The Only Exception

The wagon moves through the sand of the beach at a slow rate. The horse that Gustav sits upon has difficulty walking in the unstable substance. A mix of colors decorates the sky, a phenomenon I have never seen. It will be dark soon; I won't reach home before the nightfall comes. I don't mind. At least the sun isn't beating down on the land again. I much prefer the cool air.

Gustav talks mindlessly. He thinks I'm listening but I stopped when he began telling a story of how his older brother tried to shove their cat down a drain. I don't much care to hear about his brother. Instead of listening to his no doubt delightful story, I stare at his back, memorizing as many details as I can.

I may never get to see him again.

Triton knows I've never cared this much about anyone. Never in my existence. My family and friends could disappear off the face of the Earth and I would go about my day as if nothing happened. Yet, I've spent two hours at most with Gustav and I find myself drawn to him. Even dreading the loss of his company.

I must be ill.

"And the cat jumped out of the drain and bit him in the face," Gustav laughed, ending his story.

I'm not quite sure what a cat is but it sounds like a menacing creature that should not be handled unless one is trained. Actually, I don't understand most of what Gustav has spoken of on our journey. I haven't interjected any of his stories to ask questions; I feel it would ruin the excitement in his voice.

"I think your brother needs to leave the cat alone," I say.

"Oh, he learned his lesson after that. He hasn't touched the cat since."

I nod even though he can't see me. He's focused on leading the horse, which I commend him for. It looks like a difficult thing to control.

"Do your siblings ever do stupid things like that?" Gustav asks.

"I have seven sisters. They do stupid things constantly."

It seems to be embedded in their genetics. One minute, one has their fin stuck between banisters; the next, one has knocked down a stand of food and caused a collapse of the entire marketplace. The incidents never cease.

Gustav makes a noise in understanding, "Like my little sister."

The one who chopped off a section of his perfect midnight black hair while he was asleep. He told me this story earlier.

"Yeah, like your little sister."

Gustav pulls on the reigns, stopping the horse at the area where water meets land. He hoists his body off the beast, lanky legs swinging over the saddle and landing him on the sand.

"I'll help you out," he says before I can try moving out of the contraption.

He runs around the wagon to the opening at the end.

"Okay, hold onto my neck and I'll scoot you into my arms," he instructs.

"You're going to carry me?" I ask.

I don't think that's possible.

"Yeah."

I decide not to reply. He can learn from experience just as his older brother did with the cat.

I wrap my arms around his neck. Our close proximity makes him blush, which in turn makes me smile. My now dry fingers run through his hair, savoring the softness I would never experience in the water. His hands slip under my tailfin and lift me out of the wagon. The strain is evident on his face. He stumbles towards the water. A few steps into the liquid, he falls, taking me down with him. Water flies up around us. A laugh bubbles from my throat, past my lips, and into the air. I fall back into the shallow water, clutching my sides.

"Ow," he mumbles.

And immediately my laughs stop.

I sit up to see him examining his hands. Tears perch in his eyes, threatening to spill over his thick eyelashes. Gently, I take his hands in mine.

There is no serious damage. A few indents where his hands hit small rocks and scratches in his palm. Nothing is bleeding but it probably stings a good deal.

I wipe the wet sand stuck to his palms away and blow air from my lungs onto them. The scratches disappear, as do the rock indents. He shouldn't feel any pain now.

Gustav takes his hands from mine, staring at them with wide eyes.

"Wow," he whispers.

He looks at me, eyes filled with wonder and excitement. The smile spreading on my face is uncontainable.

"That's so cool," he says.

"Yeah."

Not a gift merfolk use on humans often.

The happiness in his eyes disappears; I would do anything to get it back. His smile falters. It doesn't drop completely. I can tell he's forcing it to stay up.

"I guess this is goodbye," he mumbles.

"It seems so."

"It was nice meeting you," he trails off.

I never told him my name.

"Eon."

"Eon," he repeats, testing the word on his lips.

My name has never sounded so amazing. And to think this will be the last time this beautiful creature utters the word for my ears to hear.

I won't have it.

"Meet me here tomorrow," I blurt.

"What?"

"Meet me here around noon tomorrow. I'll bring some food from the castle and you can bring some food from your palace. We can eat together," I tell him.

His eyes shine and his smile is so wide I can count nearly all of his straight teeth.

"Okay," he replies, the excitement is back in his voice.

Unable to contain myself, I place my hand on the back of his head and push my lips to his for an innocent kiss. He doesn't object but places a hand on my cheek. I pull away, knowing full well that I've gotten myself hooked on this human.

And never had I ever thought I'd be in this sort of situation.