Tying up loose fins

Telling Zac's parents

Zooming through deep blue ocean at lightning speed was a usual activity. Swiming and playing in coral reefs around Mako island was a constant option.

The happiness on Mimi's face lightened up every mermaid's mood in the pod. Every mermaid knew why she was so bubbly all the time. Mimi, Sirena and Ondina were able to come and go as they pleased between the pod and land. Land class at Rita's grotto was the place to be for all the young mermaids. Yet, the top reason for Mimi's joy was her strong bond with her brother,Zac, the sole merman in the pod.

However, Mimi's happiness, like every body else's, was not immortal. For one random Wednesday in summer vacation pledged to destroy it.

Zac had visited Mimi at Mako that morning and asked her to come to land with him. He had gotten a new video game and he was determined to teach her how to play it.They had raced back to his riverside yard and dried off in the bushes, ensuring no land person saw their tails transform into legs. He started describing what a playstation was as he opened the door to his private bungalow.

The explanation stopped short when the two siblings saw Zach's adoptive parents sitting on his couch looking at a picture of him and Mimi hugging. Zach's father stood up looking enraged.

"We want an explanation for this, Zac," He commanded.

"For what?" He asked confused.

"Well, explain how you could be dating Evie and Mimi at the same time," Zac's father scoffed.

"What? You think I'm cheating on Evie? With Mimi?!" Zac's voice got louder.

"What's cheating?" Mimi quietly asked.

"Cheating is when you date someone behind your girlfriend or boyfriend's back. Something I would never do," Zac answered Mimi without losing eye contact with his father.

"Wait, what? Me and Zac would never date. That is quite a disgusting idea," Mimi's eyes were wide.

"Then explain all the affection, the sneaking around, the look thats says you're hiding something...please, Zac. We just want the truth," His mother pleaded.

"All right. Sit down. I'll tell you everything," Zac said firmly and Mimi looked at him concerned.

"Everything?" She whispered.

He turned around to look at her,"The whole truth. Down to Mako Island."

Mimi sat next to Zac's dad who looked at her strangley. She was biting her lip and looking at Zac. She rubbed her hands together anxiously just like Zac was doing at that time as he sat in the armchair.

His parents looked so desparately at him that guilt started to flood his heart. So much had happened and yet he never told his parents what had happened to him that night on Mako when he reactivated his merman self.

"I am still with Evie and I don't think I'll ever want to be with anybody else," Zac started.

"So who is Mimi to you?"Zac's dad asked quickly.

"Hey, I'm still in the..." a look from Zac made her trail off and stop. His look told her he'd handle it.

"I can't explain if you interrupt me so please wait till I am finished to ask questions.So as I was saying, Evie is my girlfriend and Mimi is not. The reason you see Mimi and I hang out a lot is that we... are siblings,"Zac's parents' mouths fell open and they looked at Mimi, who smiled nervously.

"We're sorry-" His mom started.

"Hold on! There's more. We don't know where our mother is but we know where she is from because Mimi lived there. You found me on the beach, wrapped in seaweed, because I came from the ocean," Zac paused.

"What?" His mom put her hand to her chest.

"Our mother was one of the most powerful mermaids known to the nothern pod of mermaids.That's something she passed on to us," Zac looked at Mimi," Mimi is a mermaid and I am...a merman."

"This is ridiculous!" Zac's father exclaimed.

Zac sighed and lifted his arm in the direction of a water bottle across the room. He positioned his hands as though he was holding it and used his powers to make it fly across the room and into his hand. He didn't stop there, even though his parents were already shocked. He unscrewed the cap and nodded at Mimi. She understood what he wanted and put out her arm as though she was holding something. The water rose out of the bottle and hovered in the air before Zac put out his hand again and made a fist, resulting in the water boiling away before is parents' eyes. They said nothing but their faces said loads for them.

"I was adopted into the southern pod of mermaids after our mother abandoned me. We live near Mako secretly. Our mother may have put a spell on Zac to give him legs even if he touched water so he could fit in to land. Mermaids were afraid of mermen back then. The northern pod is quite dangerous. They could have done anything to Zac," Mimi explained.

"That is another part of the story. When Cam and I went on the camping trip, I found a cave with a pool. They call it the moon pool because it's inside the volcano on Mako island. It unlocked my powers and transformation. Now, like Mimi, if I touch water I transform into a-"

"Stop. I get the picture," Zac's dad's voice broke and his parents' cheeks were wet with tears.

"My son is half fish," his mother put a hand on his," Thank you for telling us the truth. Welcome to the family ,Mimi."

Between tearful laughter, Zac's mother stood up and hugged Mimi who smiled. Zac's dad was quiet and just left without saying a word. Zac's mother gave him hugs and spoke about how her husband needed time. She started asking about what they could do and or details. The three spent the rest of the afternoon talking happily. While Zac's dad stayed in his house, telling himself mermaids weren't real.