Despite the hallways being deserted at five in the morning, Sophie’s heart still thumped wildly in her chest as she made her way down the dimly lit set of concrete stairs into the underground parking garage. She normally hated parking there, preferring the above ground lot over the tight turns of the underground, but she had pulled her van in last night to make the move easier in the morning.

As she walked, Sophie continued to glance around to ensure no one else was around. Riley was cradled in her arms and she held the Mer teen tightly. She’d wrapped Riley’s tail in a blanket to help conceal the scales, but it wasn’t perfect and she was still nervous. She wasn’t sure if it was just jitters about the move or something she should put genuine stock into, but her skin had been crawling the past few days like they were being watched. It had sent her into a full-blown paranoia she couldn’t shake, and she was taking excessive precautions to deal with her fears.

Riley’s breath tickled her ear as she shifted. “You are squeezing a little tight,” the girl murmured. “Is something wrong?”

Sophie took a breath and forced herself to relax and loosen her death grip on Riley’s form. Once she reached the car, parked in the far corner, she pulled open the sliding side door and gently lowered Riley down onto the seat. It was covered with a towel at Katie’s request so that their scales wouldn’t catch on the leather and pull or rip the seats to shreds. Her daughter was sitting in the other middle seat, her head leaned back against the headrest. She looked half asleep, but her eyes opened and she watched from the corner of her eye as Sophie buckled Riley’s seatbelt.

Once Riley was situated, Sophie glanced into the back where Luna was. The youngest of the Mer had pushed the blanket away and curled her tail up beside her. The windows were tinted enough that Sophie bit her tongue against protesting. It was hot and none of the three were thrilled about being up in the dry air. Even Katie, who normally tanned rather than burned, was looking a little rosy just from sitting in the sunlight coming through the windows. Luna was the worst for it, given how little proper time she’d spent in the sun for so many years. Her skin had gone from the veiny pale that she had when Sophie met her to a pink shade. The skin on her shoulders had even begun to peel before Sophie began slathering her in sunscreen.

Riley didn’t seem overly concerned, expressing that they were protected well enough from the sun and the only reason it was a problem now was because they were spending too much time away from the water. Sophie certainly hoped the other two would improve once they had proper access, because Riley was certainly not having as much of a problem with the heat.

“Does the AC go up any higher?” Katie inquired with a groan as she shifted and swiped some hair out of her face.

Sophie leaned carefully over Riley to reach the cooler positioned between the two middle seats. She pulled the lid off and dug out a chilled bottle of water, which she offered out to Katie. “Here, drink this.”

Katie grabbed the bottle and nodded her thanks before tipping it back and proceeding to chug the contents. While she drank, Sophie pulled out two more and passed one back to Luna before setting the other on Riley’s lap. “Both of you as well; keep your fluids up. Luna, are you okay hon?”

The young Mer froze as Sophie said her name, her vivid blue eyes wide. Then she slowly lowered the water bottle from her lips – a little of the liquid dribbled down her chin – and nodded, but her free hand was curled around the seatbelt as she continued to tug at it. Luna did not like the buckle and Sophie knew it was because it brought back memories of her youth and the straps used to restrain her. She applauded the way the girl was trying to keep a brave face about it, but knew it wasn’t easy for her. She reached back to brush her knuckles down Luna’s cheek. Before bringing her down earlier, Sophie had sat her down and pulled her hair up off her face into a braid running down the back of her neck. The girl hid behind a wall of hair often and now that it was pulled back, it revealed the angular lines of her face formerly hidden. It also showed how underweight Luna still was; the bones were well defined in her cheeks, and her hair added the illusion of volume to her scrawny neck and torso that vanished with a little light.

Sophie had been doing her best to get the girl’s weight back up, but Luna seemed to lose it faster than she gained it, even though she hadn’t gotten to be all that active the past few weeks. It was better than when they’d arrived, better than she imagined it had been before the girl met Katie, but it was still not at a range Sophie would consider healthy. It was likely stress ragging on her body so harshly; she hoped the move would be good for them all in more ways than one.

