Day after day, they returned, their son cradled against them, protected from the sun and the salty breeze. “He helped us right around here,” James would say to anyone who’d listen, pointing to the spot where they had first seen the shark. Maria shared their story of desperation and rescue, hoping it might jog someone’s memory.
Finally, on the seventh day, they received a letter in the mail. It was from the old man, thanking them for the incredible experience they had shared and expressing his own gratitude for the role they had played in saving the shark. He also included a key to a safe-deposit box, telling them that he had left them a gift for their child.