Between the Land and the Sea

Chapter FIFTEEN

CONFESSION

We motored into the harbor, Ethan steering the small inflatable into its berth. I’d been peeled off the buoy and made to sip water slowly, as Cruz filled me in on his own awful night.

Ethan was preoccupied with piloting us back to land, and I was afraid to make eye contact, ashamed of my stupid move. I sat in mute exhaustion, resting my dizzy head on Cruz’s shoulder as he spoke. He put a reassuring arm around me.

“I’m so sorry Cruz, I should have listened to you.” My voice sounded hoarse and raspy.

I felt horrible about implicating Cruz. He described to me how he’d been frantic, pacing on the sand for hours. He finally went to Megan’s, where they tried to figure out what to do. Cruz had lied to Abby, telling her I was spending the night at Megan’s. I felt bad about involving them, but I was grateful that Abby didn’t know, for she would certainly tell my father and I would definitely be sent away for this one.

Megan and Cruz ended up spending the night on the beach, waiting in vain for my return.

They knew that Ethan lived at the harbor, and went to him at dawn for help. His father was away on a fishing trip for the weekend, but Ethan had his inflatable skiff.

They told Ethan about Lorelei, and were surprised when he believed them. Of course he would, I thought, for he had seen her too. I felt terrible, for now he knew that I had lied to him.

Lies of omission.

They told him about my near fatal trip to the buoy last time. Megan had guessed that she would take me there again, and Ethan thought he knew where they might find it. Cruz and Ethan left the harbor in the early morning light to search for me. They were far out to sea, circling hopelessly and getting nowhere when the dolphins came and guided them. I thought about the pod we saw surfing and wondered if they were the same. Could Lorelei have sent them?

I dozed off and on, utterly exhausted, lulled to sleep by the droning engine. The next thing I knew Ethan was lifting me up from the boat onto a dock where Cruz held me upright and steadied me. Megan came running up, a relieved look on her face.

She gave me a big hug, “Thank God! We thought we might not get you back!” I looked down, contrite, “You were right. I’m sorry.”

“For God’s sake Marina, promise us you won’t have anything to do with her anymore,” said Megan sternly.

I hesitated, Lorelei may be annoyingly childlike, but now I knew she was part of my family.

My voice was quiet, “I don’t know if I can.”

Megan looked at me in frustration, “Marina, you’ve got to drop this obsession! It’s going to get you killed!”

Ethan was standing there, arms crossed. He looked mad.

“Thank you for finding me,” I told him timidly, “You saved my life.”

“My place is up there,” he said, gesturing to a row of apartments overlooking the harbor,

“You need to get out of that wetsuit.” He was right. I was uncomfortable and dirty from the buoy.

I turned to Cruz, “My clothes! Do you have my bag?”

“Sorry, I left them at home when I got the car last night,” Cruz said, “I’ll get them and bring them here. Mom thinks that Ethan picked you up from Megan’s to take you surfing.” Megan yawned and stretched, “My mom is wondering where I disappeared to… I gotta go.” Cruz followed Megan over to the Porsche. He stopped and turned around, dangling my purse. He must have taken it off the buoy.

“At least I got your Prada back from her!”

Megan and Cruz looked at each other and laughed. I turned to face Ethan. He was not amused.

“Come on,” he said, walking away. I trailed behind him.

Ethan’s place was on the second floor, and I followed him up the stairs on stiff legs. The front of the building was covered with a huge blooming bougainvillea, creating a wall of brilliant fuchsia. He opened the door and let me in wordlessly, avoiding eye contact.

I stood there awkwardly, feeling like I had ruined our friendship. Ethan left the room and I looked around nervously. His apartment was comfortable but spare; you could tell that no woman lived there. An overstuffed couch sat facing a big TV, and there were stacks of sports and surfing magazines. A desk in the corner held a computer and printer, piled high with mounds of papers.

He came back in the room, brusquely handing me a folded towel, sweats and a T-shirt. He pointed in the direction of the bathroom. “Give me your wetsuit and I’ll get it cleaned up for you.

You need to rinse off.”

I nodded, “Thanks,” I said weakly. I stripped off my wetsuit and handed it to him through the cracked door. When I peeled off my swimsuit I could see the outline of a nasty sunburn flaming on my back. I shuddered with the chills, and got into the shower. The warm water felt like heaven, and I wanted to curl up and go to sleep right there. I rinsed out my swimsuit and hung it on the rod.

I slipped into Ethan’s clothes and looked in the mirror. My bruised face was now sporting a sunburn across the bridge of my nose and my cheeks. My lip was still swollen with a big scab where the split had closed. My wet hair was tangled and messy, and I looked comical swimming in Ethan’s too big clothes. I came out to find him sitting on the couch. He looked up and tried to suppress a smile.

“I know,” I said, “I’m a mess.”

“Have a seat,” he gestured to the couch. I sat down, clenching my hands in my lap.

“I’m sorry,” I said, looking down.

He exhaled hard. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked with a twinge of annoyance in his voice.

“It’s a long story,” I said.

“I have time,” he said.

And so I started talking and it all spilled out. I told him how I saw Lorelei the day I first saw him, and felt her hand pull me up from underwater when I got hit by the sleeper wave. I told him about taking Cruz and Megan to see her and talking to her for the first time.

“They can talk?” he asked, shocked and curious.

“Yes, but I’m the only one who can... I’m the only one who understands her,” He looked surprised, raising his eyebrows at me.

I went on to explain, “Her voice– it sounds like bells to me. But Cruz and Megan can only hear water.”

“Marina, Cruz told me that she nearly killed you,” he said gravely, “I can’t believe she dragged you all that way... and without a wetsuit? Twice!” He looked angry again.

“It’s not like that! She didn’t know!” I felt strangely protective of her, as if she needed me to defend her, “She didn’t understand why I got so cold.”

“That explains why you had no water in your lungs,” he shook his head, “You must have been freezing to death!”

“Literally,” I said, meeting his eyes. I had to look away, remembering when he asked me about it before.

“Why weren’t you afraid to go back?” he asked quietly.

I told him that Lorelei didn’t know anything about people, and that she was the one who had saved me from Shayla’s panicked death grip. I explained how she had peeled Shayla off of me, and ended up saving both of us. I told him how I’d made plans to meet with her again on that day. I went on to try and describe her childlike nature; I wanted him to understand that she was joyful and naive, lighthearted and carefree. Whatever she was, I knew that she meant me no harm.

“She’s innocent... she just doesn’t understand humans,” I was struck with the realization that I was only half human, and shivered suddenly as a cold chill passed through me.

“Are you okay?” Ethan asked.

I nodded mutely, suddenly speechless.

“Was she the girl, the one who stopped the shark?”

“I think so... she was there that day we were surfing. She saw you teaching me. I tried to ask her about it but she was being... difficult.”

“What do you mean by difficult?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

I looked at him with pained eyes, “She kept trying to show me things that she’d collected...

things that were my–” my voice caught in my throat. I could see the hairless baby doll in my mind and I squeezed my eyes shut.

“She sent the dolphins that day,” he said flatly, the truth dawning on him.

“I guess... I didn’t have a chance to ask.”

“Is that the only reason you wanted me to teach you to surf?” he asked, sounding a little hurt.

I shook my head vehemently, meeting his eyes sincerely, “No! I really wanted to try, it looked like so much fun! And it was fun! Probably the most fun thing I’ve ever done,” I dropped my gaze, a little ashamed, “But it did occur to me that I could use the board to try and find out more...”

“What happened yesterday?” he asked firmly, “Why did she leave you there?” Something in his tone demanded the truth.

I heaved a shaky breath, “After she brought me out to the buoy another one showed up.” He looked shocked and listened intently as I described the other mermaid’s arrival and the horrible screeching fight that ensued. Their wild thrashing struggle was fresh in my mind as I tried to explain the frightening speed and power of the battling creatures. I told him how I had been left there alone, and how scary it was in the dark.

“I lost my surfboard...”

Ethan let out a long breath, shaking his head, “What I don’t– can’t– understand is why you would go off to meet her again after you nearly died because of her!” he said angrily.

I swallowed hard, my throat sore from the ordeal, “She told me something that day, the first time she dragged me out there... just before I blacked out. Something I haven’t told anyone.” I looked up at him as my eyes filled with involuntary tears, “I had to find out for sure... I had to know.” I dropped my head, biting down on my lip to keep it from trembling.

“Know what?”

I wrung my hands in anguish, looking for a way out, fighting the urge to run for the door.

After everything he’d done for me he had a right to know.

“She told me... she said...”

“What?” he asked again, his voice quietly insistent.

“M-my mother...” my voice was quavery, “My mother was one of them... a mermaid.” I turned away, afraid to see the look on his face. He paused for a moment, as if to let it sink in.

“How do you know she isn’t lying?” he asked gently.

“Her name,” I whispered, “She knew her name.”

I turned to look up at him fearfully, startled by the sudden tenderness in his eyes. He leaned in and wrapped his arms around me.

“No wonder you’re so beautiful,” he said, drawing me into him.