As she stroked Luna’s face, the girl leaned into the contact and hummed softly, but there was confusion in her gaze, so Sophie gently pried her fingers away from the seatbelt and readjusted it to lay flat and loose across her chest. “Try not to play with it, okay? It’s only for a little while; it’s okay.”

Luna nodded, but she was chewing on her lip while she did and her fingers curled back around the belt almost immediately, though she didn’t tug on it anymore, so Sophie left her alone. She could hold it if she wanted; if it made her feel more secure.

“You girls are all okay?” Sophie confirmed as she glanced at the three of them. Luna looked small in the back, but she seemed a little calmer now. Katie had propped her face on a fist and looked like she was about to fall back asleep. The empty water bottle lay discarded on her lap. Riley’s remained untouched as she instead craned her neck to examine the interior of the van from all possible angles. She began to pick at the seatbelt and the shirt Sophie had forced her into. Riley really did not seem to care for wearing anything and most of the time, that was fine; but she would rather not have to explain the scales on the teen’s chest if someone happened to pass by.

“Riley? You good to go? You’re not in any pain from being moved, are you?” Sophie pressed.

Riley shook her head and grinned. “I am fine, Sophie. There is no pain. I have been feeling much better; I am fine to swim again after we arrive at this new home. Is the migration a long one?”

Sophie chuckled and shook her head. “The drive will take a little over an hour, but it’s not too far. I think you’re all really going to like it. Riley, Luna, you remember what I said about the car. It’s going to move, it’s going to make some noise, and stop and turn at times; there’s nothing to be concerned about.”

“Okay,” Luna agreed softly. Riley merely shrugged and shifted her weight. Satisfied that the two were going to be alright for the ride, Sophie pulled the side door shut once more and made her way around to the front passenger seat.

Lewis had insisted on driving them out and she’d agreed since it would give her a better chance to keep an eye on the Mer, especially if Luna spooked. She was a very skittish child.

Sophie drummed her nails on the dashboard as they waited. Lewis was upstairs doing one final check to ensure they had everything in order and hadn’t missed anything.

A few minutes later, he finally pulled open the driver’s side door and slid into the vehicle. “Everything all good?” Sophie inquired. Yesterday, they’d rented a moving truck to take most of the furniture and boxes out to the new house; only the necessities from last night were packed in the back of the van now.

Lewis nodded then twisted in his seat. “Everyone ready to go?” he asked. Sophie turned to see the three Mer as well. Katie was still leaned back in her seat. She had draped one arm over her face so the crook of her elbow rested over her eyes. The hand that hung limply curled into a thumbs up and she grunted her acknowledgement.

“You don’t seem very excited,” Sophie commented.

“I make no promises of pep before eight,” Katie responded. Sophie rolled her eyes and heard Luna giggling in the backseat. They seemed fine.

As a last check, her attention flicked to Riley and she frowned. The girl was smiling, but the grin seemed forced – with taunt, thinly pressed lips – and her eyes were glazed. At first, Sophie wondered if she might be in pain, but the body language seemed different. Riley was tapping her fingers on her lap and the digits shook as they moved. “Riley? Are you okay?” she pressed carefully. Riley tended to try to conceal her discomforts and Sophie wanted her to open up rather than retreat into a shell.

Riley met her gaze and began chewing on her lip with one fang. She didn’t respond immediately, and Sophie felt her stomach tighten. Something was wrong. “I am okay,” Riley finally managed, though her voice wavered and her smile became even less convincing as she tried to force it wider.

“Are you sure?” Sophie pressed as she stared at Riley, trying to study the Mer for any clues to the potential problem.

Riley’s lips continued to press upwards into a bigger grin, this one revealing grit teeth. “I am fine, Sophie; my side is bothering me a bit is all. It is not serious, do not worry. I am certain it will pass shortly; I do not wish for it to hold us up.”

The response was a red flag and concern began to gnaw at Sophie’s gut, scampering around inside her like a panicked mouse running inside a wall. Riley did not often admit to her pain so easily; especially when she was close to full recovery and determined not to be set back by it. Something else was up that pain was the more ideal thing to admit to. She wanted to wring the answer out of Riley like she was a sponge but had a feeling whatever it was – Riley was not keen on sharing. She glanced at Lewis – wondering what his opinion was – but he was looking at her expectantly as well. The choice was hers. Reluctantly, she twisted to settle back into her seat. She would leave it for now but keep an eye on the girl through the course of the drive. “Just be careful,” she forced herself to say. “Your stitches haven’t fully dissolved yet. If the pain gets worse, let me know and I can get you some medication for it.”

