What happens when you grow up

Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Present day…

Tigerlily made her way through the woods and towards the lagoon. She knew the way well enough from her many trips to do it with her eyes closed. Even if she hadn't, the sound of the waterfall would have led her in the right direction.

Ducking under the last tree branch, she entered into the lagoon. It was enclosed on two sides by protective cliffs, covered in slick green moss, and another side by the lush forest, with only one side open to the sea. In one corner of the lagoon, the waterfall splashed, tumbling a hundred feet. Behind it was a secret tunnel, which only the mermaids and Tigerlily—their trusted ally—knew existed, and which led through thousands of feet of caverns. The lagoon itself was deceptively calm, with water so pure you could see iridescent pebble that shimmered on the bottom like jewels. The shore's drop-off was treacherous, though, dropping twenty feet within ten feet. Now, as the sun set, the whole scene was bathed in rich reds, purples and pinks.

Tigerlily spotted Thalassa and her two sisters on the largest rock in the middle of the lagoon. The three of them were triplets, but Tigerlily had long ago learned how to tell them apart. Thalassa's eyes were stunning blue, Kallianassa's were emerald green, and Lysianassa's were deep brown. Now, as she approached, she could tell that Lysianassa was sunning herself contentedly, while Thalassa was combing Kallianassa's hair with a conch shell.

As soon as Thalassa spotted Tigerlily, she gave a squeal of excitement, diving off the rock and swimming over to her. "Tigerlily!" she cried, hauling herself up on the rock next to her friend and flinging her arms around her. "It's been three whole days since you came to see me. I've missed you!" Behind her, Kallianassa and Lysianassa chorused their agreement.

"I'm sorry," Tigerlily laughed, waving at the other two mermaids. "It's just been so busy with Peter's initiation coming up."

"Oh, Peter! What a cherub!" Kallianassa called out.

"We just adore him," Lysianassa agreed. "He's going to be so handsome when he grows up!"

"Girls, please," Thalassa scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Control yourselves."

"Actually, Peter's the reason I came," Tigerlily said. "Well, Peter and James."

"Now there is a real hunk," Kallianassa piped up, suddenly appearing at Tigerlily's shoulder. "His smile is to die for!"

"I don't know," Lysianassa retorted with a frown. "He's gorgeous, but there's something about him that rubs me the wrong way."

"He can rub me any way he wants," Kallianassa said, winking impishly at Tigerlily.

Tigerlily didn't mind her lusty ribbing; she knew the mermaids would never do anything to hurt her. They were far freer with their love than she was; people in Tigerlily's tribe married one other for life, whereas mermaids were happy to share their love with multiple partners—male and female, one or several at a time. Kallianassa had long ago issued a standing offer for a watery interlude with both Tigerlily and James if it ever took their fancy.

"Tell us all about it," Lysianassa insisted, patting the rocky surface next to her.

Tigerlily rolled her eyes good-naturedly and scooted over next to the mermaid, who promptly began braiding Tigerlily's hair. Tigerlily knew that the triplets kept no secrets from each other, though Lysianassa and Kallianassa respected her privacy and would never urge Thalassa to share anything confidential. She didn't mind sharing with the three of them; she needed all the advice she could find.

"I'm just worried a bit about how James doesn't seem to care much about Peter's initiation," she began. "He didn't even want to be involved until I coaxed him. I had thought he'd be excited."

The mermaids all nodded sympathetically. They knew all about the tribe's initiation; they had seen enough young people pass by over the years, headed toward adulthood. They weren't human, but they respected this rite of passage and never interfered.

"That's really just the tip of the iceberg," Tigerlily continued. "James doesn't really seem to enjoy children in general. He told me early on that he's not a kid person, and that's fine. But I had thought it'd be different if he really got to know a specific child, like Peter. I had assumed that we'd be… well, we'd be a family."

"Neptune knows that Peter needs a family," Kallianassa said, sliding under her sister so that she could start rubbing Tigerlily's shoulders with sisterly affection. "And it's clear how much you love him."

"I do love him," Tigerlily admitted. "But I don't think James does. I think he looks at Peter like a nephew or something. If only he'd open himself up… I know we could be a family."

"Maybe he just needs time," Thalassa suggested. "He's only been part of our world for half a year. He's just starting to come out of his shell, to someone again. Just the fact that he committed to you was a milestone, especially with everything your relatives expected him to do!"

Tigerlily chuckled. "That's true. It's just that… I don't know if we want the same things. He wants to leave everything behind and sail the world. He doesn't want any commitments except for each other. I've got my people. I've got Peter. And now, I've got…" She took a deep breath. "Now I've got our baby."

"BABY?" all three mermaids exclaimed at once, before each breaking into squeals of delight. All at once, six hands pressed against Tigerlily's belly.

"How far along are you?" Thalassa demanded eagerly.

"About three months," Tigerlily answered, extracting herself from the three mermaids' hugs and kisses. "I just figured it out this week. I—I haven't told James yet. He's so keen on just keeping things like they are, with just the two of us…"

"Oh, blast him!" Lysianassa announced firmly. "You're pregnant! There really isn't much choice at this point."

"Besides, I know he'll be excited," Thalassa assured her. "His child is growing inside you. Give him some credit, and some time to take it in. He could become a great father. He loves you. He'll love your child."

Tigerlily felt tears of relief spring to her eyes at her friend's reassurance. "You think so?"

Thalassa grasped her hand warmly. "I know it."