Trust Issues

Chapter 6

I finally succumbed to exhaustion, the ache bone-deep and heavy, sometime after midnight. Mercifully, my sleep was dreamless, giving me a much-needed reprieve. When I woke the following day, however, everything slammed back into me with the force of a thousand rocks.

Seeing Waverly's blank expression as she emerged from behind that rock, then hearing what she'd been through and holding her as she'd broken down, finally able to release her pent-up emotions. That eventually led to my breakdown when I returned to our suite and saw Jonah. I took a deep breath now, exhaling deeply. With everything else that had been going on, it was just too much.

He rolled over in his sleep, and I stroked his cheek, my touch featherlight. That slight motion was enough to rouse him—when he opened his eyes, they softened as they focused on me. "Morning. How are you?" His voice was soft and laced with concern as he spoke.

I had no words to describe my hollow feeling, so I shook my head. A sharp, insistent throbbing began in the back of my head, and I couldn't help wincing. Stress-induced headaches were just one of the many new unwanted developments in my life over the past month. I'd had them on and off, each more painful than the last.

He frowned. "What is it?" I knew he was just concerned, but if I told him, it would eventually find its way to Mom, Dad, and Drew. The last thing I needed was anyone wasting time worrying about me. It was most likely just an after-effect of the countless near-sleepless nights I'd had over the past month, coupled with the emotional stress of the past few days.

As soon as I'd had the thought, a knock sounded on our suite door. Jonah swam to answer it just as my skull began pounding, the pain electric now. I took slow, steady breaths as I closed my eyes, massaging my temples. I wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and sleep it off, but I knew that if I got in bed, I wouldn't come out.

"Really? How is she feeling?" Jonah's voice was filled with happiness, an emotion that neither of us had experienced in a very long time. Rallying my strength, I swam out of our bedroom, halting just behind Jonah. I gripped his hand tightly when the world tilted in my vision.

"Faye? Are you okay?" The figure was blurry, and the voice was distorted.

I didn't answer immediately; I just closed my eyes and took several slow, deep breaths. When I finally answered, my voice was weak. "I'm fine." I kept my eyes open as multiple waves of dizziness washed over me. Uncle Jay's solid and steady hands reached out to steady me just as I began to sway.

"I've got you, honey." His voice swam in and out of my ears as he led me to the sitting room, easing me gently into a chair. Jonah gripped my hand as he moved to my side. "How long has this been happening?" I answered the question directed at Jonah, although in a weak and shaky voice.

"Intermittently for the last month." I froze, tightening my hold on the arms of the chair as waves of nausea swept through me. Coupled with the dizziness, it was as if our suite was a boat on rough waters, and I was seasick.

For a long time, none of us spoke. When the nausea and dizziness finally lessened, I sagged against the chair, breathing heavily. Beads of sweat had popped up on my forehead despite the shivers wracking my body. After everything that had happened with Waverly, the exhaustion plaguing my body had been so powerful that it had blocked out everything else. I guess after the intense emotional stress I'd suffered, my body had finally hit its breaking point.

I opened my eyes, revealing two faces pale with worry and concern. Jonah's voice was soft as he spoke. "Do you feel steady enough to get back into bed?" Though my body cried out for rest, I whimpered silently at the thought of moving at all—compared to the chair, the bed may as well have been on the other side of Pelathas.

I drew in a sharp breath as I nodded. Spots swam in front of my closed eyes as hands slowly lifted me off the chair, steadying me as I swayed. When we reached the bed, my eyes were half-closed, my breathing ragged.

I must have slept because I didn't remember anything after getting into bed. When I opened my eyes again, dusk darkened the water outside our windows. Moonlight cast ghostly shadows on the floor and walls. Jonah lay beside me, his arms wrapped around me as he slept.

The pounding in my head had diminished significantly, as had the dizziness. My stomach was still queasy, but not nearly as bad as before. Uncle Jay must have slipped out while I'd slept, as Jonah and I were the only two in the suite. Exhaustion still plagued me, but again, not nearly as bad as before. Jonah stirred, taking a breath as he opened his eyes.

I smiled down at him. "Hey." My voice was barely a whisper, still weak but no longer ragged.

He sat up at my voice, eyes sweeping over my face. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

I shifted, slipping an arm around him before responding. "Better."

He nodded, relief in his eyes. "Jay told your parents and Drew about what happened, and they immediately rushed over. They stayed for a while but eventually left so you could sleep."

I nodded. I jumped as a knock sounded on our suite door. Jonah glanced at me before moving, but I nodded in response to his unspoken question. He reluctantly swam out of our room, moving toward the door. I heard low, concerned voices as he opened it, getting louder as they moved deeper into the suite.

Mom's voice reached my ears, soft and worried. "Faye? Oh, honey. Are you okay?"

I smiled weakly at her as she approached the bed. "I'm fine. Just tired."

Dad exchanged a worried glance with Mom before turning back to me. "Jay told us you'd been experiencing headaches and dizziness intermittently for the last month. Why didn't you say anything?" His words weren't harsh—if anything, they were worried.

"I didn't want you to worry." Each word got quieter and quieter until they had to lean in to hear me. With everything going on, I'd written it off as simple exhaustion. I'd been through a lot in the last month alone and had known it was only a matter of time before my body reached its limit.

A knock on our suite door made all of us turn our heads. Drew excused himself and swam toward the sound. I heard the door open and his voice as he spoke to whoever was on the other side, but I couldn't discern the words.

Drew reappeared moments later, followed by Aunt Izzy, Uncle Kai, and Aunt Nerissa. The former was smiling from ear to ear, her eyes shining with tears as she gazed at the bundle in her arms. I gasped, tears filling my own eyes.

When Aunt Izzy spoke, her voice was full of pride and exhaustion. "Meet Arielle Joy Singh." The tiny mermaid was fast asleep in her mother's arms, a shock of black hair peeking out from under the blanket. Occasionally, she would squirm in her sleep, calming down seconds later.

Uncle Kai's face was joyful as he gazed at his daughter, an arm wrapped around his wife's shoulder. Aunt Nerissa's eyes were brimming with tears as she stared at her granddaughter. When Aunt Izzy met my gaze, her face immediately filled with concern. "Faye, are you okay?"

I'd been preparing to ask her that same question, wondering how the birth had gone—if Aunt Izzy had suffered the same fate as her mother. A glance at Uncle Kai's face gave me the answer. Underneath the joy, I recognized the haunted look in his eyes all too well.

The tears streamed down my face as I looked at him, then at their daughter. He was at my side in seconds, pulling me to him. His shoulders shook with silent sobs, the fear, anxiety, and worry evident in the sound. My heart broke for them and the trauma they'd had to endure. I'd learn later that it had taken several more tries to resuscitate Aunt Izzy than Aunt Nerissa, which explained the lingering haunted look in his eyes.

We all crowded around the new parents, forming a circle of grief and joy. It reinforced what I'd learned over the last few years—life was precious. You never knew when it might be the last time you saw or spoke to someone.

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