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Sitting on your small porch, you inhaled the salty air of the ocean, watching the perfect, calm waves coming and going in the warm afternoon sun. In the distance a few seagulls were calling out now, the only thing breaking the silence. There was nowhere else you would rather be right now. Except maybe in the water with the two figures that were currently not too far from shore.
Faintly you could hear his voice, a heartfelt laugh and then you saw him wagging his fin just above water, splashing some water in the direction of the smaller figure, who in turn just giggled and gurgled happily. It made your heart almost burst and your cheeks hurt from smiling so broadly.
Back when you had met him you would have never thought you’d end up here, nor was anything of this planned in any way. Being so far from home, leaving friends and family behind just to start a family of your own.
But to be honest, if you could live your life over, you wouldn’t change a thing about it.
In a matter of a few months after you found out about this *accident* you had pulled up stakes and left your hometown. Left for this small stretch of land with the beach house you now called your own, starting a new life here.
Your family and friends had called you crazy for selling your condo and moving into the unknown, trying many times to get behind the “why” of your actions. Asking if this was some kind of quarter life crisis, begging you to be reasonable and stay. And many times you had made things up about wanting to live before settling down fully, already feeling trapped in this treadmill called life when in reality your life would be anything but boring from now on.
It left a bit of a bitter taste in your mouth that you could share none of this excitement with the people around you for it was something nobody should ever know about. As much as it broke your heart to leave your life behind, you knew it was the only right thing to do.
When you found out that Connor had, unintentionally, knocked you up, you had to come to terms with the fact that people would not accept it. Everything that wasn’t ordinary or normal in their eyes was wrong, sinful even. And carrying the child of a sea creature surely would count as one of the more sinful things in life. You tried hard not to imagine what people would have said to this and think about the witch hunts that would surely follow. There were also more than a few people curious about how reproduction with a merman worked and maybe they’d even come looking to take you, Connor or the baby away. For your safety of course since merpeople were known to be dangerous predators. Also mingling among different species was a hard topic and maybe even illegal. You didn’t dare to check on that because you didn’t need more anxiety in your life. It was better for everyone to think you had gone bonkers.
Connor felt bad for the longest time for pulling you out of your life like that. He blamed himself for not thinking about consequences and that all of this misery was his fault. Still, ever since he knew that he would be a father soon, his gentle, brown eyes shone even brighter.
Sure you had doubts, you’d be a big liar if you said you weren’t scared of what the future held and how things were gonna work out. But not for a second did you even contemplate to not have this child.
The expected date of delivery drew nearer and when you had moved into the beach house, with Connor settling into a cave nearby, it was hard to even tie your shoes on your own. That’s when Connor did something unexpected, something he swore he’d never do anymore again. He came onto land, on wobbly legs at first but he did to help you in the last few weeks before birth. And when it was time he even accompanied you to the hospital, all precautions taken for him to not be found out. It was a blessing people here didn’t know you and you played the happy newlyweds about to have their first child.
With a sigh you let go of those memories and watched him in the water when he let out a joyous laugh. Right now he was teaching your little baby girl how to use her tail properly.
„They learn easiest when young. And also she’s a natural talent“, he had said and smiled when he scooped little Melody up, the little sunshine giggling whenever she was with her „dada“.
You decided to slip into the water yourself and watch this lesson from up close, swimming closer.
“Look who decided to join us”, Connor smiled at you and Melody turned around, as he balanced her on both hands just above water as she flapped her tail.
“What do you say, little guppy, wanna show mommy what you learned?”
“YES!”
The serious nod from your 2 year old was enough to make you smile widely once more.
“Okay then.”
Connor nodded excitedly at you and then his gaze was glued to little Melody again. You once jokingly said to him that it was okay that you weren’t the number one girl in his life anymore ever since your daughter was born. He had been so flustered, even after you admitted that you had just pulled his leg. Or tail. But it was endearing to see him being the loving father that he had become.
Then Melody started to dive under, her small, lilac fin vanishing in the water too before she came up again and started swimming towards you. As if she had never done anything else in all her life.
You extended your arms to catch her when she was close enough and briefly looked to Connor, wearing the proudest smile on his face as you praised her and laughed, lifting Melody up on your arm, while balancing to stay afloat.
“Wow! You did it, guppy! All by yourself.”
“Of course I did it mom! I’m a mermaid”, Melody exclaimed and laid her head on your shoulder, her wet, brown locks sticking to your skin.
“Yes you are sweetie.”
You looked down at her and noticed her droopy eyes. Despite all the will and energy she had had to show you what she could do, she was tired and it was nearing nap time too. The sun in the afternoon could dry her out fast, even when in the water. Baby mermaids were very sensitive.
“And a sleepy one too”, Connor commented, sidling up to you to plant a kiss on Melody’s forehead and your cheek. “Want me to tuck her in?”
He swam behind you and helped you stay steady in the water, seeing you struggle with the already half asleep child in your arms.
“Sounds good, doesn’t it sunshine? Maybe daddy can tuck mommy in too.”
Melody mumbled a tired “mh” and Connor chuckled. Turning your head around you stole a quick kiss from him, tasting his saltwater smile and catching his soft gaze for a second. Then you felt arms around your stomach pulling you into his chest and angling you back, so you lay half on top of him.
“Alright girls. Off to bed with you two it is. ”
Connor started swimming backwards, very carefully as to not make too much noise and wake Melody up. You still held her securely cradled against your shoulder with one hand, the other over Connor’s as he maneuvered you through the water. It was moments like these that you knew you had made the right decision back then. It was a feeling of belonging that nothing had ever given you before. And you wouldn’t have wanted to trade this for the world.