My mind goes on overdrive. I don’t have a story waiting to make this seem like it’s all a dream, and the Elders never gave us a plan for what to do if we ever actually did get wet in front of a human. It was always, “Just don’t do it,” and that was that. The only option I have now is to swim into the fact that yes, I’m a merperson, and to beg Sean to keep being that sweet, kindhearted guy I know is inside him and not spill my secret.

“It hasn’t been making an appearance,” I say, “because I’m on my Journey.”

Sean finally looks me in the eye. “I don’t know what that is.”

Right. I’m going to have to lay it all out for him and hope beyond hope that he doesn’t tell a soul.

“It’s this mer tradition. We come on land for one full moon cycle to help a human. Something selfless, just for them, like the Blue continues to do for mankind despite the fact that they take its gifts for granted. When that time is over, we decide if we want to go back to the ocean and live as protectors of the seas and get our mer magic, or if we really like it up here—which is highly doubtful—we can stay up on land with legs forever.”

Sean doesn’t look fascinated or amazed at these mer secrets like I thought he would. Instead, his face falls.

“It sounds like you’ve already made your decision,” he mumbles, just barely audible over the gentle slosh of my tail. His words are quiet, sad, vulnerable. But seriously, what choice do I have?

“I mean, yeah, duh, why would I stay here? I’m mer. I’m meant to live in the sea.”

Sean sighs with his whole body. He looks so sad that I feel like it’s my duty to try to make him feel at least a little better.

“But I can’t go back before I’ve helped someone,” I say. “That’s cheating the Journey, and where my fin normally makes an appearance when I get wet,”—I motion toward my orange scales—“ocean water will freeze me in human form forever.”

“But how do you shower?”

The question catches me so off guard that I laugh. “That’s what you want to know? I’m telling you that merfolk are real and you want to know how I shower? Perv.”

Sean’s dropped jaw finally perks up into a sheepish grin. “I guess that is kind of dumb, huh?” Then, “But seriously. How do you shower if your fin comes out when you’re wet?”