It was Father's Day, and not a moment too soon. Ariel had not seen hide or hair of King Triton for quite some time, and the fact that it was Father's Day gave them both a good reason to see each other. She stood at her writing desk, putting the finishing touches on Triton's gift. Soon she would meet him at the beach. She knew he was going through great pains to do so, seeing as he had six other daughters to spend time with and receive gifts from on this special day. But a good father was always willing to make sacrifices for his children.
"There," she said, cutting the last ribbon on the package.
She then set it aside on the dresser. There was still a bit of time before she was scheduled to meet Triton at the beach. She walked over to the window and looked outside, expecting to see Eric playing with Max in the courtyard below. Sure enough, there the two of them were, just as they had been that first night she had spent as a human. Actually, not quite the same as that night.
Eric was sitting strangely still on the low wall that surrounded the small courtyard. He was quite a distance away, but Ariel could tell by his slouched position that he was unhappy about something. But how could that be? He was never unhappy when Max was around. But right now, he seemed to barely notice the large sheepdog, who was sniffing his owner's hand and whimpering as though demanding attention.
Determined to find out what was upsetting her husband, Ariel left the window and opened her bedroom door. She had intended to go down to the courtyard and ask Eric what was the matter, but as soon as she had thrown the door open, Carlotta was passing by.
"Oh, good morning, Your Highness," the friendly maid beamed.
"Morning, Carlotta."
"Ready to see your father?" asked Carlotta. "I know how long you've been waiting for this day."
Before Ariel could answer, an idea occurred to her. Maybe instead of going to talk to Eric, who in any case looked as though he did not want to talk to anyone, she would ask Carlotta. After all, she had practically raised Eric and she knew him better than anyone else, except Grimsby perhaps.
"Um, Carlotta?" said Ariel, closing her bedroom door behind her. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, my dear."
"Have you by any chance seen Eric this morning?" Ariel asked in a hushed tone.
Carlotta's mood suddenly changed.
"Yes I have," she replied, rather sadly. "And he's not in one of his finer moods, the poor thing."
Ariel nodded. "I just saw him from my window. Do you have any idea what could be upsetting him?"
Carlotta sighed. "Unfortunately I'm something of an expert on that subject. But since you're new around here, I suppose you have a right to be warned: that's how he always is on Father's Day."
Ariel, always curious, raised an eyebrow. "Why?" As soon as the word escaped her lips, she realized she may have just entered dangerous waters. "…If you don't mind me asking," she added.
Carlotta stared back at her rather sadly. "Has no one told you why Eric… doesn't seem to have parents?" she asked.
"Actually, no," said Ariel, suddenly wondering why she had never asked.
"Well you see, Eric's father…" Carlotta began. "Well, you see, he… He inexplicably disappeared when Eric was a small boy."
Ariel's eyes widened. "Do you mean he passed on?"
Carlotta shook her head. "To tell you the truth dear, I'm not entirely sure what I mean. His father, King Leon, he just… vanished one night without a trace. We all, quite literally, woke up and the king was nowhere to be found. Eric's mother, Queen Brigitta, had search parties looking near and far for him, but he was never found. To this day, it remains an unsolved mystery."
"How strange," said Ariel. "And tragic," she added.
"Indeed," agreed Carlotta. "And poor Eric. He was only five years old that fateful day."
Ariel could only help but think what a coincidence that was. Five years old. That's exactly how old she had been when she had lost her mother. Only Queen Athena's demise was no mystery to anyone in Atlantica. What must it have been like to grow up not having lost a parent but not knowing how or why they had disappeared?
"Since then, Grimsby's been the closest thing Eric's had to a father," Carlotta continued. "And when Queen Brigitta passed away a couple years ago, I suppose Eric thought I filled the void."
Ariel shook her head sympathetically. "Eric never told me," she said.
"Don't take it personally, Your Highness," Carlotta assured her. "Losing his parents has always been a touchy subject to him, especially on days like today."
"Come to think of it," said Ariel, "I don't think I ever seen any portraits of his parents around the palace."
Carlotta gave off a strangely nervous giggle. "Well, as it happens, there actually is a royal family portrait in Eric's bedroom." She sounded as though she was going against her better judgment in saying this.
