Everblue

Chapter 56 - Ash

ASH

 

After more people showed up at the park and we caught a few glares from moms at our display of affection, we high-tailed it back home.

"I think you should meet my parents officially," Fin said out of nowhere as he turned the corner, our houses in view.

I swallowed hard. "Meet your parents? Now?"

Somehow I'd assumed they'd be reopening their shop for business today.

"Heck, yeah. We're practically married now in mer standards. They know everything."

I tried to speak, but stuttered something incoherent and couldn't finish. Did he say we were practically married?

"Look," he said, taking my frozen nervous hand into his burning hot one. "This is cause for a party. You're family now. They're your in-laws."

"Not in my world, they aren't. If my parents even knew what happened—my dad would flip and he's the most understanding of the two. I can't even imagine my mom's reaction. She might just keel over with a coronary."

He tilted his head and looked at me over the top of his sunglasses. "Am I scaring you?"

"No," I said. "This is all a little fast. You just came home. We just got together."

"It's eternal. You can't fight it. We can't be apart. We're a match made in water."

The lump in my throat made talking difficult. "Hardly. I can swim like a fish, but my talents are limited. I doubt I could keep up, let alone survive." Besides, we aren't even a matching race.

He chuckled. "Please. Come meet them. They'll be cool. I promise."

"They don't really know me," I said, still in a panic.

"Well then let's remedy that."

We parked out front and my legs turned to mush. My last memory of his dad, though unrelated to drinking, still scared me. Though Fin said he'd already told them about me, I couldn't imagine them liking me. First off, I wasn't a mermaid. How could I give them merlings in the future?

Fin popped out of the Jeep and went around to open my door. I sat quaking in my seat, gripping the leather with white knuckles. This wasn't how I wanted my date to end—fighting with his parents and them forbidding us from seeing one another again. It had to be a set-up.

"It'll be okay. I promise," he said and kissed my hand before he led me out.

Memories of coming here and looking through the window as a child hit me hard. I tried to dig my heels in, but Fin looped his muscular arm around my waist and ushered me inside.

"Mom? Dad?" he called out. His voice echoed through the vaulted ceilings of his lavishly decorated home.

A scuttle from upstairs preceded a "Be right down," from a female voice.

"Fin, let's go. Come on," I whispered and pulled his arm with all my might. "They're busy."

He shook his head.

"Fin," a woman said with a smile as she flowed gracefully down the stairway in a white cotton dress. Long, flowing blonde hair covered her shoulders, and eyes bluer than Fin's sparkled at me behind bronzed skin. She was 100% mermaid material if I'd ever imagined one. "Who's this beauty beside you?"

Beauty? Has she looked in the mirror today?

"This is her, Mom. My Ashlyn," he said, pride bursting forth like he'd just won the lottery.

Fin's mom took my hands before she enveloped me in the warmest hug. "Welcome to the family, dear." She pulled back and studied my fingers. "Oh, I see it. It's coming in lovely."

She traced over the spot on my ring finger where a wedding band would go. I studied the spot and noticed raised discolored marks on my skin.

She took off her own wedding ring to uncover a gorgeous colorful tattoo underneath. "Yours will look like this soon."

My mouth fell open. Now my parents were definitely going to kill me. A tattoo? "How—?"

Fin showed me his hand. He also had faint markings like mine. "They'll match once they completely fill in, after a month."

I blinked. "Holy crawfish."

Both Fin and his mom laughed as she hugged me again. "You are too adorable."

"What's all this laughter happening in my kitchen?" A gruff voice spoke from the stairwell.

I nearly peed my pants when I turned and shook in Jack's presence. Standing six foot three with a gnarly beard and broad, naked shoulders, he towered over us. Off-white drawstring pants were all that he wore.

"I told you to put on a shirt," Fin's mom said and disappeared for a moment. She reappeared and threw one at him.

I didn't move, blink or speak as he pulled on this shirt, and inspected me.

"Come on, Dad," Fin finally said.

"Aw, love. You're as pretty as a picture. Come here!" He grabbed me and squeezed the life out of me. I coughed as he pounded me on the back. "Well, this is such a wonderful day. Have you two made official plans yet? What did her parents say?"

Fin opened his mouth and nothing came out.

"Jack, give the boy a chance to see his girl and get reacquainted. There's a lot to discuss. She is still human after all."

The word "still" rang through my head a few different times. I turned to Fin and studied his stoic expression. He'd only told me we bonded, not that I was going to sprout scales in the near future.

"We haven't talked about the details yet," he said quickly.

"You need to start because we can't stay here forever."

My heart thumped wildly. "You can't stay?" My frantic glance ping-ponged between the three of them.

"No," Fin said, looking hard at his father and then softer towards me. "We've got time to work everything out. We aren't going anywhere. Don't worry."

I couldn't stop from breathing faster. He was my world. He couldn't leave without me.

"I'm famished," Jack said, unfazed by the invisible grenade he'd launched into the room. He moved towards the fridge. "You kids hungry?"

I felt unstable, my reality toppling over.

He opened the fridge and cursed. "Great Poseidon. I swear my idiotic brother would die if he ever lost his scales."

Fin leaned over and whispered. "There's nothing in the fridge."

I gaped. Who could care about food at a time like this? Mermaids? Merlings? Tattoos? Leaving? I couldn't focus as the blood pounded louder in my ears. I needed fresh air—now. "I need to go outside," I choked out, grasping onto Fin's hand.

"Oh." Fin looked at me and furrowed his brow. "Hey, Dad. We just ate and besides, I need to get Ash home."

"Lookie here, some pancake mix." Fin's dad removed himself from the pantry for a second and took a quick look over his shoulder. "Oh, sure. Good to meet you, Ashlyn."

"Yes. Come back soon," Fin's mom said, enfolding me in another warm hug. "Don't worry. Everything will work out."

I gave a feeble smile as Fin led me out the door by the hand.