I spent some time swimming around just below the surface while Ilaria went to get changed for our very first ever swimming lesson together. Without my realizing it I was constantly smiling and humming to myself- something very un-manly if you asked me. But I was just then. Humming and flittering about in the water in a playful fashion. I wasn't expecting to run into anyone nor for anyone to see me.

But life doesn't always work out like we plan.

A pair of older male voices drove me to a complete halt as they called out from behind me. "Hey, Alberto! Is that you?" Oh no…. I didn't wanna run into anyone. "That is him! That's Scorfano's boy. We haven't seen you in years, lad." That's how I wanted to keep it. I rarely interacted with anyone of my kind; they liked to stay in the deep, whereas I…. Well, you know. I inwardly cringed and turned around to see the men swim up to me. They were grinning pleasantly enough, which made me force a smile in turn.

"Where have you been, boy? Ah, look at how you've grown! Such a man now." "Uh, t-thanks, Mr. uh…. um…." Oh, crap! I don't remember their names! Sensing my embarrassment, the pair chuckled, giving each other the side eye. "Mr. Branzino." "And I'm Mr. Paguro. I've got a boy about your age." "I-Is that so?" Man, talk about awkward. I couldn't recall ever meeting either of these two once, yet they somehow knew me. Probably met me when I was really, really young.

"Gosh, it must have been about what? Ten years since we last saw you and your dad? How's he doing, by the way? Haven't seen him around at all in these parts lately." The grin melted off my face. Damn, why'd they have to bring him up? It felt like someone all of a sudden punched me in the gut- not that I could show it. "Oh, he's uh….. uh, good, I guess. I'll tell him you said hi," if I ever see him again, which I doubt.

The two men, oblivious to pain, nodded their heads approvingly. "Good, good. And what have you been up to with yourself, young man?" Mr. Paguro asked me. Mr. Branzino chuckled, giving his friend an elbow in the ribcage. "Heh, judging by the way he was twirling and humming like that, I'd say it has something to do with a girl." "What?!" My heart stopped. How the hell would they possibly know about Ilaria?! As far as I know, sea creatures avoid the surface like the plague. I'm the only exception to my knowledge. So in the world could they know about….?

I felt like I was honestly going to faint when Mr. Paguro's head nodded in agreement. "Yes, well it's to be expected in a boy his age. You don't act like that for no reason. He must be in love." In love? "What's that?" I genuinely asked, forgetting the meaning of the word for a moment. Both men looked back at me like I was crazy. "What's that? Why, you're a boy of twenty! Surely you must have some experience with the ladies, Alberto." "Yes, I can remember being his age. The romance, the midnight rendezvous, the poetry! Ah, pure magic. Course that's all before I finally settled down with Daniela. It's all fun and games until you get married," he said with a huff. "Aye, that'll do it. So, who's the lucky lady, lad?" I swear a drip of sweat would have rolled down the back of my neck if we weren't under water right now. I did visibly gulp, however.

"Oh! Um, well… I… I don't know if I'm really "in love"," I lied, just trying to drop the conversation. Wait… Did I just think that I lied about being in love with Ilaria? What does that mean?! For me to lie, I'd really have to be….. Mr. Branzino swam around me in an inspecting sort of manner. "You are in love. It's written all over you." "It is?!" Where?! I can't see it! Mr. Paguro folded his arms in a gentle fashion. "No need to deny it, boy. Young love is one of the greatest things you can experience in life. You should treasure it while it lasts." I should? How do these guys know so much?!

Mr. Branzino flashed me another knowing smile. "So, who is she? Anyone we'd know?" "No! I mean…. She's uh…. Erm, not from around here?" "Oh! An open-ocean sort of girl. Well that explains a lot. Is she pretty? What colour are her scales?" "Does she have a long tail?" Mr. Paguro chimed in. I gulped again, scrambling desperately to answer their questions without looking too suspicious. I mean what would they say if they knew that Ilaria was… human? "Uh, pink; her wears a lot of… I mean she's pink! With lots of white uh, trimmy sort of scales. She's very elegant," I felt the need to tack on. The men nodded again in approval. "And how long have you two known each other?" "Uh, since spring?" I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. Would they quit it with the questions?! Mr. Paguro sighed a contented sigh. "Ah, summer love. That's the best kind. You chose the perfect time to fall in love, young man." In love…. They keep saying that but how would I really know if I'm actually…..

I cleared my throat, trying- maybe a bit too hard- to seem at ease with the obviously horrible situation. "Um, about that….. So I know all about this "love" business, but just so I can be sure I can describe it properly…. to a friend! H-How would I know if I'm in love, per se?" My hands clasped together in front of me as part of my show. The men looked at each other, unsure what to say for a second.