"Really?" Ariel asked. "Um, do you think you could…" she began.
Carlotta could only smile. "Well, I suppose you deserve a chance to know who your in-laws would've been. But remember, not a word to Eric."
Ariel nodded in agreement and the two of them made their way to Eric's bedroom, knowing he was still outside pretending to play with Max.
Once they were in Eric's room, they quietly shut the door to avoid being seen prying. Carlotta then lead Ariel to Eric's bedside table, on which was a small, framed portrait that had been set facing down. Perhaps Eric kept it for sentimental reasons but couldn't bear to face its occupants on Father's Day. Carlotta picked it up and handed it to Ariel, who took it and examined it with both interest and sympathy.
There were three people in the painting, two adults and a small boy. The boy, who looked around four years old and had black hair and icy blue eyes, was Eric without question. It was the first Ariel had ever seen of him as a child.
"Aw," she couldn't help but say.
Eric's parents were standing over him; each of them had a hand on one of their son's shoulders. His mother looked beautiful but stern. She was tall and slim with brown hair that had been tied back in a very tight bun. Her dark red lips formed a smile that didn't quite reach her icy blue eyes, which she had clearly passed onto her son. Ariel liked the look of Eric's father better. He was plump, a bit shorter than his wife, and had dark hair and a matching moustache. Although he wasn't necessarily handsome, he had a more pleasant demeanor. This was present in the wide smile and dark, beaming eyes.
"I can tell just by looking at this where Eric gets his fun-loving side," Ariel joked.
Carlotta laughed. "Yes. King Leon was always more of a family man than anything. Queen Brigitta? Well, she really was sweet once you got to know her. She just took her royal duties more seriously than the king."
Ariel chuckled. "She sounds like my father… Wait a minute," she said, her tone changing from humor to curiosity.
"What is it?" asked Carlotta.
Ariel barely heard her. She had returned her attention to Eric's father and was focusing on it very carefully. She couldn't figure out why for the life of her, but he looked vaguely familiar to her. She felt like she had seen that same jolly, mustachioed face beaming back at her before, possibly in a crowd. Certainly the face's owner was not someone she had known personally, but he was a dead ringer for someone all the same.
"Eric's father, King Leon," she said to Carlotta. "This may sound strange, but I feel like I've seen him before."
Carlotta was silent with shock for several seconds. "But, how could…"
"I can't put my finger on it," Ariel interrupted, "but I'm sure I've seen his face before."
"Was it recent?" asked Carlotta, who seemed rather keen on finding out more. "It must've been, since you've only been living with us for a few months. Maybe you might've seen him somewhere in the kingdom? Perhaps in a disguise?"
"Maybe…" And then it occurred to her. It had been recent, probably over a year ago. If that was the case, she had seen that face in a kingdom, but certainly not this kingdom. And if he was in a disguise, it was not a disguise that would come to Carlotta's mind.
"Oh my goodness," she said, more to herself than to Carlotta.
"What is it? Do you remember?" asked Carlotta.
"Well, I have a hunch. But for now, that's all I'm going to say," Ariel replied.
"You're sure about that, Ariel?" King Triton asked, after Ariel had explained the situation to him.
"I'm positive, Daddy. I know I've seen Eric's father's face before," said Ariel. "And if he lives in Atlantica, which I'm almost certain of, you'll be able to help me find him. And hopefully, we can get to the bottom of all this."
Triton looked thoughtful. "Assuming your theory is true though, why, and more importantly how, would he leave the human world and come to live in the mer world?"
"Well, it wouldn't be the only time we've seen someone exchange one life for another," said Ariel, indicating herself.
Triton nodded. "An excellent point."
"Daddy, if I'm right, maybe I have a chance to make Eric happy," Ariel continued. "And maybe in future, Father's Day won't cause him so much grief."
Triton, seeing that as usual Ariel was thinking of those in need, nodded in agreement. "Very well, my dear. Could you describe his father to me?"
Ariel described King Leon's portrait to the best of her abilities, careful not to leave out any essential identifying features. When she had finished, Triton looked thoughtful.
