8 Into the Waves

Chapter 8 Into the Waves "There are so many!" said Sofia, leaning over the rail of Wind Rider. She shaded her eyes, marveling at all the seals sunbathing on West Beach. And soon, there would be two more. Max and Sofia had dropped anchor in the bay for the night, but now Wind Rider was carrying them toward the beach. As it slid alongside the dock, Max took a deep breath. "Sofia, it's the new Bonnie!" He pointed at the sleek new sailboat bobbing beside

the dock. Its hull, made of chestnut-brown reclaimed wood, gleamed in the morning light. And Bonnie was painted in cheery yellow letters across the polished boards. "It's beautiful!" Sofia cried. Then she spotted Maisie and her parents on the beach. There was a white-haired elderly man with them, wrapped up in a thick coat, who had to be Maisie's granddad. "Let's go!" Max quickly tied up Wind Rider and raced down the dock after Sofia. Across the beach, Maisie, her granddad, and her parents stood beside Lucy and a large white truck. "It's almost time!" Maisie called to them, bouncing on her toes.

From the truck, rescue-center workers clad in blue carefully slid out two large carrying cases. "They look like the cage we use to bring our pup to the vet," Maisie said. Max laughed. "That one is carrying a different kind of pup," he said, pointing. The seal pup peered out the wire door at the end of the cage. He pawed at it with his flipper and let out a pitiful cry. "Mah, mah!"

His mother grunted in response from the cage next to him as the rescue-center workers carried each cage down the beach toward the water. Lucy waved the kids over. "Come watch," she said. "Just stand back a bit so you don't startle them." She and another worker slowly opened the wire doors to both cages and then stepped away. The mama seal wriggled out of her cage, slowly at first. When the seal pup saw her, he hopped through the

door of his own carrier and waddled across the sand. Sofia giggled. "He's so happy!" she whispered. Once the mother seal reached the safety of the tide, she turned and nuzzled her pup. But they didn't dive into the waves right away. They splashed and played together in the shallows, the pup nipping at his mother and sliding on and off her back. "What a show-off!" said Max, chuckling. Gradually, the seals swam farther and farther away —until they were gone. "Time to say goodbye," said Sofia. She smiled sadly and gave a little wave. When a bird cawed overhead, Max glanced up, hoping to see a gannet diving for fish. Instead, he saw a seagull—a very familiar-looking one. The bird swooped so low, Max felt his hair ruffle. He nudged Sofia. "I think it's time for us to say goodbye, too." When she saw the seagull, Sofia met Max's gaze and sighed. "You have to go?" said Maisie. Her shoulders drooped. "Wait, I have something for you." She dug in her pockets and pulled out two carved figures.

"Seals!" said Sofia. "Oh, they're so cute." She cupped her golden-brown seal in her palm, admiring its sweet, puppylike face. Max ran his finger over the smooth head of his seal. "Wow—did your granddad make them?" Maisie shook her head. "I did. Well, Granddad helped me a little." She flashed a smile back at her granddad, who was waiting with her parents. "They're to thank you. And so you'll always remember me and the selkies." Sofia's heart swelled. "I know just where we'll put them," she said, picturing the wooden shelf of treasures in the cabin of Wind Rider. A short while later, Sofia and Max stood on the deck of their boat, waving to Maisie and her family, back on the dock. Wind Rider carried them out into the harbor,