I was shaking as I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He was warm, and he smelled good. I concentrated on the steady rhythm and started to calm down. I could have stayed like that forever, rocking slightly with the rise and fall of his breathing, taking refuge in the circle of his arms.

A knock on the door broke us apart. Ethan patted my knee reassuringly and got up. It was Cruz, and he came in the room, eying us speculatively. I could almost hear him thinking as he looked me over. When he handed me my clothes, I thanked him and excused myself to the bathroom to change.

I emerged to find him sitting on the couch talking with Ethan about their good luck in finding me. Cruz asked me questions about what had happened overnight and I recounted the tale– most of it. Ethan caught my eye as I skipped over the mother part in my recitation. Cruz thought the spray bottle was hilarious, and his eyes flew open in horror when I told him about the other mermaid and the violent screeching fight.

“You mean there’s more than one?” he grimaced theatrically.

“Apparently the ocean is crawling with them,” I snarked back.

“Just your luck,” Cruz joked, “You really bring them out of the woodwork, don’t you?”

“Everything would have been fine if the other one hadn’t have shown up. How was I supposed to anticipate that?” I said defensively.

“You shouldn’t have gone in the first place,” his tone was uncharacteristically serious. I felt a fresh flush of guilt for putting him the whole ordeal.

“I couldn’t resist the temptation,” I said quietly, truthfully.

“That’s what she said,” Cruz flashed me an impish grin, making me laugh in spite of my guilty conscience.

When my stomach growled audibly, Cruz and I exchanged a look and laughed again.

“You must be starving!” Ethan said. I was, but I hadn’t noticed it until now.

Cruz sprang up to go, “I’m supposed to be at work, so uh... you kids have fun surfing!” He sounded just like Abby. He smirked, eyes glittering with amusement, “Seriously, mom doesn’t expect you home until later this evening. See you tonight.” He was out the door before I could even say anything.

“What do you want to eat?” Ethan asked.

“I don’t care,” I said, suddenly overcome with exhaustion, “I really can’t go anywhere right now– could you please just take me home?”

“Are you kidding?” he asked, “We’re surfing, remember?” He left the room and came back with a soft blanket. “You must be tired. Why don’t you just kick back and I’ll make you my famous grilled cheese.”

“Sounds good,” I said, nestling down on the couch, watching him as he tucked the blanket around me. I wondered why he was being so nice to me after all the lies I’d told.

I was on a small boat in a dark stormy sea when the water beneath me began to churn. I twisted around to see something coming up from the depths towards me. As it drew closer it fractured into multiple shapes. A score of mermaid heads broke the surface, surrounding me...

I started awake, breathing hard and looking around in confusion. I was on Ethan’s couch, curled up into a ball. I slowly came back to reality, hugging my knees to my chest. He walked in carrying two plates of grilled cheese sandwiches with mugs of tomato soup, and I sat up selfconsciously, blinking groggily.

“Can I help with anything?” I asked.

“Just eat,” he said, and I did.

I don’t think anything ever tasted so good.

We sat on the couch side by side and talked after we ate. I told him about my mystical encounter with the humpback the night before. He listened, impressed, as I described reaching out to touch it and how its eyes met mine. I tried to explain how the sound of its song was comforting, but words failed me, and I ended up frustrated and silent.

“I still can’t believe you were out there all that time,” he said.

“It was scary,” I said, “So I think she sent the whale to me...” I remembered how much better it made me feel, “to keep me company.”

Ethan told me about some of the times he’d come close to them when he crewed on his dad’s whale-watching trips. He said that the whales seemed curious about the boats, and would circle around, surfacing to thrust their heads out of the water for closer inspection. Sometimes a whale would even swim near the surfers, but one had never come up right alongside them.

I told him how Lorelei talked to the sea lions, and could command them. I described the way she had used them as a diversion to allow me climb out to her unnoticed.

“You know,” he said gravely, “We’re lucky those dolphins showed up when they did. I don’t think we would have found you without them.” He was quiet for a minute, as if imagining me still out there.

“Ethan, thanks for coming out to look for me... I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I smiled ruefully,

“It’s funny really... because you’re the only person who would have believed me.”

“You can trust me,” His blue eyes were so intense I had to look away.

I took a deep breath, “I appreciate you not saying anything to Cruz. I– I’m just really not ready to talk about it,” I looked at him, “I need to talk to my father.” He nodded. I leaned back on the couch and flinched.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I think I scorched my back,” I replied.

“Let’s see,” he said.

I twisted around and lifted up the back of my shirt. I could feel the heat radiating off my sunburned skin.

“Ouch,” he said wincing, “I have something for that.” He left and came back with some Aloe Vera gel. “This oughta help– turn around,” he said.

I turned away on the couch and he peeled up my shirt. Flustered, my face burned as hot as my back. He put some on his hands and rubbed it on gently, carefully. It felt cool and soothing and I sighed with relief.

“There,” he said, his voice strange. I turned around and he looked... intense. “We better go.” We pulled up to Abby’s, and as I started to climb out as he came around the side of the truck, holding my door solicitously and taking my bag for me.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, searching my eyes.

“I’m okay,” I said gratefully, “Thank you so much... for everything,” We walked to the porch side by side.

“Get some rest,” he said, standing closer than necessary.

I looked up at him, “I will.”

The door swung open and we came face to face with Abby.

“Hi guys!” she beamed, “How was surfing? Gosh Marina, you look like you got some sun!” Chapter SIXTEEN

INHEIRITANCE

I spent the next day lounging around with Cruz, watching TV and recuperating from my ordeal. Megan came over and I gave another recitation of my night on the buoy. We made popcorn and watched a couple of old horror movies. Nothing seemed even remotely as scary as the horrible screeching mermaid fight. We spent most of the day laughing and making jokes about my latest misadventure. Megan told me how upset Ethan was when he found out that I had gone missing.

“He really likes you,” she gave me a knowing look.

“Totally,” added Cruz, “He was freaking out when we told him what you’d been up to.”

“We were just lucky he believed us… and had his dad’s boat!” said Megan.

Cruz smiled slyly at me, “Did you notice the masterful way I made myself scarce yesterday?

You can thank me later.”

“Oh stop it,” I said, blushing.

Ethan was the only person who knew the whole truth about me, and I was relieved that he seemed to take it so well. I don’t know what kind of reaction I expected, but he was so kind and sweet about everything that I felt like I could breathe for the first time in weeks. I didn’t realize how crushing the weight of secrets could be; I’d never had anything to hide before.

I apologized profusely to Megan and Cruz, feeling terribly guilty about putting them through so much and forcing them to cover for me. They had become the best possible friends and confidantes; I smiled darkly to myself, thinking about how this was exactly what my father had wanted for me. I made a vow to never again involve anyone else in my quest for answers. This was my problem and I’d have to find a way to deal with it by myself.

The desire to know more about my mother was not going away, and now I had an entirely new set of questions. As much as I knew that I should let it go, I also knew that there was probably no way I could. Lorelei felt like my only link to the past.

Things at school changed dramatically. Shayla and her crew left us all alone, and the atmosphere was no longer hostile. The surfer crowd was even guardedly friendly, and I was treated with respect. They all believed that I had single-handedly rescued Shayla. I could only imagine what they’d think if they knew the truth.

Ethan kept my secret, and I was a little surprised that he didn’t seem put off by it. We always sat together in art class, and I looked forward to it more than I wanted to admit. I was so physically aware of him that every time we brushed up against each other I caught my breath. It seemed to me like he took every little opportunity to touch me, but I doubted he had any idea at all of how much he affected me.

Spending time with Ethan was a welcome distraction, but it still wasn’t enough to keep me from obsessing about my mother. I needed to understand how I came to be. How could she have possibly met my father, much less communicated with him? All the questions I’d ever had about my mother came rushing back to me, dredged up from the murky depths of my mind, trailed by bitter memories of being shut down by my father for even daring to ask.

I had someone else to ask now. As frustrating as talking to Lorelei was, I sensed she had no reason to keep anything from me. Unfortunately, the other mermaid made it even more dangerous for me to try and find her again. Clearly, meeting with me had gotten Lorelei into trouble with the mystifying sisterhood of mermaids.

I fretted about what might have happened to her, remembering the angry mermaid’s words.

“Forbidden”, she had said, and I guessed that maybe Lorelei had broken some kind of mermaid rule about not contacting humans. There had to be a way to meet with her secretly and safely, for now that I’d had a small taste of the truth I needed more.

It started to prey on my mind again, making me edgy and restless.

I worried about Ethan too. What if he came across the other, angry mermaid? He spent a lot of time in the water. Would she do anything to him? She hadn’t harmed me, but then again, she’d been busy attacking Lorelei. I kept going over all the stories of evil murderous mermaids–

the ones that Megan was so focused on. The thought of them hurting Ethan filled me with a strange mix of intense anger and icy cold fear that tightened my throat.

I imagined calling my father and demanding the truth, and it made me sick to my stomach. I knew I needed to talk to him, to hear his voice, to find the nerve to ask him about my mother. I kept putting it off and coming up with excuses to procrastinate. I knew it was crazy, but I was more afraid to confront my father than I was to head out to sea with a mermaid that had nearly done me in. I was a total basket case, I thought, contemplating my next move.