"Hm," he pondered. "Come to think of it, I think you may be on to something. It so happens I do know of a fellow who fits that profile."
Ariel sighed in relief. "I hoped you might."
"I'll find Sebastian and we'll see if we can find him," Triton promised. "If we manage, we'll bring him here straight away."
"Thanks, Daddy," said Ariel. "I know this is interfering with our special time together, but…"
Triton held up a hand. "Think nothing of it. It's not just Father's Day for us."
Ariel smiled and Triton disappeared beneath the surface.
Ariel sat and waited for almost an hour, wondering to herself that if Triton managed to find the merman they supposed was Eric's father, what would happen? Would he confess freely or would he be stubborn and deny these accusations to the point where Triton would have to threaten him with his trident? And what would happen if he really was Eric's father? Would he want to see Eric? Would Eric want to see him? And, as Triton had pointed out, how and why had he become a merman in the first place? There really were too many questions behind this mystery, and too many alternative endings to this plan of hers.
But before her head could start aching from all the thinking, she heard the sound of water breaking and looked up. King Triton had returned, with Sebastian perched on his shoulder as per usual. They were accompanied by a plump, middle-aged merman with a plum colored tail. He looked nervous and rather defeated.
"Ariel, this is Leon," said Triton, indicating the nervous merman.
Ariel examined the merman closely. After a moment, she finally recognized him as the human king from the portrait Carlotta had shown her. He had obviously aged since then. He was balding now and what was left of his once dark hair, as well as his thick moustache, had turned white. Plus, there was the fact that he had somehow become a merman. But otherwise, he was a dead ringer for King Leon, especially because of the dark, sad eyes.
"King Leon? Eric's father?" she asked, though already sure of it.
"Unfortunately for him, yes," Leon replied in a flat but shaking voice.
Ariel stared at him again, now remembering exactly where, aside from the portrait, she had seen him before. She had seen him out and about in Atlantica every once in a while. But she remembered seeing him most distinctively at one particular event. It had been in the palace, over a year ago, when King Triton had announced to the entire kingdom that music was once again welcome in Atlantica. He really stood out to her at the time. He had been one of the oldest merpeople there, and to be honest one of the biggest. Thinking about it now, she wondered why she had not made the connection earlier that day, looking at the younger human version of him in the painting. At that time, all she knew was that he looked familiar somehow.
"I suppose my secret's out now, for all the world to see," said Leon, looking a far cry from the clapping, beaming, dancing fellow Ariel had seen over a year ago.
"Well, one of them is," said Ariel, trying to sound serious but not distrusting. "I know that you're Eric's father and that you somehow disappeared in the middle of the night. And now I'm the only person in the kingdom who knows where you went after you disappeared."
It seemed rather odd now that she had said it. Every other member of Eric's kingdom had long since known the mysterious story of the king vanishing without a trace and to this day still wondered where he had gone. But Ariel had heard his back-story and found out where he had gone all in the same day.
"And it seems you still have much explaining to do," said King Triton in an even voice.
"So you'd best get to explaining, mon," said Sebastian, leaping down from Triton's shoulder and climbing up Leon's arm and onto his shoulder. "And I'll have my eyes peeled for any signs of lying or discretion," he added.
Typical Sebastian, always trying to be the bad cop.
"Sebastian, please," said Triton.
Sebastian cleared his throat and blushed. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Please, King Leon…" Ariel began.
Leon made a face that said the last thing he wanted was to be called King anything.
"Please, er, Leon," Ariel corrected. "What could've happened that made you just leave your kingdom and abandon your family?"
"Please, don't use that word," Leon said, making the same disapproving face that he had made a moment ago. "I loved my dear Brigitta and our son very much, and if it seems as though I abandoned them, it was never my intention to do so. I assure you, they had no impact whatsoever on my decision to leave."
"Then how do you explain it?" asked Triton.
Leon sighed and rubbed his forehead with his large hand. Everyone could tell it was going to cause him pain to relive his past.
