Arlene's POV
"I love fish," Nicholson declares, her eyes sparkling as she looks between Warner and me. "The sparkly pretty ones make me happy."
"Sharks are way cooler," Rockford counters with the confidence only a four-year-old can muster. "Mako sharks are the best because they're super smart. They don't need those weird electric things to hunt like the boring great whites do. They can see everything and smell really good. Plus they're smaller so nobody can catch them."
"They're shiny too and have the prettiest blue colors," Nicholson adds, always finding common ground.
Warner turns to her with genuine curiosity. "Do you have a favorite shark?"
"Silky sharks!" she exclaims. "Their name is so pretty and cute. They're iri-sent." She struggles with the word, her little face scrunching in concentration.
"Iridescent," I clarify, catching Warner's questioning glance. "It's her absolute favorite word. She just hasn't quite mastered it yet."
