Lost At Sea

Chapter XVII -M- One-of-a-Kind

I look at myself in the full-length mirror. I almost don't recognize my own image.

After the talk with my Grandfather, he asked me if I would stay for the party and I didn't have it in me to turn him down. I just met him, I don't want do disappoint him so quickly.

I'm still shaking with what I found out today, I have a grandfather, and my father is gone. It's too much for one person to handle. On top of that I told Dylan that I am a mermaid. All in a day's time.

I'm still standing by the mirror. A few hours ago, Dylan left me in this Princess like room and told me that someone would come to help me while he got ready himself.

I was not prepared when three young women walked into the room carrying all sorts of apparatus and an array of dresses.

They combed my hair, styling it so it all falls to my right side, my waves look shinier than ever. I got to choose my dress. It's very different from anything I ever used while pretending to be Elizabeth, and that's exactly why I chose it. It's all black, Elizbeth's dresses are all colorful so I never get to wear black and I just found out that I love it.

The dress is sleeveless and long but has a slit on the right side that shows my leg while I walk. The design is incredible, it's looks like it has hundreds of black flowers, sewn in it. The neckline its only black tulle with the same design, it reveals come cleavage, but because of the black color and the flowers it's almost impossible to see.

I decide to wear flat shoes since I never wore shoes before and would die in the ones with the needle looking heels, if it was for me, I would go barefoot but I can't.

However, the reason I'm still looking at the mirror long after the women left is what they did to my face. They said they would put make up on me, they basically start passing dust and brushes on my face and I was worried that they would mess my face with something cultural but I look beautiful, not like me at all. My eyes pop up due to the black thing they put on my eyelashes, my cheekbones are rosier, and my lips have more color and sparkle.

I hear a knock on the door, shattering my contemplative gaze of myself. I open it to reveal my grandfather.

"You look stunning, darling."

"Thank you, Grandpa. You look handsome yourself." He kisses my forehead softly and that simple gesture made me feel protected, like I belong.

"It makes my heart so light to hear you calling me that."

"Then, I'll keep doing it." I smile sincerely at him.

"We have a lot of catch up to do about your life in and out of the ocean but-"

"Out? I had no life out of the ocean, I just came to land for the first time, a week ago." I look at him with confusion.

"And in that week a lot has happened. I saw the looks shared between you and Dylan."

I feel my face heating up, "I don't know what you are talking about, we just met."

"And yet you told him your biggest secret..."

"That was because..." I do not know how to justify that choice. Not even to myself.

"And him calling you 'Honey', that's has to have a story behind it."

"If it has, I don't know it, he just started to call me that randomly."

He laughs but then looks seriously at me, "I have known Dylan all of his life, he's a good man, but most of all he's an intelligent man, he does nothing randomly." I am not sure that's a fact or a warning, but I guess I'll have to wait and see. "Either way, what I was saying is that we should catch up on another occasion because we have guests waiting for us."