"Well, outside of my family, it was my life and everything in it that made me leave," Leon began. "Or rather, the life I was forced to have because I had been born into it and had had no say at all in how I should live it. I was frightened, you see, of growing old with the weight of the world on my shoulders, running an entire kingdom, having every day of my life looking the same as the one before. I was overwhelmed and, I suppose there's no point in denying it, an absolute coward. So one day I decided I could bear it no longer and… well…"
"Ran away?" Ariel cut in.
Leon nodded, looking down sheepishly.
"But what about your family? Didn't it ever cross your mind that you were… leaving them there alone?" Ariel asked, trying very hard not to say, "abandoning them".
"Of course it did," Leon continued. "It broke my heart completely to leave them, especially poor little Eric. But I couldn't ask them to come with me and leave the kingdom with no heir. I may have been a coward, but I wasn't completely indifferent about my subjects. Besides, I hoped that in leaving Eric with his mother, who was much more fond of the royal lifestyle, he would grow up and be a better king than I felt I was."
Everyone exchanged silent looks. Maybe, Ariel thought, "abandoned" really wasn't the best word to explain what Leon had done to his family. That would have implied that he had left them without caring what would become of them, when nothing could be further from the truth.
"Go on," Ariel encouraged.
"Well, after I left the palace, I fled to the beach, got into a rowboat, and paddled for my life. I had the idea of escaping across the sea where no one would think to look for me," said Leon. "The sun was just beginning to rise when…" He suddenly paused and looked as though he couldn't quite remember the next part of the story.
Ariel, Triton, and Sebastian stared at him encouragingly.
"When?" Ariel asked.
Leon still looked unsure. "Well, it's going to sound strange, but suddenly out of nowhere, a young woman broke the surface and swam up to my boat. She said that she knew of my situation and that she had the perfect solution. All I had to do was follow her. Then she touched the shell that she wore around her neck and all of a sudden… something came over me and… the next thing I knew, I was in the water and…"
The moment Leon mentioned that the mysterious woman wore a shell around her neck, Ariel felt that no further explanation was necessary. She looked at Triton and Sebastian, whose faces suggested that they were thinking the exact same thing.
"Ursula! She did this to you?" Ariel exclaimed, indicating Leon's plum colored tail.
Leon nodded.
"Her eels must have watched you leaving in the rowboat and reported it back to her," King Triton concluded.
"That's what I assumed in later years," Leon confessed. "But at that time, I never did see her true colors. How could I? She was in disguise. And anyway, at that moment, I merely took her for an angel who had been sent to help me leave my old life. And she did, before confiding in me that the spell would be permanent and that I was safe for life. Then she disappeared, leaving me to live freely among the merpeople, with whom I've never shared my history. It wasn't until years later when rumors began floating around about a witch with a shell around her neck that I realized I had accepted help from the wrong person."
Leon finished his story looking rather ashamed of himself for accepting help from the evil sea witch, even if she had more or less given him exactly what he had wanted.
"Well, considering all that's happened, I'd say you were Ursula's lucky victim," King Triton said to Leon.
Leon made a small sound that would have sounded like a laugh, if the look in his eyes was not so miserable.
"Sure, I'm extremely lucky," he said in a gloomy tone. "What she did to me is permanent. Now, even after she's dead, I'm still under her spell. I can never go home."
Ariel looked puzzled. "But isn't that what you wanted?"
Leon nodded. "At the time, yes. But looking back, I wonder how my choices have affected my son. I wonder what he must've felt all these years. And if he could see me now, I wonder what he'd say, assuming he could even look me in the eye."
"Oh," was all Ariel could say, for she knew what he meant. She had seen the effect Leon's actions had had on Eric earlier that day. She had seen the sorrow on his face that even Max could not turn into a smile. And now, looking at the father who had left him, she could see the regret in his eyes and thought how very close to home this situation had hit. She of all people knew what regret felt like. She had felt it herself when her own deal with Ursula had landed her in trouble. But that regret, rather like Ursula's victory, had been short-lived. Poor Leon's regret would live with him for the rest of his life.
Or would it?
"Hm," she thought out loud to herself. "Well, wonder no further," she said to Leon.
Everyone stared at her.
"Ariel, please, I just want to be alone right now," said Eric, as he and Ariel made their way from the palace to the beach.
