A Merman's Tail

Chapter 15

Scott hopped into the car and I followed his practiced movement with an awkward one of my own. He set the bowl shaped thing on his head, with the lip facing back towards his shoulders. I looked at it curiously and he said, "Haven't you ever seen a cap before?"

"A cap?" I asked.

"It's a hat, a snapback. I didn't style my hair this morning so I wear this when I'm being lazy." He replied.

"Oh." I answered and ran my fingers through my own hair.

I flashed on the last time we'd swum together, remembered him rising like a seal out of the water. I saw the droplets running down his face before he slicked his hair back with his large, strong hands and turned his face towards the deep ocean. His eyes opening and searching for mine as his face reflected the joy of being free and out there in the open water. Humans never really understood the freedom of the sea, how it held you in its embrace like a lover one second and was a furious destructive and uncaring force the next. But I knew Scott did.

He laughed and flicked my fringe out of my eyes. "It's got longer since I saw you last." He said with a smile.

"Still haven't managed to grow any eyebrows, I see!" I retorted as he full out laughed at me.

It had been too long since I'd heard that breathy, half silent chuckle, that laugh that made his eyes crinkle in the corners and his smile engulf his whole face. I watched his face light up and I think I fell in love with him even more in that moment. He was everything I wanted and I was willing to give up my life in the ocean to be with him, but would he be willing to take care of me if I remained on dry land? Father had reminded me of the things I would be giving up by choosing legs, but I was willing to lose my tail forever if it meant I could keep Scott. Would he want me was the question I needed the answer to.

He smiled at me as we drove towards people and while I was starving and looking forward to waffles, whatever they were, what I really wanted was to spend time alone with him. I wanted to find out what he liked now, what made him happy, what made him sad, the things he loved and the things that he disliked. Spending so much time with him as children and then being the watcher from afar as he grew made me feel like we were best friends, but as I rode along in the car with him asking question after question it made me sad to realize that I didn't really know him after all. I wanted my friend back.

"How is your family? What is your favourite food now? How was school? What did you learn? Did you make lots of friends? Do you still like to surf?" I asked so many and still had so many questions unanswered and more that I already knew some answers to but still had to ask.

He told me about College. His friends and what the highlights of living away from home were. By the time we got to the restaurant and had ordered waffles, pancakes and all the toppings I was beginning to feel like the distance between us was diminishing. I told him about the Community, the decisions Father had made and how I'd assisted with some of the disputes that had been raised before him.

"So he really wants you to lead the Community?" Scott asked as the waitress returned with our order.

"He does want me to return to our Community after my time ashore, yes." I admitted.

I watched Scott swallow as if something large was lodged in his throat before he turned to look out the window for a moment. When he looked back at me his eyes had a look about them that I immediately thought 'tears' but his voice didn't change at all when he asked, "Do you want to stay?"

I smiled non-committedly and indicated the food in front of us before saying, "If this is what you eat every day, probably!"

Scott let out a snort through his nose and that I could have interpreted as a laugh but knew wasn't. But his expression had returned to neutral and he passed the syrup after dousing his own plate. I dripped a drop of the sweet liquid on my finger and tasted it. My eyes lit up and I smiled widely at the taste. I spread it over my own stack of pancakes and then dug in, trying the other items on my plate as I watched Scott demolish his breakfast.

What had he been thinking when he asked if I wanted to stay? Did he remember the time I was with him with as much emotion as I did? Had he missed me as much as I had missed him? I smiled at him around a mouthful of pancakes and the grin he returned to me was more reminiscent of the ones he'd thrown my way when we were out on the water together. I swallowed and put my hand on his wrist and said, "Thank you for this Scott! It's the best thing I've ever tasted."

"Wait until you've had ice cream!" He said with a grin.