What I couldn’t manage to avoid was the beach. I stayed off the pier, but I found myself spending hours walking barefoot along the sandy shore, haunted by unresolved questions. Maybe it was my way to feel connected to my mother, but walking through the foamy surf was soothing, and I was better able to relax after my walks. I wanted answers, but all I had was a huge collection of beach glass. As I stared out over the horizon I had a strong urge to go surfing again.

One blustery fall day I rambled home after a long walk, surprised to find Abby sitting at the kitchen table with her head in her hands, sobbing. I paused for a moment, shocked at such an incongruous sight. Sweet, gentle Abby, who had a seemingly infinite capacity for happiness and patience... crying?

“Aunt Abby, what happened?” I blurted out, startling her. She wiped her eyes, struggling for composure.

“Oh Marina,” she sniffed, “I’ve made a terrible mistake– and now...” She started crying again, “Cruz hates me.”

I sat down and took her hand, “That’s not possible, Aunt Abby,” I said sincerely. She gestured to a letter sitting on the table. It was addressed to Cruz, from a law firm in Argentina.

The letter stated that Cruz Vanderpool was one of the beneficiaries of the estate of Federico Acosta, who had passed away the prior month. It requested that Cruz contact the office to arrange for the disbursement of the funds.

“What is this?” I asked Abby, “What does it mean?”

Abby looked up at me with red rimmed eyes, “Federico, is... was… Cruz’s father.”

“But I thought he was... I mean, I thought he died before Cruz was born.”

“I lied about that,” she said, gulping down a sob, “And now Cruz is so upset...” I was stunned, and took a moment for it to sink in, “I don’t understand, what happened?” Abby took a shuddering breath and told me her story. She was eighteen, a college student at the university in Santa Cruz. She had fallen in love with Federico, a visiting professor of Latin American literature. He was much older and more sophisticated than her, and before she knew it she was in way over her head. Abby found herself pregnant with Cruz when she discovered that he was married with a family in Argentina.

“He tried to give me money,” she said, “He didn’t want me to keep the baby. When he left I didn’t know what to do. Martin came to the rescue.”

“What did dad do?” I asked.

Abby smiled through her tears, “He bought me this place, and helped me get back on my feet.” She sighed, “When Cruz was old enough to ask... I just thought it was for the best. I never expected to hear from him ever again.”

“How did Cruz take it?” I wondered, worrying about him. She looked at me in anguish.

“Would you go see how he is?” she asked, blinking at me with tortured eyes. I leaned over and gave her a hug.

“It’ll be alright,” I said.

I went down the hall and knocked gently on Cruz’s door.

“Go away!” he yelled.

“Cruz, it’s me, Marina.”

He opened the door a crack and I could tell that he’d been crying. “Did she tell you?” I nodded, and he let me in. The letter had come as a tremendous shock to him. He felt betrayed and confused.

“My father has been alive all this time and he never even wanted to see me...”

“You don’t know that,” I said gently, “Maybe he was afraid to hurt his family, or–” Cruz looked at me sarcastically, “He knew about me, he could have picked up a phone.”

“He remembered you in his will. He didn’t have to do that.”

“Guilty conscience,” he said dismissively.

“Cruz, your mom feels terrible. She was only a kid. She was our age...” He sighed, “I know, it just came as a total shock– to find out your whole life has been a lie.” I knew exactly how he felt.

“She was only trying to protect you,” I said, thinking about my dad.

“You’re lucky you’re dad never lied to you!” he cried.

I looked at him sadly, “You never know.”

He was starting to look more sad than mad, “I knew they never got married or anything, but she told me he died in a car crash!” Cruz emoted passionately, reminding me of Evie, “It’s just so completely out of the blue.”

“I know what you need! Come with me to visit my Aunt Evie. It’s impossible to feel bad around her, and we need to show her your clothes.” We hatched a plan to go to the city on Saturday, and he seemed to feel a little better. I turned to leave, “Cruz, you should talk to your mom.”

“I will,” he said.

I went back out to find Abby sitting in the garden. She looked up hopefully, “How is he?”

“He’ll be fine. He just needs some time.”

She smiled wanly, fidgeting with a string of beads around her neck.

I sat down and casually asked, “Abby, what was my father like back then? I mean, back before I was born.”

She looked thoughtful, “We lost our parents when we were very young. Martin was so strong– he always looked out for me. I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for him.”

“Abby, what do you know about my mother?”

She saddened, paused and said, “I only met her once.” She looked at me solemnly, “The day you were born.”

I pressed her, “Tell me about that day.”

She sized me up, speculating as to whether I was ready to hear the story. She nodded.

“I got a call from Martin– he was beside himself. He was calling from a hospital in San Francisco. At first I thought he was hurt, but then he blurted out that his wife was in labor, and things were going badly. He was so upset... I never heard him sound so desperate.” She explained that dad had never told her about his whirlwind romance and marriage.

“I don’t know where he met her, but I guess it was love at first sight. They just eloped without telling anyone. I figured he didn’t want to hurt me, because of... well, you know. Cruz was six months old then. I loaded him in the car and hurried to the hospital.”

“And you met her,” I said.

“Yes. When I got there your dad was a wreck. I talked to the doctor and he said there were complications, and that she had refused to end the pregnancy despite the warnings. He said she wanted to see me...” her voice caught in her throat, “Your dad was in no shape to do anything, so I brought Cruz in with me to see her... Adria.” She paused, sighing sadly.

“Go on,” I urged.

“She was so beautiful… you look just like her. She was terribly pale, but her eyes– her eyes were happy, triumphant. When she saw Cruz, she just lit up. She touched her belly and told me that you were a girl, and that your name was Marina. She said I would need to help Martin. She wanted to hold Cruz, but the monitor went off...” her eyes filled with tears as her voice trailed off.

“Keep going,” I said, intense.

“They hustled me out of the room, and things just went wrong,” she looked at me sadly,

“And you were born. Your dad just fell apart. It was scary– I’d never seen him like that. I filled out the forms to give you the name she picked. Martin was totally numb with grief. He kept saying it was his fault, he should have left her alone...” It was hard for me to imagine my dad like that. He was always so even-keeled, steady and calm.

“He loved her so much he just kinda shut down. He was in no shape to take care of a baby. I stayed at the hospital that night and took you home with Cruz the next day.” She looked at me with a sad smile, “Your dad threw himself into his work, his traveling. I think he was afraid to see you, to be reminded of her. One day when you were about nine months old Martin showed up.”

“So I used to live here.” I wasn’t much surprised. I had been comfortable here from the first moment I arrived.

Abby went on, “He took one look at you and it was like the fog lifted. I could see his heart healing right before my eyes. The two of you bonded instantly. He moved in with us for a few weeks and when he left he took you with him.”

“Where did he take me?” I asked.

“He had just gotten an endowment at the university, and he moved you into the San Francisco apartment,” she smiled sadly at the memory, “It broke my heart to let you go, but I could see that you belonged together. Poor Cruz, he missed you so much.” I was quiet for a moment, “Thanks for telling me, Abby.” We hugged each other and I looked up to see Cruz standing there. I left them alone and went to my room.

I had figured that my mother wanted me, but now I knew she had knowingly sacrificed her life for mine. It was sad to hear how much her death had affected my dad. Hearing the story made it easier to forgive him for not telling me the truth, and the little flame of resentment I was harboring flickered out. Now I missed the mother I had never known even more, and understanding my father, felt closer to him.

I was a half-mermaid hybrid, but he was only human after all.

That Friday, Ethan walked me to the parking lot, asking me what I was doing on Saturday. I told him that Cruz and I had planned a trip to the city, wondering if he was thinking about going surfing again. I wanted to surf so badly I could taste it, but I’d already called Evie, and I knew she was busy planning our day together.

“Do you miss it?” he asked, “Living in the city?”

“There’s a lot to do there,” I said, thinking about the museums and theaters. “But I miss Evie, and that’s who we’re going to see.”

He looked thoughtful, “When are you moving back?” he asked.

“My dad gets home this summer,” I said, “But you never know with him, we usually go where his latest project takes him.”

“What about college?” he asked.

“I don’t know... Cruz is going to design school in San Francisco, and I want him to move in with us. Maybe I’ll stay in the city and go to school with him.” We walked slowly to the parking lot.

“Have you talked to your dad yet?” he asked, stopping me in my tracks. After my talk with Abby I was even more fearful of upsetting him. I was afraid he might send me away from Aptos to keep from having to deal with the truth– taking away any chance I had of finding out more.

The one thing I knew for sure was that he didn’t behave rationally when the subject of my mother came up.

“No,” I said looking down, forced to face my fears, “We write e-mails back and forth, but I–

I’ve been putting off calling. I think I should see him face to face to really... talk.”

“You must miss him,” Ethan said.

“Do you know what I miss?” I said, wanting to forget about my father, “Surfing!” He smiled at me.

“No seriously, I was at the beach yesterday and it was all I could do to keep from jumping in! I can’t wait to try it again!” I said with enthusiasm. I must have said something wrong because he looked a little worried.