"Well I have a strong feeling you won't want to be for much longer," Ariel replied, grinning widely from ear to ear. "I have a surprise for you."
Eric made a small sound, something between a laugh and a scoff.
"Ariel, your surprises tend to really catch me off guard," said Eric, referring to every moment he and Ariel had shared prior to their wedding. "I really don't think I'm in the mood to be knocked off my feet."
Laughing slightly, Ariel replied, "No, trust me. This is a surprise I really think you'll end up liking."
Eric looked at her skeptically. "End up liking?"
"Hello, Eric my boy. Good to see you again," said King Triton out of nowhere.
They had reached their destination.
Eric, looking as though he had decided it was now too late to talk Ariel out of surprising him, bowed to his father-in-law.
"Nice to see you again, Your Majesty. You too, Sebastian," he added, addressing the beaming crab perched on Triton's shoulder.
"Now Eric," Ariel began, "your surprise is courtesy of all three of us. I don't think I could've done it without Daddy."
Eric said nothing.
"There's someone that we'd like you to meet," King Triton explained.
"Or perhaps re-meet would be the more appropriate word," said Sebastian.
Eric watched, looking confused, as Triton dipped his hand into the water beside him, as though informing someone submerged in the water to come out of hiding. Ever so slowly, Leon surfaced. A wide, nervous smile spread across his face as he fixed his eyes on Eric. Eric could only stare, eyes wide and mouth half open, as the unmistakable human half of his father rose out of the water followed by the plum colored fishtail that now resided where legs had once been.
For a moment, no one spoke. Ariel, Triton, and Sebastian merely watched, waiting for either the merman father or the human son to make the first move.
"Eric, my boy," said Leon in a raspy voice. "It's me, your papa."
He then reached a trembling hand out to Eric, possibly intending to ruffle his hair or to simply lay it on his shoulder. Whichever it was, no one ever found out. Eric jumped in surprise and swatted Leon's approaching hand away as though it was a fly.
"What… How… Why… When…" Eric stammered, with his eyes glued to Leon.
"Surprise?" Sebastian shrugged.
"What is going on here?" asked Eric, to no one in particular. "My father's here. My father's alive. My father's a merperson. Everyone else seems to be finding out before me…"
"Eric, please. Calm down," said Ariel, gripping her husband by the shoulder.
"Calm down?" Eric repeated. "Ariel, finding out you were a mermaid was one thing. But finding out my own father's a merman, after not seeing him for more than ten years I might add…"
"Now listen, Son, if you'd just let me explain…" Leon began.
Eric gave Leon a look that suggested daggers were about to fly out of his eyes.
"Don't call me that!" he said warningly. "You just…" He looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't think of the right words. So instead, he gave Leon a cold look, turned on his heel, and ran off back in the direction of the castle.
"Eric!" Ariel called after him.
She gave Leon an apologetic look and ran after Eric, leaving Leon, King Triton, and Sebastian looking dazed and, in Leon's case, heartbroken.
Eric seemed determined to run back to the castle and shutting himself up in his room, but Ariel was not going to have it. She quickly caught up with Eric and reached her hand out onto his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
"Eric…" she began.
"Let go," he said, trying to brush her hand off his shoulder.
But she didn't. On the contrary, she squeezed his shoulder even harder.
"No," she insisted. "I think we should talk."
Eric opened his mouth to refuse, but she cut him off.
"I won't force you to go talk to him," she said. "You and I will talk here and now."
Eric shrugged. "Alright. What about, huh? About how everything I thought I knew about him was a lie? About how you were in on his secret before I was? Or about how you were wrong about me liking your surprise?"
Ariel shook her head. "First of all, when I woke up this morning, I knew no more about him than you did," she said, matter-of-factly. "When I saw how upset you were, Carlotta told me everything. And when she showed me that family portrait in your room…"
"She shouldn't have done that," Eric interrupted. "She knows how I feel about that." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned his gaze to the sandy ground.
Ariel, seeing that he was becoming more sad than angry, changed her tone. "Eric, I'm sorry about what happened all those years ago. And I admit I can understand why this is all coming as such a surprise to you. But there was no need to react with so much anger. All he wants is to make amends."
