Me and you,’ he says pointing a finger back and forth before flipping out of the water like a dolphin to dive back underneath.
Splash, splash.
Oh, my God. Can this be happening? Is he suggesting a secret romantic liaison?
‘What do you think?’ he says, emerging to catch his breath not far from me. It’s like looking into the eyes of my soulmate. As though he can see through me. He can sense the turmoil I’m in, the toll of the past few years bumping against the fear of being in my late twenties without a clue of what my future holds and no mother to guide me.
Splash, splash.
Yes, please. A thousand times yes.
‘Might be harder but it’ll be worth it.’ His face is lit up like a Christmas tree, reminding me of Lois.
‘Harder?’ I say. I suppose he’s got the busy job to do, never mind keeping a new relationship under the radar from his boss. Our heart-to-heart last night must have made him rethink taking a chance on love. ‘Harder but worth it!’ I repeat back to him. My heart is beating so fast, I’m having palpitations.
Splish, splash.
My arms and legs are going like the clappers under the water to try and keep me afloat. I’ll drown if he says anything else. I can’t believe he’s being so calm about asking me out.
‘No, not harder.’ Cam swims towards me. ‘I said wait until you taste the michelada’.
‘Michelada?’
‘You’ll love it. It’s authentic spicy beer.’
‘Spicy beer?’ I splutter.Who the fudge wants spicy feckin beer?
He’s nodding enthusiastically. ‘Brewed with ancient cenote waters. Totally worth the one-hour trek, you think?’
