Fish Out of Water

Chapter 39~ I'm Holding You to It.

Bay swam with me to shore where I had left Emory and Sean. My tail felt as strong as I had always imagined Bay's  was as it propelled me forward with a light flick and pulled at muscles straight through my core. I could see why Bay was so strong if that was how his muscles worked.

He glanced at me every so often but just to smile or glance back at my tail, probably because of the way I stared at his tail when we first met.

Emory waited with my parents at the shore, she wrung her hands nervously until she spotted me and ran toward Bay and me. We pulled ourselves up to the shore but left our tails in the water, they were too heavy outside of it.

"Stop doing that!" she snapped smacking my shoulder, her palm came down with a sharp clap and left a stinging sensation behind.

"Ow." I whined rubbing at the spot.

"You're always swimming off and not letting anyone talk to you." She grabbed me and pulled me into your arms. "I'm not leaving you." She said firmly. "I'll live near the beach. I'll live on the beach. I'm not leaving you alone." Her arms squeezed me with more strength than I realized she had but then again, I always assumed she needed me to protect her. She never actually asked.

"I'm sorry." I patted her back. "you're right. That was inconsiderate of me. I was mad."

"Well at least tell me you'll be back. You just grew a fin and someone tried to make a wish on you and—" she took in a sharp breath. "Just tell me you'll be back next time."

I nodded, my cheek rubbing against her hair "I can do that."

She let me go and sat back on her heels the water lapping against her legs. "Good. I'm holding you to that." She looked back as mom and dad walked toward me. "your mom's mad at you too." she stuck her tongue out at me and made way for mom. She dropped to her knees and folded her arms around me and then dad did the same.

"I thought you left without saying goodbye." Dad tries to joke but there was a stiffness to his words.

"Never." I clung to them. My anchors in a stormy sea. "I just needed to clear my head.

Mom pressed a kiss to my forehead. "That's understandable." She offered a tightlipped smile and then her eyes fell to my tail. "It suits you."

"Bay thought so too." I flicked it the way I had seen Bay do a hundred times over, but it still felt surreal. That was my tail. Attached to my body.

"And you?"

I shrugged. "Getting used to it still." I poked at the soft scales.

She nodded. "That'll probably take some time."

"Um," I swallowed hard. "It doesn't go away... I don't know if Emory told you."

"She told me." Her arms wound tight around me, crushing me to her chest. "We're going to get it all sorted out." She pressed another kiss to my head. "I'll stay with you for a while, show you everything that I should have been teaching you."

"That's okay." I glanced at Bay, warmth crawling up my neck and into my cheeks. "Bay's been helping me."

Mom glanced between the two of us and a smile tugged at her lips. I wasn't even sure if I wanted anything at the moment, but he was my friend even if nothing else, but I also didn't correct whatever she might be thinking.

"Bay." Mom beckoned him closer and she pulled him into a hug "thank you for looking out for them and for always bringing them back home."

Bay shrugged, cheeks red. "it's nothing. Just helping a guppy out." His eyes flickered to me a smile quirking his lips at an angle. Mom giggled and I could only assume that was some kind of mer slang. I ignored it and looked to Emory.