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The first memory that Steven had was when he was old enough to walk and he toddled out to the edge of his dad’s houseboat. Even back then the paint was chipped and faded; it had been fresh when his dad met his mom. He could remember looking over the edge and seeing his dad in the water, lifting up his arms and encouraging him to jump into the sea.
In this memory Steven jumped without hesitation, landed in his dad’s arms, and felt the sea water turn his legs into a tail. He could move easily under the water, and though his dad had to hold his breath and wear goggles to protect his eyes against the salt water he happily swam after Steven.
Steven’s laughter was loud and unending under the water, bubbling through the water, and would continue on when he broke through to the surface. When his dad burst through the water he would grab Steven and throw him up in the air, catching him and spinning him around in the water as the two of them laughed in earnest.
And when Steven’s tail was dry enough that his legs could form his dad would help him walk on the slippery sand. Steven was more unsteady walking on land as opposed to swimming in the ocean but his dad would never let him fall.
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When Steven was older he spent more time with his mom’s old friends and would learn what it meant to be someone that could travel on land and sea. He learned more about the depths of the ocean and in turn he would chatter about the adventures he had on land.
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Pearl was the one that seemed to fuss over Steven the most, making sure he was safe, brushing his hair with a comb that he would bring when she requested it, and getting quite emotional when his tail first shed its old scales. It was a sign that he was getting older but she still had a protective streak to her mothering.
Whenever Steven brought water proof books for them all to read, whether on the shore or under the sea, Pearl seemed to enjoy reading them aloud the most.
When a fairy tale had been read by her, of a mermaid that longed for the love of a human and did not receive it but gained what she wanted and needed all along, her voice would hitch at certain parts.
Steven, who was still young enough to not know much about the pasts of those that he loved but knew that it was a delicate question, asked if the story was similar to his mom and dad.
Garnet was the one that answered quickly and with utmost care in her words that it was similar but they all gained someone that they could love.
Pearl had a melancholic smile, a touch bitter, as she closed the story book. But she looked at Steven and that smile was only filled with warmth.
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Amethyst was the one that challenged Steven to swim as fast as he could, to break through the surface and jump into the air. She would have him race her and it took him many, many tries until he could beat her at the races.
Amethyst and Steven once got scolded by Pearl for being too rowdy and crashing into stone or the underwater sand when they raced. Amethyst brushed it off and joked to Steven about Pearl being a killjoy.
Once they got scolded by Garnet because Steven crashed into one of the legs of the pier after one particularly intense race. They both never went so fast as to crash into the pier like that again.
Amethyst was also the one that wholeheartedly loved what humans had to offer. When Steven stepped onto the sand and walked into town to buy snacks he would share them with Amethyst. Steven’s favorite one was sharing fry bits with Amethyst as the waves gently fell onto the shore.
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Garnet was the one that knew when to let Steven go on his own and come rushing in to rescue him if he ever got into trouble.
Garnet was the one that could hold him in her arms and break through the surface to the highest height. Steven could see the entire town from that height, he was surrounded by droplets of water and for a brief moment it felt like flying.
The first time Garnet did so it was so wonderful that Steven’s breath caught in his lungs. After that first time he could cheer at the top of his lungs when they were that high in the air.
Garnet would also hold him and follow the swell of the ocean waves, climbing up and up and riding the waves as they crashed down. Steven never worried for he always felt safe in her arms.
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Steven was the one that greeted Connie clumsily, propelling himself to the shore and landing roughly in the sand.
Connie caught sight of his tail turning into legs and in the depth of her shock could only manage a peep of surprise. She had been ruminating that this sort of thing happened many times in her books but this was the first time it actually happened to her. When she got her voice back she shakily told Steven about this.
Steven did not know how those books usually went but he offered up his friendship. And Connie did not want to just become friends with him because it was like a myth had jumped out from her books; so they spent the entire day getting to know each other. When she could come to Beach City their friendship grew.
It took time for something wondrous to happen.
It had been a warm summer afternoon and they played together in the ocean. When they were resting on the shoreline Steven noticed that a scale was nearly shed from his tail. He gently pried it off and handed it to Connie because she was interested in the scales of his tail.
Connie turned it over in her hands, admiring the pale pink color and wondering aloud about the origin of mermaids. She placed it on her knee as Steven began to tell her what he knew.
But scales began to appear on Connie and her legs turned into a tail. The scales were a periwinkle blue and there was a single pale pink scale where her kneecap was supposed to be; it was not a painful transformation, just shocking, and so they hurried into the ocean to get an explanation.
Pearl had a million hypothetical solutions. Amethyst made a joke about the two of them bringing her even more snacks and the opportunity for a three person race. Garnet encouraged them to go have fun.
And so they did, cutting through the water and greeting fish that fled quickly. Steven showed Connie all the best places to hide, the intricate stone structures carved out by the ocean and the underwater plants that she had only seen in marine biology books and so she would like to see in person.
He showed her how to jump up through the water, going up higher because of the strength of her new tail, and could be glad that she learned about that sort of joy.
For their last activity they rode the top of a wave and were deposited on the shore, laughing. It was evening now, the sun nearly setting.
Steven rubbed away the water that clung to his face and shook out his hair and announced a sudden craving for doughnuts. Connie wiped her glasses dry and taking an inspiration from one of her books plucked the pale pink scale from her tail and they turned back into legs.
Despite the fun that they had there was an air of relief that she could go back to the way she was. But there was still joy that they could experience what was thought to be impossible, and that Steven could have the opportunity to show Connie everything that she couldn’t have been able to see before.
Steven’s legs hadn’t formed yet so Connie picked him up and began to carry him into town. Steven made a joke about being the catch of the day, that he would have to be measured, and grinned when Connie began to laugh again.