If at times, Solanna's mind took her to the watery cave of her own childhood
with her seal mother covering her on the dark ledge
and the mermaids and seahorses talking softly among themselves,
she never spoke of it to Red Brian or anyone
and in this way, seven years passed and the baby grew to a fine green-eyed boy
with silky hair and his mother's way of looking off into the distance
and her gift for singing.