The Heart of the Ocean
A Return from the Deep

“Don’t try to lay

your adventurous love on

my shipwreck soul.

’Cause sailors live in the winds

And mermaids live in the cold.”

-Conny Cernik

The sun’s rays caressed her skin lovingly as her chocolate eyes closed in delight. There was a gentle breeze and a few scattered clouds traveling the vast sky, but the day was warm and peaceful. She couldn’t help but smile as she took a sip from the homemade lemonade Nana Alexandra had made just for her. The flowers of their garden had bloomed -she admired their colorful petals and wonderful scent as she moved gently on the garden swing.

For once, life was good. It seemed strange, almost unbelievable -sometimes, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was all a dream. A wonderful dream non the less, but one she’d have to wake up from sooner or later. And yet, the time was passing by peacefully and the sound of her alarm was never heard. She had to pinch herself -the pain was the only sign she was wide awake. Was this truly her reality?

It was quite understandable. When you have to go through rough times, it is difficult to accept that things might work out in the end. That luck has smiled upon you and granted your wish. Your mind is constantly on overdrive -you’re waiting for something bad to happen, for someone to appear around the corner and ruin everything you’ve worked so hard for. It somehow takes you back to your childhood -the whole situation is bringing up memories and lessons you’ve buried so deep that you almost completely forgot about. It takes you years back and reminds you of the sweat and tears, you’ve put into building your beautiful sandcastle, only for the waves to destroy it in mere seconds before your own eyes.

Perhaps, that was one of the most important lessons. Life is short -too short to take people and relationships for granted. Nothing lasts forever, no matter how much we wish for it. You better enjoy what life has gifted you with while it lasts and savor the glimpses of happiness as they are presented to you. Appreciate those precious moments, because they’ll never come again. Love the people surrounding you, while they’re still present. Never stop showing it to them -don’t be scared of expressing your emotions. Don’t ever -even for once- regret the love you give, for life without love is years spent in misery and loneliness. And don’t you ever forget.

Sandcastles are beautiful, but they are meant to be ruined.

Aide’s hands instinctually touched the delicate necklace resting between her breasts. The familiar seashell gave her a sense of comfort she couldn’t explain in words, even if she tried. It felt like smelling the ocean for the very first time or feeling the wet sand between your toes as the waves touched the shore. It felt like kissing the man you love after a long time of not seeing each other -his soft lips moving against your own, taking your breath away as if he hasn’t taken your heart already. It felt like freedom and absolute trust -like not knowing how to swim and instead of staying away from the sea, you fall into the wild waters willingly.

It felt like him -like home.

A deep blush decorated her cheeks as thoughts of her merman filled her mind. She bit her lower lip as images of his broad shoulders and large arms wrapped around her petite form clouded her vision. He seemed so tough and rough with his large muscles and powerful tail -a dangerous beast without any doubt. And yet, whenever he was around her, he was always sweet and gentle -treating her like a princess and making sure she was always protected and content. Truth be told, Aide had never been so happy in her entire life.

They couldn’t stay away from each other for too long. For Thalassa’s sake, they both had been through enough. They had been apart for way too long, something almost impossible for soulmates. It had almost destroyed them, leading one of them to the brink of insanity and the other to the doorstep of depression. Their meetings had become a regular thing -their hearts leading them to the first place where everything started.

Their pond was always peaceful and away from prying eyes. It offered them shelter -a place between earth and water where their worlds clashed together. Among the still waters and steady rocks, they allowed themselves to spend their time together -getting lost in each other’s arms and sharing thoughts and experiences between kisses and splashes. Nurturing their bond and creating a future together.

It didn’t take long for Evander to notice his beloved’s growing fascination -the beautiful seashells attached to the rocky surface of their pond making her eyes light up in curiosity and stealing her attention away from him. He had taken it upon himself to gift her with one each and every time they met. She never failed to give him a loving kiss -her soft lips upon his cheek giving him goosebumps. Her delicate hands took the shell from his webbed fingers and watched it closely in curiosity. She had a small chest on her cabinet filled to the brim with them. Their colorful surface made her smile every time her eyes fell upon them.

“I’ve been calling your name for a while”, Nana appeared out of thin air, “Are you alright, dear?”

Her heart pounded in her chest at her sudden appearance. A gasp of surprise left her lips as a hand instinctually moved over her heart -her palm instinctually pressing the blue seashell closer.

“Nana!“, she complained to the old lady, “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Serves you right for all the times my soul almost left my body to your antics”, Alexandra laughed while taking a seat in front of her, “You were such a mischievous child, you know that?”

Aide couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. She knew her Nana had been through a lot in her life -she had lost so many loved ones. And yet, she was the strongest woman she knew. She did her best to raise her, even though she didn’t make it easy for her. The old lady loved her more than anything and yet, Aide had made her worry time and time again. She will never forget the look on the elder’s face when she returned home after the shipwreck. She was drenched and shaking from the cold and yet, Alexandra didn’t care. She had taken her in a warm hug, begging her to never do something like that again. Aide had silently promised her as much -she owned it to her.

“I’m sorry, Nana”, Aide took hold of her wrinkled hand, “I know taking care of me wasn’t an effortless task -I wasn’t the easiest child growing up.”

Alexandra laughed at her words, tapping her hand gently in resurgence.

“Thank God you weren’t”, the elder gave her a truthful smile, “It made things interesting. Besides, you are my granddaughter and the apple does not fall far from the tree. I’d be disappointed if you didn’t take after me in the slightest.”

“Really?“, Aide smirked slightly, “I remember a couple of times, you weren’t particularly happy. Like when I cut my hair with scissors for art class. My ends had this zig-zag shape -we had to cut it off to shoulder length.”

Alexandra made a sound at the back of her throat but didn’t comment.