“It’s okay, I know it’s not a good idea to go out alone,” I said, thinking about all his safety rules. “But I mean, I do miss surfing. And swimming. I can’t stop thinking about it. I have the most amazing dreams about being in the water every single night.” His handsome face looked increasingly concerned.

“Don’t worry! I won’t do anything stupid again. I just... I had so much fun, I felt so happy that day. I really want to go again. I can’t wait a whole week... Can we please go after school on Monday?”

He looked uncomfortable, and I was confused.

“What?” I asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Marina, we need to talk,” he said. When we got to the parking lot Cruz was waiting at the car.

I turned to Ethan, “Why don’t you drive me home?”

“Yeah, good idea,” he said. He waited for me by his truck when I went over to tell Cruz he could go along without me.

“Is everything alright?” Cruz asked, reading my apprehensive face.

“I don’t know,” I replied, starting to worry, “But I’ll find out.” I gave him the keys and a quick hug, “See you at home.”

Ethan held the door for me and I climbed into his truck, watching as he came around to slip in next to me. He looked even more serious than usual.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, a little fearful. There were still people milling about the parking lot, and I could see some of Ethan’s friends watching us.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said.

We drove away from the school lot and headed up the coast a bit. He pulled off onto a small lane that came to a dead end. We were up on a hill that looked out over the harbor, and I could see Ethan’s apartment building covered with fuchsia blossoms below. He parked the truck and turned towards me, a strange look in his cobalt eyes.

He exhaled, “I’ve been thinking about this all week.”

I looked over at him nervously, “What?” I asked quietly.

“This is going to sound a little weird, but it’s been bugging me.”

“What is it?” A feeling of dread washed over me, and I imagined that he was going to tell me he didn’t want to go surfing with me anymore.

“I was talking to Long last Sunday, at the market. He was telling everyone about how you dove in to save Shayla. He thinks that there’s something... supernatural going on.” I looked at him with horror, “You didn’t say anything, did you?”

“Of course not!” he exclaimed, looking offended.

I looked down, “I’m sorry... I guess he figured out that I couldn’t have possibly saved Shayla on my own.”

“No, not at all,” he looked at me sincerely. His eyes were so blue I could have gone for a swim in them. “He was impressed by your bravery. Everyone is– it’s just that he’s been talking about all this stuff with his Grandfather.”

“Lue Khang?”

“Yes. You know how he was going on about the water spirits calling you?” I nodded, “I think he saw her. I think he knows about Lorelei.”

“I do too. What Lue was saying, what he thinks...” he paused, “The Hmong believe that there are spirits that live in the natural world. They can protect you or they can be angry. He thinks the water spirits are offended. He says that something has been taken from them.”

“What?” I asked.

“He thinks it’s you. He thinks they want something from you.”

“Me?”

“He said they call to you, and that’s why you’re always ending up... in trouble. I know it sounds crazy, but I can’t help but worry there may be, I don’t know– something to it.”

“He’s just superstitious,” I said.

“But Marina, I mean, you didn’t even know how to swim and now you can’t seem to stay out of the water. It’s like you’re drawn to it.”

I protested, “Hey! You’re in the water all the time!”

“You seem to see a mermaid every time you go near the ocean...”

“You saw her too, and so did Megan and Cruz... And maybe Lue.” I frowned, “So I’m not the only one.”

“You’re the only one who can understand them.”

“I know,” I conceded, “But that’s because of my mother.” He took a deep breath, “Exactly. What if it’s that– what if she’s what they’re missing?”

“My mother? I can’t do anything about that,” I said.

He was quiet for a moment, as though he was debating whether to tell me or not, “Marina, there’s something else. It’s what’s been bothering me.”

“What is it?” I asked, “What else?”

“Lue says, the Hmong believe, that in a situation like this… a sacrifice is required.” My blood ran cold. I had been worrying about Ethan, afraid they would hurt him. Now I was terrified. My eyes flew open wide.

“What if they do something to you?” I gasped.

He looked at me like I was crazy, “You’re worried about me?”

“Well, you’re always surfing, and–”

There was a scratching sound on the truck. We both looked up to see a seagull that had landed on the hood. The bird advanced on the windshield, coming straight towards me. It waved its beak slowly, like it was saying no, turning each eye to face me for a better look. I was reminded of the whale’s eye the night on the buoy. The bird flew away, and I turned back to look into Ethan’s alarmed eyes.

“Superstitious?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

“I don’t know,” I was spooked, but I tried not to show it, “Nothing makes sense to me anymore.”

“Promise me you won’t do anything reckless,” he looked serious.

“I promise if you do.”

He drove me home in silence, each of us holding in our thoughts. He got out to walk me to the door.

“Just be careful,” we both said at the same time, and laughed. I hugged him impulsively, and felt his body tense up. I pulled away, feeling awkward, when he gathered me back into him tightly, wrapping his arms around me like a cloak. He buried his face in my hair and drew in a deep breath. Our bodies fit together like two puzzle pieces, and we stood there for a minute, afraid to move, not wanting to part.

A dog walker jangled by, breaking the spell.

“Have a good time tomorrow,” he said in a husky voice, turning to leave. I went into the house in a daze, nearly running into Cruz as he came down the hall.

“So, what did Ethan have to say?” he asked me. I gathered my thoughts.

“He was just worried about me, he wants me to be careful.”

“Oh really, ” he said skeptically.

I smiled, “Yeah, he wants me to be careful when I drive you to Evie’s tomorrow!”

“Lord have mercy,” he said as he walked past me into the kitchen.





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

EVIE

We drove to San Francisco with the convertible top down, music turned up loud, and wind blasting back our hair. I wore one of my prettiest new dresses and Cruz looked stylish in a black leather jacket and riding boots, a striped scarf artfully draped around his neck. We were making our escape, leaving behind all the stress of the past few weeks. We drove along the coast the whole way, enjoying views of bucolic farmland and wild unspoiled bluffs with surf raging below. My driving skills had improved considerably and we made it into the apartment building’s underground garage in no time. Boris came out to meet us at the entrance and took the Porsche to park it in Evie’s level.

“Allo sveetheart,” he said to me as I handed him the keys.

“Hi Boris! This is my cousin Cruz.” Boris scowled at him as we unloaded two large garment bags from the tiny back seat.

“Bets you’ve been having blast vith za Porsche,” said Boris, eyeing Cruz suspiciously.

“Yes– it’s been great!” I said, giving him a quick hug. I took Cruz’s arm and led him to the elevator.

“That is one scary looking Russian!” Cruz said under his breath.

“Boris?” I laughed, “He’s really the sweetest guy… He’s just super protective of Evie.” We took the elevator up to my apartment, popping in to get cleaned up before we went over to Evie’s. I almost expected to see my dad when we walked in, but the place was empty and the air was still. I went into my room and felt like a visitor, like I was a million years older. I ran a brush through my snarled hair as Cruz stood at the window, taking in the view that swept across the city and ended with the Golden Gate Bridge.

“Wow,” he said, “It’s even better than I remembered it!” I showed Cruz my art studio, a spacious high ceilinged room with the same spectacular view through a much bigger window.

“You have to stay here when you’re in design school! We could share the studio space and you could have the guest room.”

“That would be awesome!” said Cruz, “We could have tons of fun in the city.”

“It’s a plan,” I said.

Cruz sighed heavily, “I wish we were out of high school right now.”

“I know,” I sympathized, “If it wasn’t for you and Megan I’d be outta there.”

“What about Ethan?” Cruz asked slyly.

Ignoring his comment, I shepherded him towards the door, “Ready to go meet Evie?”

“Let’s do it,” he said.

We crossed the hall over to Evie’s apartment and banged on the door. It swung open and Evie threw her arms around me, two leaping little dogs at our feet. She was fully done up for our big day, dressed in couture Valentino with her hair coiffed elaborately. I introduced Cruz, and he just stood, transfixed.

“Come in, come in,” Evie said, gesturing us inside.

Cruz was frozen at the doorway. I took his arm and led him in.

“Marina,” he said, wide eyed, “You didn’t tell me that your Aunt Evie was the Evelyn Pond!”

Evie beamed at him, clearly pleased. After Cruz recovered his composure, he went on and on about how Evie was a true fashion icon, who had inspired some of the great designers of her generation.

“She was the first real ‘it girl’,” he said reverently, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I knew she was famous,” I shrugged, “But she’s always just been Aunt Evie to me.” Evie smiled and gave me a squeeze.

“Your cousin is very knowledgeable about fashion,” pronounced Evie. If she was taken aback at all by Cruz’s makeup and piercings, she didn’t show it. She looked at the garment bags Cruz had slung over his shoulder.

“Come, let’s have a peek at all these marvelous designs that Marina tells me about.” We unzipped the bags and Cruz pulled out one spectacular piece after another, spreading them out onto Evie’s plushly upholstered sofas. She gushed over each item, taking note of the exquisite workmanship and detail. I don’t think I’d ever seen Cruz so happy and the feeling washed over me, so powerful it was contagious.