"You mean for abandoning me and my mom?" Eric asked sulkily.
"No, that's not what happened," said Ariel. "And please don't use that word. It wasn't you or your mother that he wanted to leave. He just wanted a different way of life. And believe me, I know what that's like."
Eric looked up at her.
"All my life, I wanted nothing more than to live life on the land, and I finally got what I wanted," Ariel continued. "But that doesn't mean I was abandoning my family and friends."
"Yeah, well it's different for you," said Eric stubbornly. "You still get to see your family. Why haven't I seen him all these years?"
Ariel wanted to point out that it was most likely because, as her father had put it, "contact between the human world and the mer world was strictly forbidden". But she decided to respond with a more sensitive approach.
"Well, he's here right now," she said. "And he really does want to make things right with you. And what better time to make amends with your father on Father's Day?"
Eric looked at her, and then looked back down at the beach, where Leon, King Triton, and Sebastian were still gathered. Leon was seated on a rock, looking melancholy and rather guilty. Sebastian, who was perched on his shoulder, and Triton seemed to be trying to set his mind at rest.
Eric looked back at Ariel.
"Just take baby steps," she encouraged. "I'm sure this won't be easy for him either."
Leon, hunched over with guilt and feeling miserable, sighed. "Where did I go wrong?" he asked Triton and Sebastian.
Sebastian patted him on the shoulder with his claw. "Ah mon, don't beat yourself up so hard. It's not completely your fault, you know. That old sea witch sure didn't make this situation any easier for you." Suddenly, he looked amused. "But I guess you could make the statement that when your son impaled her, he did it to avenge you," he added with a wide grin.
Leon just stared back at him, looking no less miserable than before.
King Triton sighed. "Sebastian…"
Sebastian cleared his throat again and shrugged.
Then Triton turned to Leon. "Well my friend, as a father who's made his own share of mistakes, all I can say is that I feel your pain."
Leon winced.
"There were plenty of times that I could swear I'd heard Ariel muttering, 'I hate you' behind my back," Triton confessed. "Of course I didn't think too much of it at the time, but when she ran away and turned to Ursula for help, I realized that I had gone too far. Oh, the guilt I felt was unbearable." He said the last part with a rather shaky voice.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Your Majesty," said Leon.
Triton nodded in appreciation and cleared his throat. "But that's when I learned that your children don't always understand when you have their best interest at heart, especially when you don't explain it to them. It had done me no favors, shouting at Ariel and destroying her…" He paused.
Leon looked up at him. "Yes?"
"Well her… her collection of human things," Triton finished. He was secretly trying not to say "her statue of Eric" in front of Eric's father. Sebastian quietly winked at him.
"Oh," said Leon.
"What I mean is, if I had just taken the time to talk to Ariel instead of forcing her to run away, I wouldn't have come so close to losing her forever," Triton explained. "Maybe the same situation applies to you and your son. We all know you want to reconnect with him, but he won't let you unless you talk to him."
Leon shook his head. "I understand what you're saying, Your Majesty. But he's already run off, probably to lock himself in his room. And I can't exactly follow him. He doesn't want to see me. How can I talk to him now?"
A nearby splashing sound caught their attention and all three of them turned their heads to where they had heard it. Ariel was standing on the beach. What appeared to be Eric's boots were lying on the sand a few paces away from her. And Eric himself was in the water and appeared to be dogpaddling his way over to the rock that Leon was sitting on.
Sebastian smiled. "Unless his room has been relocated to under the sea, I'd say your chance to talk to him has come," he said to Leon.
Leon gulped, though there was a twinkle of hope in his eye. Eric reached them seconds later.
"Would you excuse us please, Sir?" he asked King Triton. "I'd like a word with my… father." He shifted a bit when he said the last word.
Triton nodded his head once. "Absolutely. Come along, Sebastian."
"Oh no," said Sebastian eagerly, not budging from Leon's shoulder. "I've got a good feeling about this and I don't want to miss a single second."
King Triton raised a hand to object.
