Shark Heart

by Emily Habeck

With electroreception, Lewis hoped to sense her, know her, and love her even thousands of miles away in the ocean. Nothing he read indicated that electroception extended further than a couple yards. But maybe, he thought, maybe if I practiced, I would never really have to say goodbye.

Feelings fled under pressure; feelings did not light the darkness. What remained strong in the deep, the hard times, was love as an effort, a doing, a conscious act of will. Soulmates, like her and Lewis, were not theoretical and found. They were tangible, built.

joy and grief are human birthrights, but mostly, being alive is everything in between.

You are Wren, the woman of my daydreams. Wren, the time of my life.”

Were they meant only to share a moment and pass on, alone, taking opposite forks on the road to womanhood?

The world is a big and small place, and life, a terrifying and sublime journey.

The ocean cannot be contained; neither can love; neither can Joy. Wren loosens her grasp. It is so hard to let go.