She glanced once more at Lewis and nodded. The sooner they got to the house, the sooner they could begin setting up a new life. She couldn’t force the problem out of Riley before the girl was ready to share, so she decided to instead focus on the task at hand. She didn’t want to linger in the lot any longer.

Lewis tugged the van into reverse with a soft click and then began to pull out of the parking spot. Sophie rested her cheek on her hand and stared out the window as Lewis left the marine park and merged onto the highway. She watched absently as the road, electrical poles, and cars rolled past. She had been out to the house a few times, was confident it was the perfect place for them.

“Oh, wow.” Sophie turned at the whispery sound of Luna’s voice. The young Mer had mashed her face up against the glass, peering into the world.

Sophie glanced out Lewis’s window to get a better picture of what had enraptured the youth. Beyond the road, the ocean stretched. The surface shone with the sheen of melted gold as the sun began to rise.

“It is so pretty,” Luna continued. “I miss it.”

Guilt sunk its claws deep into Sophie’s gut at the forlorn tone of Luna’s voice. She’d done her best to give the girls opportunities to swim in one of the pools, but it was always a risk and Luna spent a lot of time in the bath to compensate. It was a sorry substitute to the waters of her birth, and she knew the girl had gotten a taste during their trip home from America. Despite the sour emotions the moment brought, Sophie forced a smile. It was a short drive to the house, and she was certain Luna would be thrilled with what awaited them there.

“Riley, are you okay?” The concern oozing from Katie’s voice wrenched Sophie out of her thoughts. She glanced first at her daughter, who was fixated on the seat behind Sophie. She twisted in her seat to get a better look.

Riley was curled in on herself, her sandy scales peeking out from beneath an unraveled blanket. She didn’t answer Katie’s question and instead rested her chin on her scales, her arms wrapped tightly around the long appendage.

Sophie frowned as she studied the Mer. Something was definitely wrong. Riley’s unwavering gaze was narrowed in on the leather in front of her and her eyes were wide and panicked. As she stopped to listen for a moment, she could hear a heavy wheeze coming from Riley’s throat. “Riley?” Sophie pressed.

She didn’t get an answer and instead, Riley began to shudder while the wheezing got louder. Her eyes began to water, and tears leaked from the corners to streak down her face.

In her shaking, her head turned and Sophie got a good look at her neck. Riley’s gills were out, flaring and flapping uselessly in the air, fluid beginning to drip from them.

“Lewis, pull over,” Katie said, fear lacing her tone as she tapped a hand on the back of Lewis’s seat. The statement was unnecessary as Lewis was already changing lanes to pull the van up along the shoulder of the highway.

Sophie had her seatbelt off and was climbing out of the car before he had even pulled to a complete stop. She flung the side door of the van open and knelt to grab ahold of Riley. The Mer was pale and swaying, and still gasping for air. She reached up and cupped the sides of Riley’s throat, trying to force her gills closed. “Riley, honey, what’s the matter? Close your gills,” she urged, pressing harder against the gaping ridges resisting her attempts to hold them shut. Panic was clawing its way up Sophie’s throat as she held Riley’s quaking form. She wracked her brain for a reason or cause for the freak-out. “Riley, you have to talk to us; what’s going on?”

Riley whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. She began to shake her head furiously. “Cannot…breathe,” she hissed. More tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped to the blanket below. “Trapped.”

Sophie shook her head. Trapped? “Riley, it’s okay,” Sophie replied. “You’re okay.”

“No,” Riley moaned. “No, no, no.”

“Sophie, move,” Lewis urged. He placed a hand on her shoulder and Sophie glanced back, having only just noticed he’d gotten out of the car. She glanced between the three Mer in the car, noticing the terrified looks on Katie and Luna’s faces. Reluctantly, she stepped back to allow him through.

