Ah, that blue sea

A warm round pebble suddenly appeared on my shoulder.
"How I love you, my sunshine!" - I thought with tenderness.
The son with a satisfied look handed me a shiny wet pebble. He smelled of the sea and the sun-it was the smell of childhood. Previously, Russian aristocrats traditionally improved their health and treated "hypochondria" near the seashore. So I did exactly the right thing by listening to Yulka's advice. I really just needed to change the situation, and in the most drastic way. And the sound of the surf and the sea air affected my nerves better than any psychotherapist. So much better that I couldn't stop wondering about myself. From somewhere, the first sprouts of optimism and lost self-confidence suddenly appeared.
I believe that I will overcome everything and come out victorious. Over the past few days, I have repeatedly caught men's interested glances at me, and although I completely ignored them, the obvious interest from the stronger sex miraculously raised my shattered female self-esteem.
Having equipped my son "with the latest technology" - in a lifebuoy and armbands, I went swimming with him. Leaving the baby to drift independently near the shore, she lay down on her back. The movement of the clouds was mesmerizing, and the body seemed to dissolve into the water, merging with the sea. I felt like a mermaid, young and beautiful. Only unlike Andersen's heroine, I was no longer ready to sacrifice anything, much less my life, for the sake of a man. Even if he turns out to be a handsome prince...
a sharp cry brought me back to reality. I looked around and screamed in fright: a curious kid pulled out the cork, and the lifebuoy was deflating in front of my eyes, emitting a nasty whistle. I rushed to help my son. And suddenly a sea monster emerged from the water very close by. Or rather, it was, of course,
not a monster, but a very ordinary person. But under the circumstances, when I saw a large mask and a diving tube on the surfaced head, I was even more scared and redoubled my efforts in an attempt to save my son from possible danger. However, the "monster" was next to the whimpering boy in an instant. Five seconds later, the circle was inflated again and securely closed with a cork, and the baby was already laughing merrily.
"Bah!" he said, pointing at his savior with his finger.
The "monster" took off his mask and turned out to be, if not a handsome prince, then at least a very handsome man. From such a sharp metamorphosis, I was a little confused and, in an attempt to say at least something, turned to my son:
- Why "ba"?
- Ba! Bah!" the boy repeated insistently, continuing to point at his savior's head.
I looked in the same direction, puzzled. But, apart from wet dark hair falling on her face and absolutely incredible blue eyes, she didn't see anything like "ba". The man smiled affably.
"The kid means this," he said in a pleasant baritone, picking up the phone and showing it to me. There was a purple butterfly on the bright green plastic.
I came to my senses and was already able to think coherently. - Thank you very much! I was so scared, it's just awful! Thanks!
- I'm sure you could have done it yourself, but I decided to hedge just in case, the "former monster" replied. And what is the name of this butterfly lover?
"Zhenya," I replied, looking at the baby with pride.
"And his mother?"- the man continued his questions playfully.
- Zhenya, - seeing his surprised face, I burst out laughing. - You know, everyone reacts exactly the same! What can I say? It just so happened.
The man chuckled cheerfully. The silence dragged on, and I decided it was time to get back to real life.
"I think it's time for us to get out, because he's been in the water for half an hour," I said, heading for the shore. - Thank you again very much!
- Do you think to get rid of me with one "thank you"? the man seemed genuinely surprised.
- If you want, I can say "thank you" ten times! I laughed mockingly. What is he hinting at? Wants to have a vacation fling with me? Or is he waiting for something material? Nowadays, everything has turned upside down, and you can no longer be surprised at anything.
- You have such a face, Zhenya, as if you are waiting for me to eat you, - the new acquaintance laughed. - Have you been told that all emotions are very openly displayed on your face?
- No, - I muttered.
- I would just like to invite you and your son to dinner at a very nice place. I will be with the lady, so you can be sure of my more than decent command. By the way, my name is Slava.
***
"A very nice place" instead of a cafe drawn by my imagination on the embankment turned out to be an almost wild beach near Yalta. Several tents were located under the trees, sleeping bags were crowded under stretched awnings, cheerful and friendly people gathered around the campfire. Here the sounds of the guitar mixed with the rhythms of the surf, creating a very special atmosphere. And the lady who was supposed to "guarantee" Vyacheslav's decent behavior turned out to be his five-year-old daughter Anya.
Well, now it remains only to get acquainted with his wife. Or did he prudently leave his wife in Moscow to "relax" in the full sense?
Vyacheslav's friends were very pleasant and sociable people of completely different ages.

They were united by one thing - the love of diving.
- I have been doing this for many years, - Slava admitted.- Here, for the first time I decided to take Anyuta with me to the sea, I didn't dare before without my grandmother. - And, answering my unspoken question, he continued: - Lia's mom crashed in a car four years ago.
- I'm so sorry... I swallowed the lump in my throat. Anya looked so touching and with her dark pigtails and bright blue eyes, like Dad's, that I just couldn't imagine that the baby had long been deprived of maternal affection.
The next ten days flew by like one happy moment. My son and I spent whole days at the diving camp. My first dive was not easy - fear interfered. But each time I felt more confident underwater. And a week later I realized that I had fallen in love with the sea in a completely different way, and that diving would remain in my life forever.
And I also realized that I fell in love with Fame. In a calm, confident, not imposing himself and at the same time always ready to be around a person with an amazing sense of humor. But the recent disappointment in family life was making itself felt. I was waiting for something bad to happen, and the cloudless days would end with the same loneliness and longing.
***
Slava and my daughter, to whom I had already become attached, were standing by the train. He handed me a piece of paper.
"Here are my phones, home and mobile," he said. "I don't want to impose on you, so I'm not asking for your number. But I will really wait for your call," he kissed me on the cheek and went into the car.
Well, that's it, I thought. And what exactly did I expect? Slava never once spoke about his feelings and did not even hint that he had any designs on me, Although his eyes were more eloquent than any words. Or did I make it up to myself? In any case, everything that is done is for the best. If I hadn't met him, I wouldn't have experienced for myself what a miracle the sea can give!
A week later, I was standing on the platform of the Kursk railway station and was thinking how to quickly find a porter: the suitcase seemed to be stuffed with bricks. I looked around and saw... Glory.
"You know, I decided to be intrusive after all," he smiled. - I remembered that you like to go shopping, and therefore your suitcase is probably heavier. He lifted my pack easily. - And I also wanted to convince you to seriously join our team. You and the sea are just made for each other, believe me! And little Eugene will soon like scuba diving more than an inflatable circle. I would love to teach him! Well, what do you say?"
I didn't have any strength to speak - I just smiled... gamma казино