Beyond The Depths

Chapter 13

I quickly lost myself in the game, my eyes trained on the young merman with black hair, face twisted in concentration. He glanced around the court, trying to find one of his teammates to pass the cometball to. Quicker than I could blink, another young merman from the opposing team was sneaking up on Drew from behind.

I opened my mouth to shout a warning, but I didn't need to. As if he'd sensed movement behind him, he whirled around, feinted a throw, then passed the cometball to another teammate. That teammate—a young merman perhaps a year older than Drew—shot down the court, headed for the opposing team's goal.

Everyone sat on the edge of their seats, eyes glued to the court. When the cometball slid over the goal line, cheering broke from each side. Even the opposition had congratulations for the team. Drew's face was flushed, eyes sparkling as he scanned the sidelines. When he glimpsed my face, he was off the court in an instant, speeding towards me.

"Izzy!" He shouted as I wrapped him in a hug, whirling around and around. When we finally stopped, I grinned at him.

"That was amazing! You were so fast—I couldn't keep up!" The smile was permanently affixed to my face.

Dad clapped Drew on the shoulder, congratulating him. "You were amazing, Drew. Your team is doing great."

Mom echoed the sentiment, her eyes sparkling as she signed. It was such a good game! You're getting better every time I watch you.

Drew ducked his head at the praise, but I noticed appreciation in his eyes. When Aunt Bella's curls appeared in the distance, I grinned. She swam towards us, clutching a young mermaid's hand. Faye looked at each of us, her gaze finally landing on her brother's face.

When I saw the nervous smile on Aunt Bella's face, my heart skipped a beat. Uncle David was with her, an identical expression on his face.

"David? Bella? Is everything okay?" Dad asked, a quizzical look in his eyes.

It was then that I noticed Aunt Bella was holding one hand behind her back. "Drew, Faye, we just want you both to know how much we've loved having you in our home. We love you as we would our own children...." Here she paused, blinking back tears.

Uncle David squeezed her hand encouragingly. She took a deep breath before continuing. Smiling through the tears streaking down her face, she spoke. "From the moment you both came into our lives, it has been nothing short of a miracle. You bring joy and light into our home, something that had been missing for a long time." Her voice broke as she swiped at her eyes.

Uncle David took over, eyes filled with joy. "When we first met, you both were reeling from the loss of your mother, something none of us were sure you'd recover from. But I now know that she'll always live on in both of you. Which is why we are overjoyed to welcome the two newest members of the Solomon family!"

Aunt Bella finally revealed what she'd been hiding behind her back—two official adoption certificates. Drew and Faye's full names were written across the top of each of them, with Aunt Bella and Uncle David's signature at the bottom.

The noise from the game quickly faded away. Drew's eyes were huge in his face; a large smile bloomed on Faye's own, her eyes wide. "T-thank you," Drew finally said, voice hitching. "Thank you so much!"

Faye was a blur in the water as she zoomed into Aunt Bella's arms, her small body shaking with tears. I found myself blinking back tears of my own as I watched the four of them. Kai squeezed my hand; when I looked at him, his expression was grave.

The excitement of the day disappeared in an instant, as if someone had sucked it out of the water. The earlier confrontation with the mermaid came back to me, bringing with it a fresh sense of uneasiness. Dad noticed, the happiness on his face quickly melting into concern. "Izzy? What is it?"