"No," said Eric, though he was addressing Triton. "It's okay. I think Sebastian should stay. As I understand, he's always a big help to Ariel and her family. Maybe he could be of some help to mine for a change."
Leon nodded in agreement. "Yes, uh, maybe we could do with a little support."
It seemed to be all Sebastian could do not to break into a loud cheer.
"Very well," said Triton. "Just as well, I suppose. I need some time alone with my own child." And he swam off to where Ariel was standing on the beach.
Eric paddled up to Leon's rock and reached his arms up to push himself up. But before his arms could even make contact with the rock, Leon held out a hand to him. Eric stared at the large hand for a moment, as though he was not quite sure what he was supposed to do with it, and then looked up at its owner.
Leon chuckled. "I, uh, just thought you might like some help," he said bashfully.
"Oh, uh, sure," Eric replied, quite shyly himself.
He took Leon's hand, which he had to admit felt pleasantly warm, and Leon, with surprising strength, helped Eric climb up onto the rock.
"There you go, lad," said Leon as Eric perched up beside him.
"Thanks," Eric replied.
Neither of them sounded quite so shy anymore when they spoke. On the contrary, they sounded almost like they were about to laugh. They both realized this at the last minute and cleared their throats apologetically.
"No, don't look so embarrassed. You were off to a great start," said Sebastian. He then covered his mouth with his claws. "Sorry, I'll try not to shout out suggestions so often."
After Eric positioned himself up on the rock, Leon spoke.
"So, you wanted to talk?" he asked.
"Yeah," said Eric. "But if you had something to say, you can… you know, go first."
"Right," Leon nodded. "Well, first things first. Eric, let me just start by saying that I really am sorry," he began, looking straight into Eric's pale blue eyes to ensure his sincerity. "I never meant for it to look like I was abandoning you or your mother. I really loved you both. It was my life as a king that I couldn't love. And I won't deny that I took the coward's way out. And then, well, one thing led to another and then this happened," he said, indicating his tail. "Do you understand?" he added, looking hopeful.
Eric half shrugged, half nodded. "I'm starting to," he admitted. "But, are you happy now? I mean, you know, more than you were as a king?"
"Oh yeah, oh yeah," Leon assured him. "My life's certainly much more peaceful now, but not a day's gone by when I haven't missed you and your mother."
He paused briefly, but spoke again when he wondered if Eric was thinking, "Then why did you leave us?"
"Still, I still had high hopes for you," he continued. "I hoped with all my heart that you would grow up enjoying the lifestyle that I was too afraid to live, and so far it seems your mother did her job right."
Eric nodded. "Oh yeah, I can't wait to be king."
"Good," Leon finished, somewhat lamely.
They were both awkwardly silent for several seconds. Then the silence was, once again, broken by Sebastian.
"Boy, isn't there something you'd like to say to your father, after everything he just said to you?"
Eric glanced once at Sebastian, who apologized again for barking out suggestions, and nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"Okay look, Le… Dad," he said, looking almost unsure if he was capable of addressing Leon in such a way. "I admit I was a little hard on you earlier. But you have to understand that this is all a lot to take in. I wasn't expecting you to just reappear out of the blue after more than ten years, wanting to be a part of my life again. And even if I was, I wouldn't have expected to see you with a tail."
Leon considered this and nodded. "Can't argue with that," he said.
"All this time, I thought you were gone forever," Eric continued. "If I'd known this was gonna happen, I would've given more thought to what I'd say and how I'd react. But given the circumstances, to be honest I just don't know how to react. So forgive me if I'm not ready to hug you, say I missed you, or even call you Dad without sounding sick."
He had not sounded sarcastic or even resentful when he had said this. But the words alone seemed to be enough to make Leon look unhappy.
"I see," Leon replied.
Before Sebastian could open his mouth to rebuke, Eric rushed to reassure Leon.
"That doesn't mean I'll never be ready to accept all this, just not right now. But maybe if we just… you know… talk for a while and get to know each other better, we'll be taking a step in the right direction. Or, in your case, a swim in the right direction," he added with a chuckle.
Leon laughed at Eric's humor. "Alright," he agreed. "Talking sounds nice."