Immediately, Lewis lurched forward and leaned over the panicking teen. Sophie heard the click of her seatbelt being undone seconds before Lewis was dragging Riley out of the van and onto the ground. Sophie pulled the blanket out of the car as well and held it up to block any view of Riley from oncoming traffic. Already, being out of the vehicle seemed to be doing her quite a bit of good as Riley’s breathing gradually began to even out and her gills finally lowered back against her neck.

Sophie recognized the signs of the panic attack; she just wished she knew what had caused it. She crouched down beside Riley and stretched out a hand to smooth down the wayward golden waterfall that cascaded from her scalp. “Are you okay, Riley?”

A massive shudder wracked the teen’s lithe form and her bottom lip sucked in as she chewed on it. “I am sorry,” she whispered as fresh beads of moisture began to spill from her watery eyes.

Sophie shook her head and swiped a thumb over Riley’s cheek to smear away the tears. “Don’t be sorry, Riley; it’s okay,” she assured the distraught girl. The sight of a girl usually so willful and independent now lying in a crumpled heap wrenched at Sophie’s heartstrings. She wanted to fix whatever was causing her distress. “What happened?” she finally pressed.

“Claustrophobia,” Lewis spoke up before Riley could. “Fear of being trapped in tight spaces.”

Sophie chewed her lip. She knew the clarification was for Riley’s sake, since the Mer wasn’t likely to know the meaning behind the term.

At his description, Riley’s eyes squeezed shut and more tears spilled from behind her closed eyelids. She was no longer wheezing, but her chest was still heaving with each ragged breath.

“Riley, why didn’t you say something?” Sophie inquired. Riley’s reaction confirmed Lewis’s diagnosis.

Riley shook her head and grit her teeth. “Did not want to slow you down,” she hissed behind a clenched jaw. “Thought I could handle it. I am sorry.”

Sophie reached out and pulled the panting teen into her arms. She petted Riley’s hair and kissed the crown of her head. Thankfully, the panic attack was fading and Riley’s shaking was lessening. “Next time, tell us,” she urged tenderly. “We can’t help you if we don’t know what’s going on.”

Riley’s untouched water bottle had fallen out of the vehicle, so Sophie reached out and grabbed it. After twisting the top off, she pushed it into Riley’s quivering hands. “Drink something,” Sophie instructed a bit more firmly.

She waited until Riley obligingly lifted the rim to her lips in order to continue speaking. “The last thing I want to have to do is put you back in the car; but we can’t stay here on the side of the road much longer. Can you hang tough just a little longer?”

Riley’s eyes were wide as she tilted her head up to look at Sophie, and the woman watched her gulp heavily. For a moment Sophie was certain they would have to think of something else, when Riley’s lips pressed into a firm line and she hesitantly nodded. Sophie knew she would always put on a brave face. She didn’t like the idea of forcing the phobic girl back into the vehicle, but there wasn’t much of another option, so she gathered up the blanket around Riley’s tail and hefted her into her arms.

She decided that it was time for a seating rearrangement and set Riley down upfront before reaching around to grab the seatbelt and buckle her in. “You sit up front with Lewis, okay? We can roll your window down and there’s more space up here. It’s not for long, okay?” she assured her. She tucked Riley’s bangs back behind her ears and waited a moment until she seemed a bit calmer before backing off and closing the door.

After climbing into the middle through the side door, Sophie turned to look at first Katie and then Luna. “Are you two alright?”

“All good,” Katie confirmed with a thumbs up.

Luna’s gaze was fixated on the back of Riley’s head and her eyes were still wide. It took her a moment to respond, but when she did, it was with a pressed smile and glassy eyes. “Yes.” Her voice was small and soft when she spoke, and Sophie sighed internally. Their trip was not starting off on the note she’d hoped for, but she understood Luna’s fears. Riley always seemed very unflappable – even in the face of pain or risk – and the incident that just transpired reminded them all that she was just as prone to moments of weakness.

Luna probably didn’t like it on account that she’d really started looking up to her cousin, believing she could do just about anything – including taking Luna home.

