7 A Splashy Reunion

Chapter 7 A Splashy Reunion Sofia kicked nervously at the leg of her chair as they sat in the reception area of the animal rescue center, a room lined with framed photos of seabirds and animals. It had been only a couple of hours since the coast guard had brought the mama seal here to clean the oil off her fur. But for Sofia, it felt more like days. She leaned her head against Maisie's shoulder and wondered if the mama had been reunited with her pup

yet. The rescue team had brought the pup in, too, because it was too young to survive without its mother. "We'll hear something soon," said Max. "Don't worry." Maisie suddenly sat up straight in her chair. "Ma! Dad!" she said, looking over at the doorway. "You're here!" A ginger-haired woman stepped into the waiting area, a worried expression on her face, followed by a man in a cap who was pale with fright. When the woman spread her arms, Maisie leaped out of her chair and ran to her mother. "I'm sorry," Maisie cried. "I'm so sorry about Bonnie!"

"Hush now," said her mother. "The winds were strong and no one was hurt. Bonnie has had a good long life." As Maisie wiped a tear away, Max swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew Maisie was thinking about her granny. "There'll be a new Bonnie," Maisie's dad soothed her.

Max's ears perked right up. "You know how to build a boat?" Maisie's dad grinned. "We do. With a little help from Granddad. And it's possible we've nearly finished it already." He winked at Maisie. "Wait, you have?" Maisie's eyes widened. "Really?" Her dad ruffled up her hair. "Yes, sweet girl, we have." He turned back toward Max. "We've known for a while now that the original Bonnie would have to be retired. Running an engine like that isn't environmentally friendly, as the oil spill shows. The new Bonnie is an eco-sailboat made from recycled wood. It uses only wind for power, so there will be no oil to leak." "That's so cool!" said Max. The door to the waiting area opened and a rescue worker stepped through. She wore rubber gloves and a white, water-spattered apron with a name tag that said Lucy. "I heard there were some visitors here who might like to see their seal friends," Lucy said with a bright smile. "Yes!" Sofia was first through the door. She followed Lucy down the long, winding hall. In a room at the end, two seals were splashing around in a big blue plastic tub. Sofia recognized the big-eyed baby right away, and the large spotted seal

beside it had to be its mother—she kept nosing at it, as if to make sure it was okay. And the pup nipped at her flippers, as if to say, Where have you been? As Max and Maisie stepped into the room behind her, Sofia turned to face Lucy. "Is the mother seal all right? Will she be okay?" Lucy nodded. "You were right to call the coast

guard when you did. Although she had lots of oil on her fur, she doesn't seem to have swallowed any." Max stepped closer to the tub. "But how did you clean her up so quickly? She was completely covered!" He shuddered at the memory. "Seal fur is usually thin and easy to clean," Lucy explained. "And fortunately, the rest of the seals were spotted far away from the spill, so they're okay, too. You all did a very good thing today. You saved this mother seal and her wee boy. We're going to release them into a safe, quiet cove tomorrow morning—at West Beach beside the village. Would you like to join us?" "Yes!" exclaimed Maisie. She looked toward Max and Sofia. "Will you come, too?" Max and Sofia smiled at each other. "Maybe we could have a sleepover on Wind Rider?" Sofia whispered. Just the thought of staying an extra day sent a jolt of excitement from her head to her toes. "Yes!" Max's eyes lit up. "We might need Wind Rider to give us a few new blankets, though." "What do you say?" Maisie asked. She reached for their hands and squeezed. "We'll be there." Sofia squeezed back and grinned.