I looked around fondly at Evie’s enormous and opulently decorated apartment, a riot of gilt and velvet, silk and color. It was so different from my own sparsely furnished place it was almost comical. The floors were graced with dozens of intricate Persian rugs, and every horizontal surface held an object of ornate beauty. The walls were crowded with colorful paintings and tapestries, and there were many elegant portraits of Evie taken by famous photographers.

When Cruz pulled out the mermaid inspired dress Evie oohed and ahhed.

“You should see that on Marina,” he said, turning to me, “Could you, please?” I took the gown to Evie’s dressing room. I slipped it on, and was reminded of when Ethan came in and saw me in it. That was the first day I truly started believing what Lorelei told me about my mother, I thought, feeling a twinge of regret. There was no going back now. I looked in the mirror and admired how beautiful the gown really was. Even without the extreme makeup and hair the dress looked amazing.

I gasped as a sharp pain bloomed inside my head and a sudden rush of gut-wrenching fear gripped me. Ethan, all I could think about was Ethan. I had to sit down to catch my breath.

Maybe putting on the dress triggered some kind of panic attack. The strange feeling passed and I gathered myself together, rubbing my temples.

When I came out Cruz and Evie had their heads together over his clothes, animatedly chatting away. Clearly they were kindred spirits, and I felt better watching them. Evie looked up to see me and gasped.

“Oh Marina! It’s divine! My goodness Cruz, you are a major talent!” Cruz looked so proud I thought he’d burst. We spent the next few hours talking about clothes, fashion and designers. Evie showed Cruz her cavernous dressing room, stocked full of vintage gowns going back fifty years. He was like a kid in a candy store, fussing over each rare item she extracted from her massive wardrobe.

“Why didn’t you bring this wonderful young man to meet me sooner?” Evie scolded me.

“I honestly didn’t know he was into this stuff!” I protested.

Cruz defended me, “I didn’t show anybody what I was up to for ages... I never met anyone in Aptos who cared this much about fashion.”

“Well you have now!” exclaimed Evie, “What are your plans for the future?” We talked for a while about Cruz coming to the city to attend design school. I think Evie was even more excited than I was at the prospect of having him living across the hall from her. I smiled happily at both of them, inordinately pleased. I’d hoped that Evie and Cruz would hit it off, and I was thrilled that she liked his clothes. Evie had an unerring eye for talent. If she took someone under her wing they were certain to succeed.

“My goodness! Look at the time! We have lunch reservations at the club in half an hour.” I changed out of the gown and we took the elevator down to the parking garage. Boris had the Rolls waiting, warmed up and ready to drive. Evie took Cruz on a quick tour of her late husband’s automobile collection, which filled a whole level of the building’s garage. Cruz was floored by all the beautiful cars, and particularly enamored of a shining silver Jaguar. I knew nothing about cars, but its sleek lines were appealing, and I had to admit it was a beauty.

Evie turned to me while Cruz wandered among the cars, “Your cousin is an absolute delight!

And he’s so deliciously counter-culture. I can’t wait until the girls at the club see him!” I laughed at her. Evie was always enchanted by unique and talented people. I had a feeling she was already hatching plans to make Cruz her new project. I grinned when I thought of the thrill ride that was in store for him. He was going to love getting to know Evie.

When Boris showed up with the Rolls I persuaded Cruz to drive it, since he had more experience behind the wheel. He was nervous but excited, taking the wheel with wide eyes. Evie asked Boris to prepare the Jaguar for us to take home.

“These cars need to get out more often,” she explained, “And you can come up to see me again in a few weeks and trade it for another.”

We arrived with great fanfare to lunch at Evie’s club, and were given the royal treatment.

Waiters fussed and flapped around our table, showering us with attention. I knew that Evie was an excellent tipper, but they all seemed genuinely eager to please her. Cruz was mightily impressed with everything he saw, hanging on Evie’s every word and gesture. It occurred to me that he was in the early stages of his training to enter the rarified world of fashion design.

Seated at a plush banquette, we were surrounded by colorful saltwater fish tanks. Every time I looked up I saw fishy little eyes watching me, and I decided against ordering seafood. I found myself daydreaming about swimming amongst them, spinning around and under the pink coral.

Evie commissioned Cruz to make her a gown for a New Year’s Eve ball she’d be attending when she wintered in Switzerland. It would be loaded with European high society and “simply everyone” would be there. They chattered away with their heads together, dreaming up the design and color scheme, making sketches on napkins. I was lost in my thoughts of mermaids and their mysteries, wondering if Lue Khang’s theory about water spirits could possibly be true.

“Earth to Marina!” Cruz interrupted my musings, waving a hand before my eyes. “Won’t that be a blast?”

“What?” I asked, coming back to reality.

“I’ve made plans to visit Madame Fatima,” Evie announced. “We’re all going to have a reading of the future! I see a beautiful gown in mine,” she winked at Cruz.

We picked up the car from the valet and drove to the outskirts of the city. Evie directed us to a quiet residential neighborhood, where we parked in front of a small pink stucco house. We passed through a wrought iron gate and entered a courtyard built around an ornate rococo fountain, green with moss. Strange little garden gnomes peeked out from behind lush ferns that lined the pathway, ending at a small black door with an evil eye amulet mounted over it.

Evie’s penchant for visiting psychics, palm readers and new age spiritualists had taken us all over the city, but this was one of the more unusual locations she’d dragged me out to. I knew one thing for sure; Madame Fatima was simply the flavor of the month.

The three of us were led into a dimly lit sitting room by a small, elaborately dressed woman.

The first thing that struck me about Madame Fatima were her large, deeply set eyes. Glittering like polished onyx, they struck me as ancient and reptilian. Those arresting eyes were set in a face that was stoic, unmoving and unreadable. She could have been carved from stone. The overall effect was startling, and I found myself wondering where she came from, and when.

The lighting in the room added to the general aura of other-worldliness. Lamps were draped with lacy black scarves, and the pungent scent of cloves and pepper hung in the air. Fatima motioned for us to sit on a narrow Victorian couch upholstered in a rich brocade.

She must be taking Evie for a lot of money, I thought. Dad and I had never approved of Evie’s passion for the occult, but it made her happy when someone claimed to put her in touch with her late husband, and it usually seemed harmless enough. My father had schooled me in the scientific method, and counseled me to be skeptical about her various supernatural beliefs. I wondered how a man like him could have found himself married to a mermaid.

Fatima chose to do Evie’s reading first, leading her into some inner sanctum down the hallway. Cruz looked at me, wide eyed and clearly spooked, and I laughed so suddenly I snorted.

“Oh come on,” I said between giggles. “What do you think she’s gonna say?” I crossed my eyes at him, mimicking one of Evie’s past favorites, “You vill be reech and famous.” We both dissolved into a fit of giggles. Evie returned with a satisfied air about her, and plunked down next to me. Fatima beckoned for Cruz to follow her.

“Fatima is different, ” Evie said in a hushed tone, “She has the gift.” When Cruz returned after his reading he looked serious but calm, “I’d believe her,” he whispered with conviction. I flashed him an irritated look and took my turn. Fatima led me down a narrow hall into a darkened octagonal room lined with thin strips of mirrored tile. There was a candle flickering in the middle of a small table, and the ceiling was draped with deep purple velvet. It felt like the inside of a tent except for the fractured reflections on the surrounding walls. I took one of the two seats at the table and Fatima sat opposite me.

She inspected me carefully, and I wondered how much Evie had already told her about me.

She touched the black lace of her collar and sucked in a sharp breath.

“Put your hands on the table, palms facing up,” she commanded in a sonorous droning voice. I sighed and complied, eager to get it over with. She looked across the table at me with a knowing look. “You do not believe,” a smile played about her mouth. “No matter. The spirits do not busy themselves with mortal concerns.”

“That’s good,” I said flippantly, annoyed at the way she rolled her r’s. Madame Fatima took a second deep breath and rubbed her palms together before placing them on mine. Her eyes sprang open wide, blindly shocked, and then went blank.

“There is an inheritance, a birthright you must claim,” she intoned.

Wrong person, I thought, thinking about Cruz. She continued, and it was as if someone else–

someone stronger– spoke through her tiny body, “The spirits require a sacrifice. Something of importance must be surrendered.” She drew a jagged, stuttering breath, “The water holds the key... you have powers... you have powers far greater than mine.” She lowered her chin to her chest, “The ancestral water is the source.”

I yanked my hands back, shocked.

She looked up, face impassive, ancient eyes guarded, “That is all.” The water reference was what got me, and the part about sacrifice. It echoed what Ethan had told me about Lue Song’s predictions. It made me want to find Lorelei again desperately. But how? My mind was racing as I stumbled back into the sitting room. Evie thanked Fatima and we headed out into the fresh air and daylight.

“Well, what did I tell you? Was she not magnificent?” gushed Evie.

We piled into the car for the drive back to the apartment. I sat quietly in the back seat while Evie and Cruz compared notes about their readings, equally impressed with their authenticity.

“She knew about my father!” Cruz gasped in astonishment. He started animatedly telling Evie the shocking story of how he learned about his inheritance. Until today, he wasn’t sure if he was going to respond to the letter or not.

