Green. Deep green. Warmer than it sounds. Hundreds of arms, all leaning the same way. Like a field. Like a crowd waiting for something. The fish is in there somewhere. Small. Orange. Almost hidden. I looked for a full minute before I found him. That's the trick. The reef doesn't show you everything at once. It waits. It lets you lean in. The water is quiet here. No wind. No noise. Just arms, moving slow, and one bright dot of orange holding the center. I didn't touch anything. I didn't need to. Looking was enough. Looking usually is. Some things only stay yours if you don't grab them. So I swam on. Left him in his green room, safe and slow. Back at the boat, the coffee was cold. I didn't care. Some mornings the ocean gives you nothing and it's still the best hour of the week. I keep a list of those mornings now. It's getting long. The list is longer than the one of things I was worried about last spring. Both lists are mine. Only one of them matters. The green stayed with me all day, though. #seaanemone #greenwater #quietunderwater
