“There’s this little alcove my dad and I have been going to that’s tucked away just up against where the bay turns back. We found a pretty big oyster midden our ancestors must have made centuries ago. It’s full of old shucked oyster shells, a couple hundred yards up into the cordgrass of the salt marsh,” Rowan explained.
“And that alcove is where you and your dad have started establishing new oyster colonies?”
“That’s right. We’ve been working with the restaurants he sells oysters to to return the empty shells back to him. When oysters reproduce, the spat, or little baby larvae, attach to some kind of structure in the bay. So we’re testing out the best ways to rebuild the oyster colonies we used to have by creating structures with the shells. Then as time goes on, and the oysters grow, that’s how you get bigger and bigger colonies.”
“I’m assuming we want oyster colonies for more than just harvesting oysters?”
“The colony is like a living water-filtration system to purify the bay water. A single adult oyster can filter more than 50gallons of water a day.”
Juniper’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped softly. “That’s so cool,” Juniper said, her voice drifting off.
Rowan could see the hazy look in her eyes, and she raised an eyebrow in response. “You seem… turned on right now.”
Juniper narrowed those hazy eyes but Rowan still caught the smile forming on her lips.
Juniper trailed her fingers down Rowan’s bare arm and lingered at the tips of her fingers. “Maybe.”
“It’s about two miles down river from here, where we’re putting the boat in. You think you can make it?” Rowan teased.
“Shut up. Besides, I know that thing has a motor. I’ve been in it before you know.”
Among the many other days they’d spent in her boat, Rowan’s memory of the day they’d spent on the water before they kissed was startlingly vibrant.
I’ve missed out on so much time with youseemed like a fucked up thing to say.
Even worse,I’ve dreamt about what it would be like to be in love with you again.
Rowan tucked away those unproductive thoughts that were rooted to a painful past.
“New memories,” Rowan confirmed softly. Then she tenderly brushed her lips against Juniper’s. “Let’s get going before the sun fully rises.”
Rowan pulled on her salt-stained knee-high muck boots. She finished throwing their small amount of gear into her old jon boat and waded it several feet out into the water. Since they weren’t launching from a dock, they’d have to wade into the water first and climb in. Juniper was standing at the edge of the ebbing shoreline and looking down at her short gardening boots.
“We need to get you some taller boots,” Rowan called out.
“I wear a size 9,” she yelled back.
Rowan laughed. “Noted.”
“But show me options first. I still want to pick them out.”
“Of course. I’ll just be the one buying them.”
“Small price,” she teased.
“Why don’t you take those off and carry them, cross over to me, and I can give you a hand up?”
Juniper took off her boots and walked a few steps into the water. The sand of the coastline turned to silt, then clay within a few feet off shore. She started laughing when her bare feet began sinking deep into the river bed.
Laughing with her, Rowan said, ”I got you, hang on.”
Rowan wrapped the boat’s docking rope around her wrist to prevent it from floating away and tried to lift her foot to walk toward Juniper.
They laughed together at the loud suction noise of her boot releasing from the clay.
“Fuck, even I’m stuck.”
Rowan freed her foot and took one large step forward. She leaned far over and extended her other hand out to wrap around Juniper’s waist to get enough leverage to pull her forward. Juniper started to lift her feet but quickly lost her balance.