“How heart-wrenching!” Evie empathized. She was fascinated with any kind of human drama, and the story of Abby’s love affair and abandonment really touched a nerve with her. She also loved paradoxes, and the fact that honest, sweet Abby could have deceived Cruz all these years intrigued her.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave...” she said sadly.

Cruz went on to explain that Fatima had asked him about a certain amount of money that was being sent his way, and advised him to accept it. Surprise surprise, the skeptic in me thought.

“She said it was the will of one in the spirit world,” Cruz said solemnly.

“He’s reaching out to you... from the great beyond,” said Evie with her hand to her throat.

I scoffed at them from the back seat, my arms crossed.

“You’re awfully quiet about your reading,” said Cruz, “What did Fatima say to you?”

“Just the usual,” I lied, “You know, I’ll find true love and be wildly successful.” Cruz laughed, “Well, the love part seems to be true already...” Upon which Evie started grilling Cruz for information. I sat squirming the whole way back while Cruz told Evie tales about my friendship with Ethan.

“My little sister... in love for the first time,” Evie said dreamily.

“Little sister?” asked Cruz.

“Sister, niece– whatever!” fussed Evie. She turned and winked at me and I laughed, for that had always been our little joke with waiters and shopkeepers. Evie had a thing about growing old, and didn’t like it when people took us for mother and daughter.

We walked Evie back to the apartment and gathered up the clothes. Cruz took Evie’s measurements, and plans were made for a return visit and dress fitting. We hugged and air kissed our goodbyes, making our way to the parking garage where the Jaguar was gassed up and ready to go.

“Enjoy it sveetie,” said Boris with a nod, handing me the keys.

“You take us home,” I said to Cruz as I passed them on to him. We pulled out of the garage and took the freeway back to Aptos.

Cruz was clearly enjoying driving the sleek silver Jaguar. He turned to me, “You sure weren’t exaggerating!” he grinned and shook his head, “I can’t believe I just met Evelyn Pond!”

“That’s my Aunt Evie,” I said with a chuckle.

“My God! What an amazing woman! You are so lucky to have grown up with her. And she’s aging magnificently! She’s like a real life Auntie Mame!”

“I know, and the fortune teller... pure Evie.”

Cruz nodded, “That was freaky. She really helped me, though.”

“So you decided to find out what your father left you?” I asked.

“Yeah, I guess there’s no point in being angry at a dead man. I might as well know.”

“What kind of dress are you going to make for Evie?” I asked, switching to a more pleasant subject.

“Hopefully one she loves.”

We spent the rest of the drive home discussing fabric choices, color schemes and styles that might look best on Evie. When we pulled onto our street there was a figure sitting on our porch. I thought it was Abby at first, but as we drew near I recognized Shayla. She came forward to meet the car as we pulled in.

“Here comes trouble,” said Cruz under his breath. I knew instantly there was something wrong, and I jumped out of the car, my heart pounding in my throat.

“What is it?” I cried.

“It’s Ethan,” said Shayla, “He like, had a accident. He’s in the hospital.” The blood ran out of my face and I steadied myself, clutching the car door. A voice in my head was screaming “I knew it! I knew it!”

“What happened?” I gasped, the wind knocked out of me.

“A bunch of us were surfing up the coast when some local dudes showed up. They kept dropping in on people. One of them wiped out on Ethan and nailed him in the head. He was bleeding real bad. He was asking for you.”

My hands were shaking as I reached to Cruz, “Give me the keys,” I said, my voice flat.

“I’d better drive you,” Cruz said, glancing over at me. He turned to Shayla, “Thanks for telling us, can we give you a ride anywhere?”

Shayla looked surprised that Cruz even spoke to her, “Uh, no... Thanks. I can walk home from here.”

We got in the car and rushed over to the hospital. I was sick to my stomach, because I knew it; I had a feeling something was going to happen to him. I remembered the cold fear that had washed over me in San Francisco. I knew with an awful certitude that he had been hurt at that precise moment. The pain in my head returned. Cruz got us to the hospital and found out what floor he was on. We raced over to the nurses’ station and a man approached us.

“Cruz?” He said, looking a little taken aback at his appearance. He turned towards me, “You must be Marina.”

“Marina, this is Ethan’s dad,” said Cruz.

“Call me Dutch,” he said, shaking my hand. He was tall like Ethan, with graying sand colored hair. He had the weather-beaten face of an outdoorsman, and kind eyes that were deep blue like Ethan’s. I had another sharp twinge of pain in my head and saw a crystal clear picture of Abby and Dutch standing hand in hand in our doorway. I felt like I was losing my mind.

“How is he?” I asked, fear and pain in my eyes. Dutch looked a little alarmed at my intensity, and he filled us in as he led us down the hall.

“He’s going to be alright,” he said, trying to soothe me with his voice, “He needed a lot of sewing up but they tell me it looks worse than it is. They’re keeping him overnight to make sure.” He turned to me at the door, “He’s resting now, but he’s been asking for you.” Ethan was lying with his eyes closed and a huge swath of gauze bandage wrapped around his head. I rushed to his side and studied him acutely. I took his hand in mine and was relieved to find that it was warm. He was breathing regularly but he didn’t stir. I looked up to meet his dad’s eyes.

“Can I wait here?” I asked, “Until he wakes up...”

“I think he’d like that,” said Dutch, looking at me perceptively, “Are you sure you’re gonna be alright? You look like you could use some rest yourself.”

“I’m OK,” I said, nodding reassuringly at him. The pain in my head was beginning to recede. I turned to Cruz, who was standing awkwardly at the door, “You can go home, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you to come get me later.”

Cruz gave me a quick hug, said he’d be waiting for news, and left.

Ethan’s dad stretched and yawned, “I’m going to get something to eat, can I get you anything?”

“No thanks,” I pulled a stool up alongside the bed.

He turned to go, “Thanks for coming,” he said, “I didn’t want to leave him alone ’till they’re sure he can go home.” I could see he was tired and worried too.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said firmly.

As I watched Ethan’s sleeping face, I couldn’t help thinking about the mermaids. Could they have been behind the accident? I felt a surge of anger at the thought. This was between me and them. I resolved to confront them. Whether or not they were responsible for this, I couldn’t go on constantly worrying about what they might do to him.

I leaned over the bed, stroking his cheek with my fingertips. His eyes fluttered open and focused on my face.

“You’re here,” he smiled.

“Ethan,” I whispered, hot tears burning my eyes, “I’m so sorry...”

“Don’t cry,” he said. He reached for my hand clumsily, “I’m okay.” He pressed my hand to his face and sighed. He closed his eyes again, “Don’t leave me,” he mumbled. On an impulse, I bent down and kissed him on the forehead, moving down to kiss him again softly on the lips. He drifted back to sleep as I laid my cheek alongside his, willing him to get better. His face felt rough against mine, and his hair smelled like salt water. I wanted to crawl into bed and wrap myself around him, as if I could somehow protect him. Instead, I sat on the stool and rested my head against his chest, reassured by his strong and steady heartbeat.

I must have dozed off almost immediately, because the next thing I knew Abby was gently shaking my shoulder, “Marina, wake up,” I opened my eyes, disoriented, to see Abby and Dutch in the room with us. Several hours had passed, and Ethan was still sleeping.

“Cruz told me what happened and I thought you might want to get changed,” she said.

I stood up and smoothed my wrinkled dress. I must look like a mess, I thought.

“I brought you some things from home,” Abby said with a concerned look, holding up one of my totes.

“Thanks Abby,” I took my bag gratefully, “I’ll just be a few minutes.” I walked out to find the restroom and looked in the mirror. My hair was messy, and my eyes were puffy. I splashed some water on my face and checked the contents of my bag. Abby had packed a change of clothes and a toothbrush. I smiled, thinking about how thoughtful she was. I felt much better when I came back out.

Dutch and Abby were sitting side by side in the lounge, heads together. She looked like a beautiful earth mother, wearing a long skirt made of old blue jeans and a colorfully embroidered Mexican peasant blouse. Was it my imagination or was there something happening between them? I thought about the image I saw of them together.

“The doctor says he’ll be just fine,” she said, looking up with a radiant smile.

Abby brought a soothing, calm feeling to the room; things seemed brighter with her there. I could see Dutch watching her with fascination, and I wasn’t surprised when he looked up at me with flushed cheeks.

“He’s awake now, they’re checking his sutures,” he said.

I entered the room to see a nurse pulling back the bandage to reveal Ethan’s shaved temple.

There was a nasty cut with a row of scary looking stitches holding it together. I gasped and Ethan looked up, smiling when he saw me, “That bad, huh?” I rushed over to the side opposite the nurse who was busy re-wrapping the wound.

She looked at me, “Don’t worry hun, your boyfriend is gonna be just fine.” I felt the blood rush to my face.

She turned to Ethan, “It’s closed up nicely, but you do have a concussion. You need to take a break from surfing for a couple of weeks.”

Ethan groaned, “Two weeks?”

She hurried out of the room, shaking her head, “Surfers!” she said with mock exasperation.

