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Okay, that was a key piece of information I could have used before now.
“You’re old enough to know the truth now,” Dad said. “The night before we found your mum, my friends and I were playing around on the rocks at night.”
“Tut, tut.” I adopted the most disapproving look I could muster.
My entire childhood rang with the same life lesson: don’t go swimming in the sea at night. Now at least I knew why.
“Yes, I know.” Dad pulled his arms in tighter. “I jumped in and banged my head on the rocks. The next thing I knew, I was being pulled up on the beach. Probably by one of the merfolk.”
One of the merfolk. Or… Mum?
“I went back the next night in case whoever saved me was there so I could thank them,” Dad said. “To be honest, I don’t remember much about that night, but I remember finding your mum in the water. We don’t know where she came from or how she got injured, but your mum…” His eyes glazed over. “I’m not sure, but she seemed familiar to me, somehow. We brought her back home and nursed her back to health, and, well… she never left. She didn’t want to, and I certainly didn’t want her to. I loved her almost as soon as I saw her.”
My eyes burned suddenly.
“What about the merfolk that saved you?” I asked. “Did you ever find them?”
Dad shook his head. “No, but whoever they were, they may have saved Celeste, too.”
My sight went blurry as my eyes glazed over.
There was no doubt in my mind that Mum had saved Dad that night and somehow gotten injured before he found her. What if she hadn’t lost her memories? What if she had just not wanted Dad to know she was a mermaid?
Thoughts of her alleged hydrophobia surfaced. What if the water didn’t scare her, but what lurked in it?
“She had no name and no memories,” Dad said. “So she started a new life with me. Even if it was only for a short time.”
All the will drained from my body, and I placed the container on the island counter as my fingers relaxed.
This was a lot to take in.
“Are you all right, sweetheart?” Dad asked.
“Just… processing.”
If that was even possible. My brain pulsed, as if ready to explode with all this new info.
“Do you want to know anything else?” Dad asked.
“No, I’m good.”
“Okay, well… I’d really like to talk about your mum with you whenever you want. So, don’t hold off on bringing her up, okay?”
“Sure.” I headed for the door, Sammie choosing to stay and stare up at Dad in the hopes of scraps.
“Anything’s on the table,” Dad added. “If you need a recap of the birds and the bees talk, I can?—”
“No! Jeez, Dad.” I dashed into the hallway, his laughter following me.
I should have known he would try to diffuse the tension with some dumb joke.
As I took Flora’s container to Dad’s study, I collected my thoughts. Dad had as good as confirmed that Mum was a mermaid, even if he hadn’t known it.
I froze in the middle of the hallway. Even if he hadn’t known, there may be people on—or around—this island who did.
I worked the afternoon shift on Saturdays, so I had enough time to do some investigating before work. As soon as I finished breakfast, I took the car down to the south coast of the island and made my way to the merfolk boat.
My mother had a good relationship with the merfolk around Dusk, much to the bemusement of our family. Well, to everyone, really. Surely, she must have told them something—shared her secret with them even?