Sophie didn’t like it either, for different reasons. Her faith was already shaken that Riley was okay galivanting on her own through the oceans and she did not like the knowledge that she had to send her back out to a pod that wasn’t welcoming; this event made it even more difficult a pill to swallow. She wanted to keep the girl close, protect her and enrich her with the comfort and affection it was apparent she had been starved of in her youth. Riley was no longer a child – not by Mer standards clearly, and nearly by human standards as well – but she still had some of the needs Sophie saw in youth. The desire to keep all three adoptive children safe and happy was too powerful an instinct to ignore; it practically choked her.

As the van motored along, Sophie reached back and cupped the smooth curve of Luna’s cheek. The girl’s glossy eyes slid shut and she leaned into Sophie’s palm and hummed. Sophie smiled and stroked her thumb over Luna’s face. It was ironic that she was so contact oriented after the physical abuse she had endured over the years, but Luna seemed to crave touch and physical affection more than anything else. Sophie gently patted her cheek a few times, then gestured back to the window, which ripped Luna’s attention away instantly.

Sophie chuckled at the sight of the young Mer pressing her face up against the glass once more. She wasn’t sitting properly, but the seatbelt still stretched across her chest seemed entirely forgotten and she was safe enough, so Sophie let it be.

She redirected her attention to her daughter, buckled in across from her with her hands folded in her lap. She looked half asleep, but when Sophie held out her hand, Katie’s gaze slid from the back of Lewis’s seat and she smiled. When her warm hand settled between Sophie’s fingers, Sophie curled them to squeeze Katie’s hand. “You ready?” she asked as she rubbed her thumb over Katie’s wrist.

Katie dipped her head and blinked blearily. “Yeah, though I would have preferred to leave a little bit later.”

Sophie rolled her eyes. “I warned you to get to sleep, that we had an early morning,” she scolded gently. “You three should not have talked the night away.”

“I am not tired,” Luna offered as she leaned forward until her nose was between the middle seats.

“That’s because you fell asleep,” Katie countered. Her head twisted and her tongue poked out between her glistening ivory fangs. “I’m glad you slept through the night, but I didn’t have that luxury. Riley kept me up.” As she spoke, Katie’s gaze twisted up front where Riley was sitting as though she expected Riley to respond to the playful jab.

Riley didn’t reply, however. In fact, she showed no indication of having heard the conversation at all.

Sophie studied the Mer sitting up front. She couldn’t tell much from looking at her mostly concealed back, but she could see her eyes reflecting in the glass of the windshield. Her gaze was wide and she was hunched in on herself, though she no longer appeared to be panicking and had calmed considerably. The shirt she was wearing was a couple sizes too big for her – it was all they could get her to wear; anything more fitted and she squirmed and complained before simply tearing it off – and the sleeve had slipped, exposing the smooth, tanned flesh of her shoulder.

Sophie reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently when Riley flinched. “It’s okay,” she murmured. “Give me your hand.”

Riley twisted slightly in the seat. Her brows were furrowed with confusion, but she extended her hand without comment. Sophie took her by the wrist and pulled her arm a little closer. Her spines were pressed tightly against the slender limb, but Sophie wasn’t surprised to see them despite having watched Riley pull them in before they left. It seemed to be stress related, an unconscious action when she got upset.

Riley seemed to notice her looking and tried to pull her arm back. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I will pull them back in.”

Sophie shook her head. “It’s okay, leave them,” she replied. She reached out and stroked a finger over the sharp spine. She had no idea if it was made of bone or cartilage, but it was smooth and rigid under the pad of her finger. She trailed back down to where it met the flesh of Riley’s arm and began to rub. She’d seen Riley scratching and rubbing at her forearm fins a lot. Riley’s response to the attention was immediate as her muscles loosened and she hummed her contentment. There was a soft rattling sound and Sophie grinned. She’d heard it a couple times before, from Luna as well. It was too subtle to see, but the Mer seemed to rattle their scales – based on the sound – when they were happy.

Sophie continued to massage the skin around the fin, trailing down the side along where the membrane stitched into her arm.

Riley shivered and the soft rattling sound grew a little louder. “Sophie, you are going to cut yourself,” she protested weakly as Sophie worked.

She wouldn’t deny the spines were sharp and serrated, but she was tender enough to avoid a problem. “Don’t worry,” Sophie assured the teen.