I sat down on the stool next to him, serious and stern, “What happened? Did you see her?

Was it one of them?”

“No! It was just some jerk who dropped in on me,” he said, meeting my eyes. Then he added, “I might have seen her though...”

“She was there,” I said coldly, my temper rising.

“It’s not like that,” he looked alarmed at my anger, “I thought I spotted her off in the distance, and I suppose I wasn’t watching out for that fool... I should have been able to avoid him.” He grimaced, “How long was I out of it? When did you get here?”

“Cruz and I got home this afternoon and Shayla told us what happened.”

“Whoa,” he said, gingerly touching the bandage on his head, “I don’t even remember how I got here.”

I realized he didn’t remember me being there earlier either. I was kind of relieved, blushing at the thought of kissing him as he lay there helpless.

“Cruz brought me and dropped me off. I wanted to wait until you woke up... to find out what happened.” I added angrily, “I figured they had something to do with it! I had a bad feeling.” How could I explain my visions to him without sounding crazy?

“Marina, it wasn’t her fault–”

“Now you sound like me,” I said impatiently, “I have to find out what they’re up to.” Ethan looked alarmed. He reached out and grabbed my hand, “Swear to me you won’t go out looking for them.”

“I’ll be careful,” I said reassuringly, squeezing his hand, “Don’t worry,” I added softly.

Abby and Dutch came in the room. Ethan looked up, surprised to see them together. Abby gave Ethan a warm hug and told him how worried everyone had been.

“I need to get Marina home, she’s been here for hours, and it’s getting late.” She looked at me, “You can come back first thing in the morning.”

I nodded, all of a sudden drained, and looked up to meet Ethan’s anxious eyes.

Abby turned to Dutch, “Nice to see you again... Sorry it’s under such terrible circumstances.” She seemed a little nervous as she ushered me out of the room.

“Bye– I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told him. Ethan looked better, and I was starting to calm down as we walked out the door. I turned back to see two pairs of blue eyes watching us go.

“Wow!” Abby gasped as she drove us home, “I totally forgot how cute Ethan’s dad was.” CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

HAIRCUT

Suspended in a black cavern, I was breathing. Cool heavy water flowed in and out of my lungs, and I looked around me in shocked incredulity. There were at least twenty of them, all young and impossibly beautiful. They shimmered with a cool blue light that reflected off the sheer rock walls. Terrified, I wanted out of there.

I woke with a start. I was standing on the street in front of the house. It was still dark outside, but the pink tinge on the horizon told me that it was nearly dawn. I looked down at my bare feet and legs in confusion. As I came fully awake I realized with a shock that I was sleepwalking!

The last thing I remembered was wearily putting on an old t-shirt to sleep in, and here I stood out in the street. I sped up the driveway to discover that I had left the front door ajar. I scurried inside and locked it behind me, creeping to my room, strange dream forgotten. Thank goodness I woke up before anyone saw me.

I threw on some jeans and a pretty silk blouse over a lacy camisole. I was planning to see Ethan today but first there was someone I had to talk to. I decided to get going early. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and grabbed the car keys, slipping out of the house before anyone could stop me. I wasn’t supposed to drive without a licensed driver, but with everything that had been going on, I decided this was no time to get hung up on technicalities.

I found the Jaguar was easier to drive than the Porsche, and I got the hang of it quickly. I pulled up to the farmer’s market early, and sat in the parking lot watching the vendors arriving.

People were busily setting up tents and tables, and the coffee stand was already doing a brisk business catering to the other market workers. I got out of the car and in line for a cappuccino and a breakfast roll.

I ate, sipping my coffee as I watched for Lue Khang. I saw his grandson Long bustling around in the stand that Ethan usually worked. When Lue finally shuffled around the corner I gathered my thoughts and approached him. I was a little taken aback when he looked up and smiled as though he had been expecting me all along.

“Come and sit down,” he said, gesturing for me to follow him to the tables he had set up behind his stand. I sat, watching as he left for a moment to return with a teapot and two small ceramic cups.

“No thanks, I had coffee,” I said.

“Have tea also,” he insisted, pouring two cups.

“OK, thank you,” I politely took a sip, “Lue, I was wondering–”

“You want to know about the water spirits,” he said.

I nodded, relieved, “Why do you think they’re unhappy?”

“They call to you. They want something from you.”

“I don’t understand. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to make them happy?”

“You want to know how to appease them.”

“Yes!” I smiled, encouraged, “What do they want from me?”

“I don’t know,” he said. My spirits fell in disappointment. He poured more tea into our cups and continued, “You must sacrifice something of great value. You must bring honor to your ancestors. These things are impossible for anyone but you to know.” My ancestors? Did he know about me? I was confused and dismayed. This was not going at all how I had hoped. I had one more question. “Lue?” I bit my lip, “These water spirits... can they... would they... take something from me, something I value?” I could see an image of Ethan lying in the hospital bed.

Lue studied me as if he was seeing me for the first time, “It is not a sacrifice unless it is given freely.”

An enormous wave of relief washed over me. This was going to be between me and them.

That was all I needed to know. I jumped up and gave him a hug. I looked up into the shocked face of Long as I turned to go.

“Thanks for the tea!” I grinned as I bowed deeply to Lue. I practically danced all the way to the car. I got to the hospital and took the stairs two at a time. When I arrived at Ethan’s room he was sitting on the edge of the bed with his street clothes on.

“Good morning!” I bounded in, “checkout time?”

He laughed, “You look... happier.”

I grinned, “I am. How are you feeling?”

“Better now,” he said, regarding me with amusement, “I’m taking the day off work, wanna hang out?”

“Sure,” I said, “Can I give you a ride home?” Ethan’s dad came in, “Good morning!” I said cheerfully. He was followed by a hospital orderly pushing a wheelchair. My grin grew wider. I remembered this.

“Time for the roll of shame,” I said to Ethan with a smirk.

“Hospital rules,” the orderly looked at him and gestured to the chair. Ethan rolled his eyes at me and took a seat. We rode the elevator down to the lobby. When we reached the exit he turned to his father.

“Do you mind if I get a ride with Marina?”

Dutch looked tired, “Go ahead, I’m going home to bed.” I realized he had been there all night.

“I promise I’ll get him home in one piece,” I said with a smile, “I’ll go get the car.” I went to fetch the Jaguar and pulled it up to the curb. Dutch looked taken aback, but Ethan just laughed and shook his head. He rose from the chair with a smile when I stepped out.

“I see you have a new ride,” he said with a raised eyebrow, “So when did you get your driver’s license?” He knew I hadn’t taken the test yet.

“At least you can supervise me now,” I said with a smile, opening the passenger door.

“Why did you switch cars?” he asked, looking around the plush interior.

“Cruz liked the Jaguar,” I explained, “And Evie insisted we take it.” I went around to the driver’s side and took the wheel.

“You,” he said, “are spoiled.”

I looked down for a moment, “I really didn’t ask for any of this,” I said sincerely, “I hope you don’t think that I’m not grateful for all this stuff.” He glanced over at me with a worried look, “I didn’t mean it,” he said softly, “I’m glad you came.”

I raised my head, “Me too.”

We headed out on the road towards Ethan’s house.

“You know, you look like a mummy with that bandage on your head,” I teased him.

“Very funny,” he said, “They shaved a big patch from one side– I think I’ll just go to the barber and have him take it all off.”

“Do you have any clippers?” I asked, “I happen to be an expert.” He just raised his eyebrows and looked over at me.

We got to Ethan’s and Dutch pulled up right next to us. I looked out across the harbor to see the sunlight sparkling on the dark blue water; it was going to be a beautiful day. We all walked in together, Ethan taking my arm as we climbed the stairs. He asked his dad if they still had clippers, reminiscing about all his childhood buzz cuts while Dutch went looking for them.

Ethan excused himself to take a quick shower, asking me to have a seat on the couch.

“Take your time,” I said. I remembered how it felt to want to rinse the feeling of hospital off your body.

After a few minutes Dutch came in brandishing the clippers, “They still work,” he said,

“You’re not going to take an ear off or anything are you?” he asked, tongue in cheek.

“I’ll have you know I have many hours of experience with these,” I replied officiously, taking the clippers.

He looked at me with narrowed eyes, puzzled.

“On my Aunt Evie’s poodles,” I added with a wicked smile, making him roar with laughter.

Ethan came in and looked back and forth at the two of us with surprise.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing,” his dad replied with a wink at me, “I’m gonna hit the sack.” He yawned and stretched, lingering for a moment before turning to leave, “Marina?”

“Yes?”

“Tell Abby it was really nice talking to her,” he said.

“Sure,” I replied with a smile, and looked at Ethan, “Ready?” He took a seat at the kitchen table and I stood behind him. I gingerly started to unwrap the gauze around his head to reveal the wound.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” I asked.

“Do you plan on an accident or are you going to perform surgery now?” Ethan asked.

“Very amusing,” I said reproachfully, “You got your bandage wet and I need to change it.” He left, returning with a large box packed full of gauze, tape and bandages. “Wow,” I rummaged around in the container, “You certainly come prepared.”