“Or when I decided it was a good idea to make a milkshake without closing the blender. You’ve entered the kitchen at just the right time, to get milk all over yourself. Your face was unbelievably angry.”

Nana groaned at the memory.

“Or when we got so drunk with Aileen, we couldn’t climb up the stairs. I think I threw up on your slippers that day.”

“Oh, dear! There’s so much, I’ve forgotten half of it!“, Alexandra shook her head at her words.

“See? I was a troublemaker”, Aide smirked at her mischievously.

“Aide, my darling. You were just a child -a teenager. I did not expect anything less from you”, Alexandra took her on a side hug, “I did worse when I was your age, believe me. My parents didn’t know how to handle me. Serves them right for trying to contain Alexandra Sierra Clayton!”

Aide couldn’t help but burst into a fit of laughter. Alexandra smiled at the cheerful sound. She hadn’t heard it in a while. It felt refreshing - seeing her granddaughter content was all she wanted in this life. She was the only family she had left and she’d be damned if she didn’t make sure she was happy before closing her eyes for her eternal sleep.

“So...“, Alexandra cleared her throat, “I get that things are alright right now.”

“Yes, things turned out fine”, Aide smiled softly.

“And that boy... does he make you happy?”

“He does, Nana”, Aide sighed in contentment, “He truly does.”

Alexandra nodded her head in understanding, biting her lip before letting the next words slip her mouth.

“If he is a merman, you better be his beloved.”

A stunt silence followed before Aide registered her words.

“Nana!!“, Aileen yelled in utter surprise, “How...?? What...??”

“Am I a joke to you?“, Alexandra narrowed her eyebrows.

“No, of course not!“, Aileen shook her head, “You said merpeople aren’t real! That it was an imagination of my mind -a way to help me deal with the trauma of drowning.”

“Then who the fuck have you been kissing on that beach?”

“NANA!”

“Alright alright!“, Alexandra raised her hands in surrender, “What did you expect me to tell you? That mermaids are real?”

“The truth like a normal person!“, Aide agreed, “Yeah, that would be nice!”

“First of all, do I look like a normal person? Please, do not insult me”, Alexandra laughed heartfully, “And second, I may be old but I’m not stupid, my dear. Of course, I knew what was going on but I have my reasons for keeping the truth from you.”

“Are you kidding me?“, Aide screamed at top of her lungs, “I’ve been begging you for answers for months. I was confused and miserable! I needed answers, Nana! You could have told me something! Anything! It would have made things so much easier!”

“No, it would have only made things more complicated”, Alexandra answered calmly, “You weren’t ready for the consequences. You had to figure it out on your own, baby. You didn’t know what you wanted to do or how to handle things. My answers would only confuse you further.”

“You...ugh!!“, Aide stood from her seat, having heard enough.

She made her way to the kitchen, shaking her head in disappointment. She knew her grandmother was right -she was confused and probably wouldn’t know what to do with the knowledge she’d receive. However, it would have been nice to know something -anything. She was drowning in a pond of her own loneliness, trying to figure out things she couldn’t understand. If only her Nana had given her some answers... Perhaps, she wouldn’t wonder whether or not she had lost her damned mind.

Honestly, Aide didn’t want to talk about it right now. She had enough for one day. She was angry and angry people say hurtful things that they later regret. She didn’t want to fight with her grandmother -not after everything that had happened and all the things they went through. She took her keys from the counter and put on her shoes quickly. Perhaps, some distance and a walk on the beach would calm her down and make her think more clearly.

“Aide...”

“Not right now, Nana.”

A hand on her shoulder made her stop. Her chocolate eyes fell upon identical ones.

“I know you are mad at me. You have every right to be”, the elder sighed deeply, “I did what I thought was best for you.”

“If you had given me the answers I needed back then”, Aide gulped in frustration, “It would have saved us so many tears and pain. Evander and I-”

“This isn’t about Evander”, Alexandra stated firmly.

“Of course it is”, Aide yelled, “It has everything to do with him.”

“No, my dear. You are soulmates. And no matter what, soulmates always end up together”, Nana sighed tiredly, “You just had to figure it out on your own.”

“Then what consequences are you talking about?“, Aide rubbed her eyes in frustration -she was confused and had had enough.

“The consequences of being a member of this family”, Alexandra shook her head, “We need to talk about our family tree. I think you’re more ready than ever-”

“No. We’re done”, Aide stated firmly.

“Aide, listen to me-”

“Don’t! Just don’t”, the brunette refused, “I can’t do this right now.”

She opened the door in a haste, not caring about her grandma’s words. She knew they’d have to talk eventually -she felt kind of guilty. Her grandmother seemed older -as if her years have been weighting her down lately. As if she was carrying a heavy burden -a burden she only knew about. She just didn’t want to deal with anything at the moment -she knew she wasn’t in the right state of mind. She wanted her merman’s hug and maybe, a soft kiss. What she surely didn’t want was visitors. The man standing before her door was old. He had long grey hair and bushy black eyebrows. His clothes seemed to swallow his frame and his face was filled with wrinkles revealing his age. He stood at their doorway awkwardly -his hand was raised, probably ready to knock. He put it down quickly as soon as she appeared.

“Can I help you, sir?“, Aide asked in frustration.

The man watched her as if she were a ghost. He didn’t utter a single word -he didn’t know what to say. His green eyes became glassy as his gaze moved behind her.

“Sir?“, Aide repeated.

She felt a hand squeezing her shoulder gently , making her move aside. She watched the silent exchange between her grandmother and the unknown man. Alexandra seemed to be in absolute shock, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. Aide had never seen her like this. Her Nana was always strong. She never broke down. She took the face of the man between her palms, looking him straight in the eyes.

“Colvert?“, she whispered softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 27!!

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