Fish Out of Water

Chapter 11~ Twice Sorry

     I trailed behind mom as she picked out pasta and sauce and then led us toward the vegetable aisle just to the right at the end of the aisle.

"Mom." I tried for the fiftieth time but she had been short with me since I came stumbling into the living room the night before water still dripping off me.

"There is nothing you can say that is going to make yesterday okay." she said stiffly

I rolled my eyes.  I was hanging out with Bay just like you said I should."

"Is that supposed to help your case right now?" she raised a brow. I swallowed my irritation remembering how scared I had been when she was still within the time limit she gave dad and me.

"No. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." I admitted. "It was sunny one minute and Bay and I went deeper than I realized and then by the time we got back to the beach it was dark." looking back at my time with Bay it was still barely any time at all but we had spent the whole day out in the water.  "I've never felt so... connected to the water before." my chest tightened. "It wasn't irritating to be in it, it was calming." I dared to meet my mom's eyes because as my own words reached my ears the implication scared me more than anything. I didn't need her to forgive me then, I needed her to tell me that was normal. Nothing had changed.

"You've been spending more time in the water but only with Bay, right?" she asked grabbing a few limes from the basket on the shelf.

"Yeah." my voice shrank. Was that how it started? Just a little more time than normal in the water. "It's fun with him. It makes me feel..." I tried to find the right words to describe the sense of comfort and wholeness I felt swimming with Bay but the words I settled on barely touched it. "It feels right."

Her eyes soften. "I should have let you live as in both ocean and land." She shook her head. "The ocean has a way of washing away all your sorrows, making you forget all of the things that stress your heart but the days blur together and years can pass by in a blink."

"Is that why mers have such long lifespans?" I asked.

She nodded. "I'm not angry with you, Dakota." she pulled me into her arms and kissed the top of my head. "I was afraid you had gotten your tail or your skin and the saltwater in your veins took over."

"That can happen?" I pulled back to look at her. New fear unlocked.

"It's not super common, but yes. Especially since you're a late bloomer and not used to the ocean." her blue eyes misted over and she blinked them a few times. "You're not in trouble. I know the ocean's call is strong and you're only just getting used to it. Being with Bay will be safer than going out on your own." Her eyes glanced past me and she smiled offering a wave. I followed her gaze and spotted Sean by himself.

"Hey!" I called about to jog over to him but I paused and waited for the okay. Mom nodded even though I knew she didn't want to and let me go.

Sean barely offered me a head nod as he grabbed a bushel of bananas and placed them in the cart.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Fine." He grabbed a vine of tomatoes and placed them next to the bananas.

"You don't seem fine."

"Well, I am." he pushed his cart up and down a few aisles before stopping in front of the potatoes and picking five. I grabbed his arm and he jerked his arm out of my hand.

"Sean?"

"Heard you were out with Bay yesterday. All day."

"Yeah, so."