I press my mouth against theirs, their soft pink lips fitting in between mine like that’s where they are always meant to be. But they aren’t, despite how good this feels. Were we meant to meet? I believe so, one hundred percent. But I need to live for myself, build my life, follow my dreams, before I can be somebody’s partner. I want to find the love of my life, and I think there’s a world where Crest could have been that, but I need to love myself—live for myself—first.

We float there, kissing, until the Elder finally clears their throat. “We need to get back, Crest.”

Crest lets loose a growl that sends vibrations through my scales. “Way to ruin the moment, Kelpy!”

They look extremely frustrated, but what Crest said is so ridiculous that I can’t stop the Donkey Laugh. It’s just as loud and obnoxious under water, and for some reason, that makes me laugh even harder. Crest and the Elder follow right behind.

“I’ll never forget you, Crest.”

“You couldn’t even if you wanted to.” That sarcastic tilt to their mouth is back. And they’re right. I could never forget them, and I’ll never want to.

“I love you,” I whisper.

“I wish I could hear you say that forever. Keep it in a shell to press to my ear and listen to for the rest of my life.”

“Can you do that? With your mer magic?”

Crest shakes their head, then taps their temple. “But I’ll keep it here.”

I tap my chest, right over my heart. “And I’ll keep you here.”

Then, in a flash of blue light, I’m pulled toward the beach, and Crest is gone.

Epilogue

“Dramamine? Bucket? You know Mummy comes prepared,” Kavya says, holding a bright orange bucket in one hand, two small white pills in the other.

Coraline shakes her head, her blonde hair pulled back in her expert braid, not a hair out of place. “I’m okay, actually. I feel great.”

Kavya beams, but then immediately goes into panic mode when her Adidas cap gets caught in the wind and flies from her head. The lime-green hat whips through the air, away from the boat in the blink of an eye.

“Crap!” Kavya screams. “We have to go back.”

“Seriously?” Avani says. “You’re turning this whale-watching session into a hat rescue mission?”

“If I don’t have it for the first day of senior year tomorrow, the end of my high school career is going to be shit! It’s my lucky cap!”

“Lucky since when?” I ask.

“Yeah,” Miguel adds. “You just got it yesterday.”

“Shut up, you guys! When you know, you know.” She leans over the edge of the boat and points. “Look, there it is!” It’s so bright that it stands out like a beacon. “Not far at all.”