For a moment, a frown twitched on Riley’s lips and the scowl lines on her brow creased like she planned to argue, but then her eyes slid shut and she hummed again. “Feels good,” she purred. “I know what you are doing.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Sophie countered.

“Trying to distract me.”

“Is it working?” Sophie asked.

Riley swallowed and nodded. “Thank you.” Then her eye reopened and she focused in on Katie, the scowl returning to her features. “I did not keep you awake. You were the one with question after question again. I did not even get a game of chess for my efforts. You are a ceaseless trench of curiosity.”

Katie burst out laughing in response and Sophie could not contain a grin either. The delay in defending herself was laughable and adorable.

Before either of them could comment, Lewis piped up. “Like you aren’t,” he stated, reaching out with one hand to gently poke Riley.

Riley’s head snapped around to glower at him in response. Though Sophie could only see a portion of her face now, the reaction was clear and only made her laugh harder.

“At least I let people sleep,” Riley protested. She pulled her hand back out of Sophie’s grasp in order to poke Lewis back before crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight with a huff.

The bark of amusement that ripped from Lewis’ throat gave Sophie pause as she watched Riley stiffen. She hoped there wasn’t going to be a spat over this. Lewis reached out again and bumped Riley’s shoulder with a closed fist. “No, you don’t.”

Riley’s lips parted and she raised a finger while her jaw bobbed as she clearly scrambled for a retort. Sophie chuckled at the floundering fish expression. Finally, a wide grin stretched across Riley’s face and she shrugged. “Fair,” she conceded.

Sophie shook her head. Her life had been filled with chaos and energy and she adored it, but sometimes it was like trying to wrangle a group of wild animals. “How are we doing on time, Lewis?” she inquired.

There was a pause as Lewis studied the road. “Traffic is good; we should be there in about twenty minutes.”

“Sophie?”

Luna’s soft voice drew Sophie’s attention to the backseat. “Everything okay, Luna?”

Luna’s fingers were curled around the side of Katie’s seat and her wide cerulean eyes glistened as she stared. “Is there any more water?”

Sophie was already reaching down to open the cooler when she responded. “Of course.” She dug through the ice keeping the bottles cold and fished one out. Twisting the lid to crack the bottle open for the Mer, she passed it back.

“Thank you.” Luna tipped the bottle back and began to drink as much as she could in rapid gulps.

Sophie handed Katie a bottle as well, and it disappeared almost as quickly as the first. When she’d drained the water, Katie licked her lips to collect the last bit of moisture dribbling from the corner of her mouth. “Thanks,” she gasped as her chest heaved.

“You’re welcome,” Sophie replied. “Riley, do you need some more water?” she didn’t wait for a response before lifting another bottle free and passing it up. Riley nodded her thanks as she took it and began to down it just as swiftly as the other two had.

Lewis reached down and adjusted the dial on the air conditioning so that it was at full blast, pumping the closest thing to cold air as they would get.

Sophie shivered slightly and rubbed a bare arm. She hadn’t figured she would desire longer sleeves. Beside her, Katie shoved the sheet she’d had draped over her scales away from her fin and sighed with content.

Sophie frowned, once again feeling thankful that they were on their way to a new home where they would have instant access to the water; the dry season was having too many negative effects on the three for her not to feel concerned about it.

“I think a swim might be in order once we get settled,” she decided. She’s seen the three swim a few different times, but always felt like she needed to stand guard, especially when she snuck Katie and Luna down for a brief dip in one of the indoor pools. This time, she decided she might like to join them.

“That sounds really nice,” Katie agreed with eager need cascading from her tone.

“Well, you won’t have long to wait,” Lewis announced as he pulled onto an off-ramp and left the highway behind in favor of a long, well worn road. They were officially away from the city and into a more coastal area of vacation homes. “We’re nearly there.”

The proclamation had Katie and Riley fixating on the windows with enthusiasm as thick as Luna’s had been the entire trip. Sophie had refused to tell them anything about the property, so none of them knew what they were looking for; but she smiled at the eager grins and hitched breaths that came with every house they passed. There weren’t many of them, and it took a couple of minutes in between each to see another one. She had selected as private a place as she possibly could so that they could all breathe easy and not feel the need to look over their shoulders or risk being seen.