For a moment, they both shuffled awkwardly, wondering what to talk about and who should get the conversation started. Leon, perhaps just trying to assure his son that they didn't have to speak so formally to each other, put an arm around Eric's shoulders and gave him what he imagined was a fatherly smile. They both seemed to think it was progress that Eric returned the smile and didn't brush Leon's hand away. Sebastian privately agreed.
"So… How have you been, boy?" Leon started.
"Pretty good," Eric replied casually.
"You've sure gotten big," said Leon. "It was almost more of a shock to see you now than it was for you to see me."
"I doubt it. You could've seen me with an extra head and you'd still be less surprised than I was," Eric confessed.
They both laughed.
"Now we're getting somewhere, mon," said Sebastian.
Ariel and King Triton had spent the rest of their Father's Day talking and walking (or swimming in Triton's case) along the beach. By the time they had made their way back to the spot where they had left Eric, Leon, and Sebastian, it was nighttime. What they saw when they arrived back surprised them. Leon and Sebastian were both wide-awake. Eric, on the other hand, had fallen asleep and was resting his head on Leon's lap.
"Well, I never," said Ariel, as she and Triton swam up to join the others by their rock. "I hoped you two would work things out today, but I wasn't expecting this."
Sebastian chuckled. "I don't think he was either," he whispered, pointing to the sleeping Eric.
"We were sitting here waiting for you to return and he just dozed off," said Leon. "Poor lad," he added. There was a hint of fatherly love in his voice as he ruffled his sleeping son's hair.
"Well, I hate to have to wake him, but Carlotta and Grimsby will be wondering where we are," said Ariel, noticing the position of the moon above them.
Leon sighed. "I suppose you're right," he said, looking as though he regretted what he was about to do. He then leaned forward and took Eric's face in his hands. "Eric?" he said in his son's ear. "Eric? Wake up, boy."
Eric heard him and yawned. He opened one and, realized that his head was on Leon's lap, and hastily threw himself into a sitting position. Everyone laughed.
"Uh, good morning, everyone," said Eric, trying hard not to look embarrassed.
"It's evening, Eric," said Ariel. "And we need to be getting home."
"Home. Right. Well, uh…" He turned to Leon, looking as though he wanted to tell him something but could not think of the right words.
"Just say goodnight," Ariel encouraged.
Eric nodded and held out a hand to for Leon to shake. "Well, goodnight Le… Dad."
Leon stared at Eric's outstretched hand for a few seconds. It must have been an awkward transition for him: one minute his son was resting his head on his lap, the next minute he was expecting little more than a common handshake. Ariel sensed this and turned to face Eric.
"I think you can do better than that," she said, making a strange gesture with her arms as though she was hugging an invisible person.
Eric understood what she meant, but looked hesitant. He had said earlier that day that he was not ready to give or receive a hug from Leon.
"Go on, just one hug for now," said Ariel. "I'm sure it'll make his Father's Day."
Eric turned to Leon again, took a deep breath, and allowed him to embrace him. Eric remained awkwardly stiff for a moment, but after a couple of seconds' hesitation, he returned Leon's hug. It wasn't quite the heartfelt reunion Ariel had hoped it would be, but for now everyone agreed that it was a good start. A minute or so passed before Eric and Leon pulled away.
"Well, goodnight, my boy," said Leon, giving Eric one last squeeze on the shoulder. "Don't be a stranger now."
"I won't. See you soon. And… Happy Father's Day."
Eric pushed himself off the rock and swam back up to the beach. After Ariel hugged her own father and wished him a happy Father's Day, she joined her husband on land. They waved goodbye to the two mermen and Sebastian, watched them disappear beneath the surface, and then set off for home.
"Well?" asked Ariel in a mischievous tone of voice.
"Well what?" Eric asked stupidly.
"Was I right? Did you end up liking your surprise?"
Eric thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah. How did I do with him?"
Ariel chuckled. "There's definitely room for improvement, but I really think you and your father are off to a pretty good start."
"Thanks," said Eric. "I suppose I should thank Carlotta too," he thought out loud.
Ariel nodded. "I'd say that's in order. But let's be sure to thank her after we explain to her and Grimsby everything we know."
The End