“You’re even more beautiful in the sunlight,” he says, feeling the smooth skin of my tail.
I hum at his touch.
“Sara wants to know when my mermaid boyfriend is coming over again.”
“Los Angeles isn’t that far from San Diego,” I say. “I can swim up and visit.”
“So?” Samir rests his forehead against mine. “Will you kiss me now?”
I want to kiss him. More than anything.
I want forever.
But I close my eyes and say, “Not like this.”
“Why?”
“I want to do it right. I want us to get to know each other. I want you to be sure.”
“I am sure.”
“You’ve only known me for three days.”
“I’ve known you for a whole year.”
“Will you let me have this? Will you wait for me? Please?”
Samir shivers against me. “I’ll wait forever if I have to. I promise.”
I smile and hum.
“You’re killing me, Dylan.”
“I know.” I’m killing me too. That maelstrom of longing in my chest will never go away as long as we’re apart.
“The sun is almost set,” Father says. “We have to go.”
The light is dying. A cool breeze whips my back.
“I’m sorry, Samir.”
He gently lowers me back into the water, but he keeps hold of my wrist, like he’s afraid to let go.
“Come back to me, Dylan.”
“I will.”
Samir releases me and collapses back onto the pier, hugging himself.
“I love you,” I whisper as the sun slips below the horizon.
I carve his face into my heart and then dive, pumping my tail hard to keep up with Father’s strong strokes. We speed out of the shallows and into the open ocean. The full moon paints the waves silver as we surface to breathe.
The ache in my heart grows with every stroke of my tail, but I’m not swimming away from Samir, not really. Every mile north is just a mile closer to the day I’ll see Samir again. To the day he knows the song of my heart.
To the day we’re both ready.
He’ll say, “Kiss me, Dylan. Please.”