"Well, I think it'd be quite easy to know." "You know you're in love when that person becomes the most precious thing in the world to you." Uh huh, ok check that; Ilaria is the most precious anything to me, so that makes sense. I nodded, my forefinger resting on top of my lips and listening intently as they continued. "Yeah, and their voice becomes your most favourite sound." Check again. I like Ilaria's voice best, especially when she's saying my name. "And you want to spend all your time with them." Check. "And no matter what you do, you can't get them out of your head." Another check. "And sometimes you'll find yourself sighing or smiling for no reason." I smile all the time now without even thinking about it….. Uh oh. The checks were piling up here. "But I think the biggest sign is when you can't imagine your life going forward without them." "Yeah. They make you just so happy that you begin to spend more time with them. And before you know it, I can't picture your life in any other way."

It was here that my hand began to fall down from my lips. My eyes stared off into watery space. Oh no…. Oh no! I checked all the boxes! What does that mean?! I know what it means! But…. what does it mean?! Am I really….? Could Ilaria and I truly be….? Can our species even fall in love with each other?! Sure, I mean Ilaria's my whole world now and I couldn't imagine my life without her in it, but is that the same thing as being "in love"? And if I am in love, what does that mean for our friendship? What will happen to us going forward if I tell her that I…. That I… Do humans even fall in love like us?! There're just too many unanswered questions in my head!

I failed to notice the two men watching me now with puzzled expression, confused over my mental meltdown. "Uh, Alberto? You ok there, boy?" "Yes! No! Um….! So happens after you fall in love? When does "this" go away?" "Heh, when you get married," Mr. Paguro chuckled, earning a sharp glare from his friend. "Lorenzo, stop! He'll discourage him! Well, I should think that if you really love her, and she loves you, marriage would be the next logical step." Marriage…. Wait, what?! Who said anything about marriage?! Why is this so insanely stressful?!

"M-Marriage?" My lips spattered. "That's right," they nodded. "Ok… A-And how… how does "marriage" happen, exactly?" I inquired sheepishly. "Boy, didn't your dad talk to you about any of this?" "Now, we can't expect to know everything, my friend. It's quite simple, Alberto. You just give your vows in front of family and friends, and poof! You're married. Easy as that!" "I-It's that easy?" I peered up at him from the corner of my eyes. "Of course! Not like those pesky humans, what with all their rituals and rights." "I watched a human wedding on the beach once. It took forever and looked exhausting. So much kneeling and standing," Mr. Branzino rolled his eyes. I thought a bit more for a minute. "B-But what about er… oh, what's it called? Doweries! Do I need one of those?" I then asked. They gave me a confused stare. "What's that?" Mr. Paguro asked me, making me realize that it must be strictly a human thing. I closed my mouth and forced another grin at the two men.

Mr. Branzino placed his hand on my shoulder, causing a startled flinch from me. "Don't worry, young man. You'll know what to do when the time is right." "W-Will I?" "Course! Love and marriage is the most natural thing in the world. It's what we're programmed to do." "We are?" No one told me that before. In fact, I'd never even considered getting married up until now. Maybe that's because there's no one who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. The only one I could imagine doing that with was…..

All of a sudden, Ilaria's face popped up in my mind, making me flinch yet again. My hand rose up to cover one eye. Damn it all! Why can't I get her out of my head?! Do I… want to get her out of my head? I don't know! I never asked for any of this! Meanwhile the men were watching me again in slight alarm. "Alberto, are you alright?" "Y-Yeah, I'm fine! I uh… I just remembered something I gotta go do! Nice seeing you both again!" Not! I sped off in a flash, leaving before I could hear either of their replies.

My heart was racing, my head was light and dizzy. I didn't know what I was feeling just then. I couldn't describe it…. I felt so good and yet…. I wanted to be with her. More than anything I wanted, I needed to hear the sound of her voice again. But why? Where are all these urges coming from?! Could I honestly be in love? Was this what "love" was even like? How the hell was I supposed to know?! I just want to be around her all the time and she's my favourite person in the universe- what about that has to do with "love"? But… No! Ilaria's supposed to get married to some human guy! Not a sea creature who's a completely different species from her! Can we even get married? Married…

I paused here to gawk out in front of me at nothing in particular. My lips opened a sliver. Married to Ilaria….? Why does that thought make me happier than I've ever felt before? But surely that's not a sign of being in love! No, I can't love Ilaria! That would only complicate matters! It'd ruin everything- all that is good between us! And I've never been in love before, so how would I even know if I was…..? My hand raised up a bit as I peered down at my open palm. I'm not in love; I'm not in love; I'm not….. Oh, damn it!

I think I might be….