Sophie found herself angling her body to see better out the front of the vehicle, her own anticipation rising.

Finally, the house they were all looking for peeked out from the horizon and when Lewis turned off the road onto the winding, sandy driveway, Katie was the first to show her amazement.

Her breath whistled out between her teeth and she pressed her face flat against her window for a better look. “Wow,” she murmured. Sophie could hear the emotional strangle in her tone as she spoke.

The house was a fair-sized ranch style – Sophie had not wanted a second floor; there was no point when it would merely cut half her family off from accessing it – on a sprawling property. The front garden was decorated in a gray brick pathway up to the door, with smooth pebbles of various shades of white, brown, and gray to either side. From the stone, pushed various ferns and eucalyptus trees that shielded the sides and back of the house from view.

Lewis pulled the car around so that the back could be seen, revealing the tall walls of a cove closed in on all sides save a thin channel straight out to see. The home sat right on the edge of the water, the back half extending out on wooden posts into a dock. The glass sliding doors that led out would put them on the water, they could swim up with plenty of depth still to swim and pull themselves out easily.

The second he pulled to a stop, Lewis twisted in his seat and grinned back at them all. “Welcome home.”

Katie wasted no time in reaching for the door handle, clearly eager to get out and explore – where she thought she was going without her chair was beyond Sophie, though – and Sophie reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder and stop her. “Just wait a minute, okay? I know you’re excited, but you can’t get out yet,” she instructed. She pointed over to the side of the house, where a man in a business suit was waiting with several documents. “We still have to finalize everything with the real estate agent. Wait here, okay?”

After taking a moment to ensure they were alright in the vehicle, Sophie unbuckled her seat belt and stepped from the car. Despite the dry season, enough of a sea breeze was wafting in from the cove to make it more bearable. Lewis fell in step beside her as they approached the house and she reached out to lace her fingers through his. He gave her hand a squeeze and she sighed, once again feeling blessed for his help and support – she’d needed both the past few months and he never faltered or failed to be there.

“Miss Brooks! Mr. Patter! How are you both?” the agent asked as he approached and extended a hand.

Lewis reached out with his free hand and took it. “Well enough for this early in the morning,” he replied.

Once they were done shaking, Sophie took his hand and smiled. “Thank you again, Jackson,” she said. “For everything. The house is perfect.”

“It is a beautiful property,” Jackson agreed. He held out the clipboard he was holding to his chest. “I just need your signature to finalize everything. Last chance to back out,” he reminded.

Sophie shook her head, accepted a pen from him, and scrawled her signature across the dotted line. She then passed the documents to Lewis, who did the same.

“Pleasure doing business with you folks,” Jackson responded as he took the documents back from Lewis. “If you have any questions or conflicts in the next few days, give my office a call.”

“We will,” Sophie confirmed. “Thank you again.”

“Have a good day. Best of luck settling in.”

Sophie watched Jackson walk away. She didn’t move until he’d gotten into his car and driven away. Once she was certain he was gone, she hurried back to the van, having grown concerned about leaving the three Mer there for so long; especially given Riley’s claustrophobia.

She pulled Riley’s door open and found her looking a little pale again. “Just a second, I’ll get your chair. Katie, you can open up your door as well.”

Sophie moved to the back of the van and opened the hatchback. The motion startled Luna, who whipped around and stared with wide eyes. Then she smiled and waved at Sophie.

“Can I take this off now?” she inquired as she tugged on her seatbelt.

Sophie chuckled and nodded. “Of course. Just sit tight though for a few minutes and I’ll get you out.” She pulled each of the wheelchairs out one at a time and unfolded them on the driveway. Lewis came to help and grabbed one to take up to Riley. “Get her to take her blanket with her,” Sophie called up to him.

Once the other two chairs were unfolded, she pushed one over and helped Katie out of the car, into it. “Go on up around back. There’s a ramp there so you can get up. I’ll get Luna.”

“Thanks mom,” Katie replied, stretching up to wrap her arms around Sophie’s waist. Sophie smiled and hugged her back.

