Tatiana was already running down the beach, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Not soon after, the child’s shrieking started, but at least it wasn’t a siren. I leaped onto the edge of the dock and quickly put on my jeans, breathing a relieved sigh. At least I’d made someone happy today.
ELEVEN – ASH – May 20 – 6:00 p.m.
On my phone, I stared at the empty text box addressed to Fin. My stomach, both hungry and nauseous, balled up once more. I’d been hard on him when this wasn’t his fault, and I needed to let him know if he wanted to ask for my hand, tonight was the night.
“Dinner’s ready, Ash,” Mom called up the stairs “Your dad should be home any minute.”
“Okay.” Though I’d been starving because of my pregnancy, I’d lost my appetite.
A knock at the front door made my stomach lurch, and I froze mid-step. He was here. Mom wiped off her hands and answered the door.
“Oh… Tatiana?” Mom said. “My. What a pleasant surprise. I haven’t seen you in… a long time. Come in.”
My lungs seized, then my legs took off, hitting the stairs in rapid succession. I tackle-hugged her neck before Mom could let her fully inside.
“You’re here!” I said, gasping.
Tatchi smiled, but not as brightly as I’d expected. “Of course I am, silly. I promised I’d come.”
“So… should I set another plate?” Mom asked.
Tatchi shrugged. “Sure, why not, Mrs. Lanski.”
“Good. And let Fin know, too. I don’t want the food to get cold.” Mom left to go to the kitchen.
Tatchi twisted her head. “She’s taking this well.”
“She doesn’t know anything yet,” I said between my teeth. The wedding was one thing, but a baby? That could set off world war three.
“Oh.” Tatchi’s eyes tightened. “So what’s this I hear about Girra being your wedding planner?”
My breaths grew shallow. I was certain she’d come because Pearl would blab.
“She’s not,” I blurted out.
“Well, she thinks she is.” She cocked her head. “That’s if your wedding is still on.”
I ushered her outside on the porch. “Shhh.”
“What is wrong with you? Fin came in a rush telling me the whole thing is off.”
I paused for a moment, guilt settling in. “If you want to plan this wedding, it has to be in three weeks.”
“What?” Tatchi let out a huff. “I can’t plan a wedding in three weeks. Why?” Her face fell, and then her mouth gapped open. Eyes wide, she said, “You’re not…”
I bit my lip and nodded.
Tatchi screamed, startling me, then scooped my hands into hers and danced around. “Oh, my STARFISH!”
I let her pull me with her in a circle, trying not to burst into conflicting tears of sadness and joy.
“This is the best news! No wonder you’re all over the board.” She froze. “Fin doesn’t know, does he?”
My eyes became transfixed on the worn paint on the deck. “Not yet.”
“Why not?”
I held my breath. “I just found out.” The lump rising in my throat wasn’t helping things. “Tatchi, I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”
She grabbed onto me and had us sit on the swinging bench. “What do you mean? This is good news.”
“Is it?” I collapsed backward into the cushions.
She touched my knee. “Do you not want a baby?”
“I…” the tears slithered down my cheeks. “I… just… how am I going to explain all this to my parents?”
“Oh, honey,” she said, patting my knee. “With mojo.”
“I don’t want to. I want them to be happy for me for real.”
“I know…” She took a deep breath. “Look, it’s hard, mixing two worlds. I get it—”
“Hard? We came home to two arrest warrants. How’s that for an early wedding gift?”
Tatchi pressed her lips together as if to hide her smile.
“What?”
“It could have been worse,” she said. “Your sister could have been mer-jacked by Alaster.”
My body convulsed in full shivers, remembering his slimy lips on mine. She was a complete brat, yes, but I didn’t wish that on
ELEVEN – ASH – May 20 – 6:00 p.m.
On my phone, I stared at the empty text box addressed to Fin. My stomach, both hungry and nauseous, balled up once more. I’d been hard on him when this wasn’t his fault, and I needed to let him know if he wanted to ask for my hand, tonight was the night.
“Dinner’s ready, Ash,” Mom called up the stairs “Your dad should be home any minute.”
“Okay.” Though I’d been starving because of my pregnancy, I’d lost my appetite.
A knock at the front door made my stomach lurch, and I froze mid-step. He was here. Mom wiped off her hands and answered the door.
“Oh… Tatiana?” Mom said. “My. What a pleasant surprise. I haven’t seen you in… a long time. Come in.”
My lungs seized, then my legs took off, hitting the stairs in rapid succession. I tackle-hugged her neck before Mom could let her fully inside.
“You’re here!” I said, gasping.
Tatchi smiled, but not as brightly as I’d expected. “Of course I am, silly. I promised I’d come.”
“So… should I set another plate?” Mom asked.
Tatchi shrugged. “Sure, why not, Mrs. Lanski.”
“Good. And let Fin know, too. I don’t want the food to get cold.” Mom left to go to the kitchen.
Tatchi twisted her head. “She’s taking this well.”
“She doesn’t know anything yet,” I said between my teeth. The wedding was one thing, but a baby? That could set off world war three.
“Oh.” Tatchi’s eyes tightened. “So what’s this I hear about Girra being your wedding planner?”
My breaths grew shallow. I was certain she’d come because Pearl would blab.
“She’s not,” I blurted out.
“Well, she thinks she is.” She cocked her head. “That’s if your wedding is still on.”
I ushered her outside on the porch. “Shhh.”
“What is wrong with you? Fin came in a rush telling me the whole thing is off.”
I paused for a moment, guilt settling in. “If you want to plan this wedding, it has to be in three weeks.”
“What?” Tatchi let out a huff. “I can’t plan a wedding in three weeks. Why?” Her face fell, and then her mouth gapped open. Eyes wide, she said, “You’re not…”
I bit my lip and nodded.
Tatchi screamed, startling me, then scooped my hands into hers and danced around. “Oh, my STARFISH!”
I let her pull me with her in a circle, trying not to burst into conflicting tears of sadness and joy.
“This is the best news! No wonder you’re all over the board.” She froze. “Fin doesn’t know, does he?”
My eyes became transfixed on the worn paint on the deck. “Not yet.”
“Why not?”
I held my breath. “I just found out.” The lump rising in my throat wasn’t helping things. “Tatchi, I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”
She grabbed onto me and had us sit on the swinging bench. “What do you mean? This is good news.”
“Is it?” I collapsed backward into the cushions.
She touched my knee. “Do you not want a baby?”
“I…” the tears slithered down my cheeks. “I… just… how am I going to explain all this to my parents?”
“Oh, honey,” she said, patting my knee. “With mojo.”
“I don’t want to. I want them to be happy for me for real.”
“I know…” She took a deep breath. “Look, it’s hard, mixing two worlds. I get it—”
“Hard? We came home to two arrest warrants. How’s that for an early wedding gift?”
Tatchi pressed her lips together as if to hide her smile.
“What?”
“It could have been worse,” she said. “Your sister could have been mer-jacked by Alaster.”
My body convulsed in full shivers, remembering his slimy lips on mine. She was a complete brat, yes, but I didn’t wish that on
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