“Oh,â€? your girlfriend breathes. She runs to the railing of the boat and leans on it. “I’ve never seen water these colors!â€?

“They do tend to only occur in the Caribbean,â€? you inform her, standing behind her. “But I think you’d see them in the South Pacific, too.â€?

She smiles at you, though she’s facing the ocean. “This must be old hat to you, since your family used to live here.â€?

You circle your arms around her. “It’s still nice to see it with you.â€?

She points to a vivid patch of aquamarine water and gasps. “Look! Have you ever seen something so beautiful?â€?

Yes, you have.

You’ve seen that color before. You’ve seen it in his eyes as they glow in a dark room. You’ve seen that color flow with tears, cloud with anger, and shine in ecstasy.

But now you only see that color in the water. If you held it in your hands, it would be clear. Your color is gone. Only this mirage remains.

Your girlfriend turns in your arms to face you. “Well, have you?â€?

You smile. “Yes. I have.â€?