As Katie rolled away, Sophie climbed into the car to help Luna out and into the third chair.

Luna gasped as she gazed around and Sophie supposed she didn’t get the greatest look driving up, having been sitting in the very back. “It is so pretty, Sophie,” she whispered as she took a deep breath. “I can smell the ocean.”

“Well you should be able to, it’s right there,” Sophie replied, pointing towards the back of the house. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

She kept pace with Luna, who was a little slower getting around in her chair than the other two, as they walked over to the back of the house. The wrap around porch stretched onto a jetty deck, raised on poles out of the water that was half in the sun and half protected beneath an overhang shelter. There was a fence that framed two of the three exposed sides, while the third dropped off into the water, with a side ramp that stretched right down under. The girls would be able to get in and out easily whenever they wanted.

Sophie had to help Luna up the short ramp, but once she did, Luna was fixated on the water. The house sat right on a secluded cove. It was blocked in by high cliffsides save for one opening dead center on the opposite side. It would be very difficult for any unwelcome boats to sneak up on them here.

“Are we allowed to go in?” Luna asked and her wide puppy eyes were so radiant with hope and delight that it made a massive smile stretch across Sophie’s face. That look conveyed everything that Sophie had hoped for. This was exactly what they’d needed.

She only needed to nod once before Luna was eagerly making her way over to the edge of the deck. She slid out of her chair and was in the water before anyone could catch up.

Katie poked her head out the sliding glass door from inside the house, her expression also one of wonder. “This place is amazing!” she squealed as she came back out onto the deck, Riley following close behind.

The third Mer took a deep breath and grinned. “I am inclined to agree. This will make coming and going much easier, and it feels so much less eerie. Swimming up that pipe was fine, but it always had this moment of concern. There could have been anyone in that room when I popped up. Here, there will be less opportunity for surprise.”

“I’m glad you all like it,” Sophie replied. “I love it too. I’ve always dreamed of a place like this and now that it’s a reality, it’s even more perfect because it’s exactly what we needed.” Sophie glanced out at the water where Luna was floating flat on her back near the surface. Other than the occasional flick of her fin to keep herself steady, she was motionless and clearly enjoying simply being in the water. Sophie made her way over to the edge of the dock, slipped her sandals off, and sat down to let her feet trail in the crystal-clear water. This was paradise.

“Am I allowed to go in as well?” Riley asked. Sophie glanced up to find the blonde beside her, still in the wheelchair and watching her hopefully. There was something of a longing swimming in her gaze and Sophie suspected it was a desire to swim with her cousin. The two were really growing closer and hadn’t gotten the chance to be in their element.

Because of that, Sophie desperately wanted to say ‘yes’, but she knew it wasn’t safe to assume.

Thankfully, Lewis stepped in to save her from having to say anything. “Come here, I’ll check your stitches and we’ll see.”

Sophie watched with bated breath as Lewis helped Riley out of the wheelchair and knelt on the deck beside her to peel the pad away from her side. Immediately, Riley’s gaze averted and Sophie reached out and squeezed her shoulder in sympathy.

“Actually,” Lewis announced. “Your stitches have all but dissolved. You should be fine, so long as you keep your movements slow for the first little bit and I want to check you again before you think about heading out so don’t just disappear,” Lewis warned.

Riley grinned and Sophie forced herself to smile back. She was still nervous about Riley going out again, especially to a pod that wasn’t likely to welcome her. Still, she was happy it meant the girls would get to swim together.

Before she could say anything, however, a low growl pulled her attention away from Riley. That sound was not friendly. To Sophie’s surprise the sound was coming from Katie, who’s eyes had narrowed and her posture seemed almost puffed up. “Katie, is everything-”

Sophie was cut off as Katie growled again, bunched her tail muscles, and leapt, getting quite a bit of momentum out of it. She shot past Sophie and barreled into Riley, the two of them bowling over in a tangle of tails and fins, the sounds of a fight quickly rising to disrupt the previously tranquil atmosphere.

Dread coiled in Sophie’s stomach and she wasn’t even sure what she was looking at. This was not playful wrestling. “Katie! Katie, stop it!”