“My dad’s,” he explained, “Fishermen get banged up a lot.”

“So do surfers, apparently,” I peeled back the pad that covered the large gash on his left temple. I bit my lip when I saw the row of black stitches that held the wound closed, touching the skin around them gently, my heart aching at the sight. I didn’t feel like joking around anymore.

“Does it hurt?” I asked.

“Not really,” he said. I had a feeling he was downplaying it.

“It sure looks painful,” I carefully clipped the remaining hair around the stitches.

“The doctor said it would be more itchy than anything,” he said. I picked out a good sized sterile pad and bandage tape, redressing it as carefully as possible. I felt better once I got it covered up again.

I shaved down the side of his head to match what had already been taken off, and evened up the other side, circling around the chair. I was so focused on getting it symmetrical that I wasn’t nearly as nervous as being close to him usually made me. His eyes were closed and he had the same blissed out look on his face that Charlie got when you scratched him under the chin.

“Last chance for a Mohawk,” I teased him as I started in on the top, “Or, I could carve my initials in the back of your head...”

“You might as well,” he murmured.

I sheared the back evenly, thinking what a shame it was to see his sun-streaked hair fall to the floor. I left the top just a bit longer and blended it all in evenly, stepping back to admire my work. Not bad at all, I thought. It was a pretty good version of a military style crew cut and I thought it suited him. He rubbed the top of his head and looked up at me.

“Well?” He asked.

“You look like a soldier,” I said, and he did. A really handsome one, I thought. He got up and brushed some hair off his shoulders. He went out the front door and peeled off his shirt to shake the hair out. I didn’t want to get caught staring, so I busied myself kneeling down to gather up the hair from the floor.

“I’ll get that,” he said, heading to the bathroom to take a look at himself.

He came out with a smile, satisfied. “Thanks, it looks good. Do you cut your dad’s hair or something?” he asked as he swept up the remaining hair clippings. I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.

“No, I’ve only ever cut Pierre and Fifi’s before.”

“Who?” he asked, looking suspicious.

“Evie’s toy poodles,” I confessed, “They like me better than the groomer.” I was relieved when he chuckled.

“I’m honored to be your first human,” he said with a wry smile, “And I like you better than the groomer too.”

“You were a whole lot easier than a squirmy little dog,” I laughed, “Plus, a nice round head beats teeny little poodle paws.”

He started laughing, “So, do you want to go somewhere?”

“How are you feeling?” I asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be taking it easy?”

“I’m fine, I feel better than ever.” He looked thoughtful, “Let me take you for a drive.”

“You just wanna get your hands on my Jaguar,” I said teasingly.

“Among other things,” he said, making me blush.

We went out to the car and I handed him the keys. He got on the freeway heading north of town and took the college exit. We climbed up a steep winding road and parked in a lot at the top of a hill. Ethan took my hand and led me down a series of gravel paths that wound through a beautiful terraced garden. He explained that this was the university’s botanical collection and that he would be attending here next fall. The garden was divided into sections featuring specimens from different continents, and as we walked along he pointed out some of his favorite plants and areas in the garden.

I liked Ethan like this, full of enthusiasm and plans. I felt like he was showing me a side of himself that no one else saw, and it made me feel special. We hiked around the hill, taking in the spectacular views of the ocean in the distance. He led me to a bench that looked out over the whole campus, and he pointed out some of the different buildings and told me what schools they housed.

“I hear they have a really good art department here,” he said casually, “Are you sure you want to go to school in the city?”

“I don’t know,” I said, scuffing my shoes in the gravel, “I don’t know what I should do. It’s funny, I see you and my dad, Cruz and Megan, and you all know what you’re supposed to do. I mean, I like art, but I’m not really sure what I’m good at.”

“You don’t see yourself at all, do you? It seems to me that you’re good at everything you try,” said Ethan sincerely.

“I had a dream I could breathe underwater,” I said flippantly, “Maybe I’ll go swim with the mermaids.”

Ethan turned to look at me with shock in his eyes.

“Just kidding,” I said, alarmed at his reaction.

He sighed, “That’s not funny Marina, don’t even joke about it.” He suddenly looked pale and tired. I felt like I had spoiled a perfect day, and worried that he wasn’t feeling well.

“I talked to Lue Khang this morning,” I said, trying to change the subject. “I think everything’s going to be fine...”

He looked surprised, “Is that why you were in such a good mood this morning?” I smiled encouragingly, “Yeah, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

“Really?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes,” I said, “It’s all up to me.”

His eyes narrowed, “What exactly did he say?”

“He thinks they want something from me, but I get to decide what to do about it.”

“What do you mean?” he looked too serious.

I took his hand, wanting him to relax, “They won’t just take something... I mean, it has to be something I give up.”

“Give up?” his eyes widened.

I set my jaw, “Sacrifice... trade– whatever! I can handle it. I’m not afraid of them.”

“Marina,” Ethan said solemnly, “I’m afraid for you.”

“It’s okay. I just need to make some sort of... deal… with them. Even the fortune teller said that.”

“Fortune teller?”

“Evie took us to her psychic yesterday for a reading. I thought it was a bunch of– well, I didn’t expect anything to come of it. Evie always has a spiritualist of one kind or another lurking around... But she said pretty much everything Lue did.” I tried to read his expression, but he leaned back on the bench with his eyes closed, “That’s why I decided to go see Lue,” I added,

“just in case there was something to it.”

He sighed, and turned to look at me with a weary attempt at a smile, “What am I going to do with you?”

“How about you get something to eat with me?” I said, pulling him off the bench by both hands. “I’ll drive and you can critique me.”

I drove us back into town, watching him out of the corner of my eye. I came upon a little restaurant that looked good and parked. His face was averted, his eyes remote. He looked a little sad.

“Do you like Chinese?” I asked hopefully.

We discovered that we both liked spicy food, and ordered Szechuan style. The food was good, and we stayed a long time drinking tea and talking. I asked more questions about the university and his mood improved.

“I guess your dad probably wants you to go to school in the city,” he said morosely.

“I have no idea… it depends where his next project takes him,” I said, realizing that I probably wouldn’t be traveling with him anymore when I started college.

“Why not stay here?” he asked.

“I used to live here,” I said, “I found out that I lived in that house with Abby for the first nine months of my life. Maybe that’s why I feel so at home there.” I told him about the day Cruz found out about his father, and my conversation with Abby.

He was surprised to hear the story of Cruz’s father, and sorry to hear what happened to my mother. Talking about it made me uncomfortable, so I didn’t go into much detail.

“Poor Abby,” said Ethan, “She’s always been so nice to everybody.”

“I think your dad likes her,” I said.

“You noticed,” he said with a smile.

“Abby said she thought he was cute,” I grinned. I probably shouldn’t have betrayed her confidence but I had a feeling Dutch might like hearing that.

“Really, ” Ethan said, “I don’t think Dad’s even gone on a date since my mom took off.” It was the first time he mentioned his mom to me and I didn’t know what to say. He didn’t elaborate.

“Um, excuse me.” I headed towards the ladies room and paid the bill on the way to keep Ethan from trying to get it. He could have the next one. I hoped there would be a next one. When we got up to leave Ethan protested that he owed me for my hair cutting services, and we both found that equally funny. He looked drawn and tired, so I drove him home.

“Are you going to take some time off school?” I asked.

“I probably shouldn’t,” he said. “I need to keep my grades up for my scholarship. Besides, I always enjoy seeing what you come up with in art class.” I snorted, casting a cynical look at him.

“My turn to walk you to your door,” I said. I got out with him and when we got to the top of the stairs he hugged me first, pulling me close.

“Marina,” he whispered in my ear, “Promise me you’ll stay away from them...” I reached up and stroked the back of his fuzzy head, “If I can.”

“No!” he said hoarsely, “Promise me!” he gripped me a little too tightly.

“Look,” I said soothingly, “I’ll tell you before I do anything... okay?” I owed him that much after everything he’d done for me.

“Swear to me,” he insisted.

“I swear,” I said.

The door opened and I think Dutch was surprised to see us there.

“You’re back,” he said, and we awkwardly parted.

“Hello,” I said to Dutch.

“Nice haircut,” he said, looking at Ethan with a smile.

“Bye guys, get some sleep,” I hurried down the stairs to the Jag.

I drove home slowly, thinking about what I should do. Nobody wanted me to have any contact with the mermaids. I could understand their point of view, but no one could see mine. I needed resolution; I was compelled by forces I couldn’t explain. I knew in my heart that Lue and Fatima were right, and that I needed to settle some unknown issue.

Evie always said that we possess the power to decide whether to simply be victims of fate or masters of our own destiny. I wondered how much control I really had, since I sensed that it was inevitable– I was going to be forced to make a choice. I could feel a confrontation coming, looming just offshore like a tempest blowing in from the sea. It was steadily advancing, and I knew it would be visited upon me whether I liked it or not.

I was happy after spending the day with Ethan, hopeful that things would work out okay one way or the other. I pulled up to Abby’s cozy little house and a whisper of tranquility passed through me.

I smiled, even though I pretty much knew it was only the calm before the storm.