Lure

A curious bond exists between people who grew up close to the sea.

When I met Jessie, she pulled my ear to her chest and said: listen. There was no heartbeat, just the crashing of waves.

We made love on deserted beaches, before rinsing away the sand.

Every time, we’d go further out.

Until one day she said, come with me, and pulled me under the water.

And I saw no legs as she dived, just a flash of silvery tail.

I kicked my own, still a pair, heavy and ungainly, and couldn’t tell if I was swimming or drowning.