What the Tide Brings

Chapter 41 - Liam - Regrouping

They managed to scrounge up some clothes for each of the mers from what they had with them. For Calder, Andy found a set of navy coveralls on the boat that zipped up the front, along with a pair of galoshes that were slightly too large, given that they were meant to go over another shoe. Amaya took Grandfather's plaid button down and Gretchen's shorts, since Gretchen's shirt could be stretched to the length of a mini dress. And Kaelin had to settle for Liam's tank top and Seahawks hoodie, which was long enough to reach over her thighs.

Because they didn't have shoes for the two mermaids, Kaelin and Amaya created their own by sticking their feet into a puddle of water that they magically transformed into a gel that conformed to their feet, before they made it harden. Their feet looked like they were covered in wax (it even kind of had the feeling of wax).

It took about twenty minutes for them to make it the dilapidated beachfront bar. At night, the building was almost impossible to make out from the woody surroundings. If not for the assistance of the flickering neon sign on the front of the building it would disappear.

The parking lot was fairly empty. It was almost two in the morning, which was closing time for The Old Shack, and the summertime crowds had moved onto other places. Perhaps the storm had driven them back to the relative safety of their beach houses and hotel rooms.

Inside, the smell of stale beer was the first thing that hit Liam. His sneakers clung to the floor with something sticky—he didn't even want to guess what that might be. The only people left were the boozehounds that hadn't figured out they should leave already. One guy, not much older than Liam, had passed out on top of a table, sprawled out like it was his own bed. A lone couple remained on the dance floor swaying softly to the depressingly slow country song playing on the jukebox.

"Y'all find a table, I'll be right back." Grandfather said. He went over to the bar, and, to Liam's surprise, he walked behind it and through a door that Liam had never paid much attention to.

Mrs. Bainbridge gathered everyone up and ushered them over to the empty side of the bar. They all took seats around a circular table that could've used a thorough wipe down. Like the floor, it was sticky to the touch, but they weren't in this place for a social gathering. This was a regrouping session to figure out their next move.

"What do we do now?" Mrs. Bainbridge asked. "I mean, what's the plan. Beyond the ice wall."

It was Kaelin that answered. "We must hope that our message to our clan is received and responded to before the Southern Clan can bring the wall down." She reached her hand across the table toward Liam's mother. Mrs. Bainbridge stared at the hand, perfect pinkish skin, fully human. He assumed she was remembering Kaelin's other hand: webbed, clawed, scaled.

She finally moved to reach for Kaelin's hand, but Kaelin had already pulled her arm back, a look of sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry I brought this trouble upon your family. It pains me more than you could know."

Mrs. Bainbridge stood up and walked around the table. She knelt beside Kaelin's chair and placed a hand on Kaelin's shoulder. "You are a part of this family, now. Your trouble is our trouble. You don't have to carry your burdens alone."

With tears welling in her eyes, Kaelin turned and threw her arms around Mrs. Bainbridge's neck. Mrs. Bainbridge reciprocated, wrapping her arms around Kaelin.

Liam smiled, glad that everything seemed to be okay. He appreciated his mother accepting Kaelin for who—what—she really was.

While Kaelin was trying to tell Mrs. Bainbridge everything that had happened in the days since she'd arrived, Liam left them to go to the bar. He wanted to know what Grandfather was doing in that room, and why it was taking so long.