The Secret Lives of Fish - a sequel to The Thirteenth Year

Ch 13 - Haven

Thunder continued to clap outside, large streaks of lightning flashing outside the dark windows. Whit and Sharon paid it no attention, instead staring at the young man who sat across from them at the kitchen table. Sean's eyes were huge and his mouth slightly agape. He didn't move, soaking in all that the Griffin's had just told him.

"Sean, honey, are you okay?" Sharon asked, squeezing her husband's hand under the table.

His knee bouncing, Whit didn't think he could take the boy's silence for much longer. They had just finished telling him about their son. Not once had Sean interjected.

"You're telling me..." Sean blinked and licked his lips, "that your freak of a son is a merman? That he's not even human?" He shook his head.

"Now look here!" Whit yelled and made a move to stand, but Sharon squeezed his hand again, stopping him.

"Sean, it's a lot to take in, we know. But, you do know you need to keep this a secret right? He's tried so hard to fit back in."

Thunder and lightning raged outside as Sean stared the other two down. They were dead serious. All of this was real. He'd just thought Cody was on some weird sort of steroid, or some sort of drug. But he was a fish. An actual creature from fairy tales. He even had a tail! He gave a scoff and shook his head, wanting to laugh out loud at the absurdity.

"Who would believe me?" Sean crossed his arms over his chest and slouched slightly in his seat.

"Excuse me?" Whit had one hand on the table top, clenched in a fist.

Honestly, Sean was surprised he hadn't been kicked out already. He could see where Cody got his temper from though. Or was that from someone else?

"How long have you all known?" Sean accused as he narrowed his eyes at them.

"I don't understand. Known what?" Sharon glanced at her husband and then back.

"That your son wasn't even human? Did you adopt him knowing he was a fish?" he questioned. He gave a smirk as Whit went to stand again but Sharon pulled him back down, barely, into his seat.

'No, they didn't know.' Cody appeared in the kitchen doorway, leaning slightly on Sam for support.

Sean jerked in his seat, standing at the voice that spoke in his mind. He glared at Cody accusingly. "Don't do that!" he nearly spat. He made a move to approach the freak, but Sam blocked him by moving in his way.

"Sit down, Sean." Whit said as he finally stood up from the table, helping Cody over to sit next to him.

The young merman smiled at his dad, grateful. His knees were wobbly from his transformation and he didn't quite trust himself just yet to move on his own.

Sam stood against the kitchen counter, positioned slightly behind her boyfriend. Briefly she thought of how she'd been in that very spot the day before, washing dishes and laughing with Cody. It was amazing how much could change overnight.

'How much does he know?' Cody stared at his dad, noting how upset he looked.

"Why can't you just talk to us?" said Sean, now slouched in his seat again.

Grimacing, Cody stared at Sean. 'I'm guessing just the basics.'

Sean was glaring at him now.

'I can't, Sean.' said Cody, glancing down as he fought to keep the burning of embarrassment off his face. 'I don't have a physical voice anymore. Merpeople don't speak the same way as humans.'

"You can't talk?" asked Sean, sitting forward now. "Prove it."

'What?' asked Cody, taken slightly off guard.