But the little boy didn’t listen, and as they watched, he fell with barely a splash into the murky water. When Raymond saw what had happened, he ran so fast the girls could hardly keep up. He dove into the pool with his clothes and his shoes on. The girls could hear the little boy’s parents calling to find their dear Arthur who was always such a wanderer.

His parents had no idea that Arthur had already been saved, and was secure in Raymond’s and Aquamarine’s arms. Someone else might have been shocked to see the silvery tail which guided Aquamarine through the water, but if anything, Raymond’s eyes shone even brighter when he looked at her. As for the mermaid, she had used her last bit of strength to catch the boy when he fell. She was now as pale as moonlight, and so weak Raymond had to help her back to the shallow end of the pool. Thankfully, Arthur was so surprised to find that the fish he’d discovered was a girl that he didn’t say a word.

“We have to take her back now,” Hailey said. “We can’t wait another minute!”

Raymond and Aquamarine looked at each other. Neither one wanted the other to leave, but without the ocean Aquamarine would fade into dust. By now, everyone was searching for Arthur and the crowd was coming dangerously close.

“Go on,” Raymond told the girls. “I’ll take care of things here.”

Aquamarine turned to him then. Her voice was light as sea mist. “Wherever you are,” she said. “I’ll find you.”

While the girls carried Aquamarine out of the pool to place her in the wheelchair she whispered something that sounded like thank you. She had become so dehydrated from her time on land that she was now surprisingly light and all that was left of her voice was a trickle.

Raymond went to the far end of the pool and waved his arms in the air. “Over here,” he called to the crowd. He had wrapped Arthur in a blanket and now he lifted the boy up for all to see. Everyone turned to look, and in that moment the girls slipped away with Aquamarine.

The crowd surged around the rescued Arthur. People cheered and called Raymond a hero, and not one of them noticed that Raymond was paying no attention to their acclaim. He was looking to make sure the girls were on their way to the sea, wishing only that Aquamarine would be safe.