nervous about everything, Mom.”
“There’s nothing to be worried about. You’re growing up. This is part of life. Moving out, going to college. Responsibility.”
I sniffled. “What if I don’t want to go away to school? What if I just wanted to stay home?”
“That’s fine, honey. We’re not forcing you to leave. There are good schools here.”
“What if I wanted to go to school here and marry Fin?”
Mom pulled her head backward. “I…”
“We’ve got it all planned. Fin will work for his dad at Captain Jack’s, and I could help you run Tahoe Tessie’s Treasures.”
Mom’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “The world is your oyster, Ash. Don’t sacrifice your freedom because you’re worried about me. We’ll be here when you’re done with school, and then you can decide where you’ll settle down.”
I took her hands. “I want to marry Fin. He’s got a good future ahead of him, and… ” I’ll make it work, somehow.
“You’re set on this?” Mom asked, face concerned.
I nodded. “I love him with all my heart. He’s the one. You knew with Dad, too. Right? High school sweethearts. I mean what did you tell Gran and Papa Frank?”
Mom sighed and pressed her lips together. “I told them the same thing you’re telling me.”
“So you made it work.”
“We had help, yes.”
“And we have help, too. Right?”
“You do,” she said, apprehensively. “It’s just… it’s not easy.”
“So you’ll talk to Dad. Butter him up?”
Mom gave me a forced smile, and I braced myself for her true self to emerge and be angry. “You know your dad loves Fin, as I do, too… it’s just you’re so young—”
“I know we’re young, but it’s like he has an old soul. And he knows me. He’s killing himself to make me happy as we speak, and… he has my heart. Please.”
Mom folded me into a hug, squeezing tight while she let go of a long breath. I waited to hear the condemnation, the plea to wait. “And that’s all I could wish for my little girl.”
I startled at her words, and then my heart bloomed with warmth. I’d blamed our disconnection on the fact I wasn’t her biological daughter, never having felt bonded to her, that was until this moment. I trembled with a sob.
“Okay,” she said, petting her hands down my arms. “None of that. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to your father.”
I collapsed with relief, sobbing more. “Thank you, Mom.”
She touched my hair, then my chin. “I don’t know where you got this red hair, but… you’re just so radiant. You’ll make such a lovely bride.”
A tear trickled down her cheek.
We hugged one more time, then she smoothed her hands down her apron. “Invite Fin for dinner. I’ll set up some time afterward for Fin and your father to talk. Okay?”
I blew out a breath. “Perfect.”
When I turned to tell Fin the good news, he was gone.
TEN – FIN – May 20 – 5:10 p.m.
Snapping my tail, the cold water felt cool on my scales after the heated argument on the beach. Once Ash had stormed away from me, taking a piece of my heart with her, I couldn’t stand there, waiting around like an idiot.
Why did I say that about being human?
I’d caught enough of Ash’ conversation with her mom, college and me proposing, but I didn’t think that was what this was all about. She’s become impossible to please, and I was getting sick of the constant change. At least I’d thought to mind-mojo her mom to be nice to her, but I couldn’t hack it anymore. I needed the one person who’d know what to do.
Once I cleared the Tahoe Gate and swam into Natatoria, my heart picked up speed. Where would my sister be? Just then, a mermaid crossed the ridge, mad as a hornet fish.
Tatchi! I called out in my mind
She looked up and frowned. Oooh. You give them a fathom, they take a freaking nautical mile .
Nicole squirmed in her arms, squealing to be freed from her tight grip. Tatch swam closer, and from her irritated look, I knew I needed to get
“There’s nothing to be worried about. You’re growing up. This is part of life. Moving out, going to college. Responsibility.”
I sniffled. “What if I don’t want to go away to school? What if I just wanted to stay home?”
“That’s fine, honey. We’re not forcing you to leave. There are good schools here.”
“What if I wanted to go to school here and marry Fin?”
Mom pulled her head backward. “I…”
“We’ve got it all planned. Fin will work for his dad at Captain Jack’s, and I could help you run Tahoe Tessie’s Treasures.”
Mom’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “The world is your oyster, Ash. Don’t sacrifice your freedom because you’re worried about me. We’ll be here when you’re done with school, and then you can decide where you’ll settle down.”
I took her hands. “I want to marry Fin. He’s got a good future ahead of him, and… ” I’ll make it work, somehow.
“You’re set on this?” Mom asked, face concerned.
I nodded. “I love him with all my heart. He’s the one. You knew with Dad, too. Right? High school sweethearts. I mean what did you tell Gran and Papa Frank?”
Mom sighed and pressed her lips together. “I told them the same thing you’re telling me.”
“So you made it work.”
“We had help, yes.”
“And we have help, too. Right?”
“You do,” she said, apprehensively. “It’s just… it’s not easy.”
“So you’ll talk to Dad. Butter him up?”
Mom gave me a forced smile, and I braced myself for her true self to emerge and be angry. “You know your dad loves Fin, as I do, too… it’s just you’re so young—”
“I know we’re young, but it’s like he has an old soul. And he knows me. He’s killing himself to make me happy as we speak, and… he has my heart. Please.”
Mom folded me into a hug, squeezing tight while she let go of a long breath. I waited to hear the condemnation, the plea to wait. “And that’s all I could wish for my little girl.”
I startled at her words, and then my heart bloomed with warmth. I’d blamed our disconnection on the fact I wasn’t her biological daughter, never having felt bonded to her, that was until this moment. I trembled with a sob.
“Okay,” she said, petting her hands down my arms. “None of that. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to your father.”
I collapsed with relief, sobbing more. “Thank you, Mom.”
She touched my hair, then my chin. “I don’t know where you got this red hair, but… you’re just so radiant. You’ll make such a lovely bride.”
A tear trickled down her cheek.
We hugged one more time, then she smoothed her hands down her apron. “Invite Fin for dinner. I’ll set up some time afterward for Fin and your father to talk. Okay?”
I blew out a breath. “Perfect.”
When I turned to tell Fin the good news, he was gone.
TEN – FIN – May 20 – 5:10 p.m.
Snapping my tail, the cold water felt cool on my scales after the heated argument on the beach. Once Ash had stormed away from me, taking a piece of my heart with her, I couldn’t stand there, waiting around like an idiot.
Why did I say that about being human?
I’d caught enough of Ash’ conversation with her mom, college and me proposing, but I didn’t think that was what this was all about. She’s become impossible to please, and I was getting sick of the constant change. At least I’d thought to mind-mojo her mom to be nice to her, but I couldn’t hack it anymore. I needed the one person who’d know what to do.
Once I cleared the Tahoe Gate and swam into Natatoria, my heart picked up speed. Where would my sister be? Just then, a mermaid crossed the ridge, mad as a hornet fish.
Tatchi! I called out in my mind
She looked up and frowned. Oooh. You give them a fathom, they take a freaking nautical mile .
Nicole squirmed in her arms, squealing to be freed from her tight grip. Tatch swam closer, and from her irritated look, I knew I needed to get
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