Disclaimer: I do not own The Little Mermaid.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the carnival again?" Aquamarina prodded the next morning. "It's only in town for another day."
"I don't think I can," Melody answered. "I'm too nervous about the dinner tonight."

"It will be fine," Alicia assured her. "What are you going to wear?"

"Uh…" Melody's eyes widened at her cousins in horror. "Well, I'm not really sure-"

"Oh my cod," Alicia interrupted. "Never mind. No carnival. We need to get you ready for your date with Alex!"

"Date?" Melody faintly tugged on her Atlantica pendant, butterflies flapping in her stomach. No one had said anything about a date!

"Oh, stop," Aquamarina laughed. "She's white as the sand. It's not a date, Mel. His parents are going to be there."

"Still." Alicia pouted. "Dinner is involved."

"Still not a date," Aqua replied firmly. "But that doesn't mean you can't look your best. Let's go look in your closet."

"About that." Melody coughed as she tried to keep up with her speed-swimming cousins. "All my clothes are kind of back home. On land." It felt weird to say. She was starting to think of Atlantica as her home now too.

"Ohhh, Melody," Alicia groaned dramatically. "Fine. Let's go to my house. I'll lend you something adorable. Alex will love it."

"Okay!" Melody relaxed. Clothes she could do, with her cousins' help, anyway. "Let's go!"

Eric walked in just then. "What are you girls up to?" he asked. "Going to the carnival?"

"Nope, just back to Alicia's, Uncle Eric," Aquamarina answered.

"Oh." Eric nodded. "Well, have a good time. I'll see you later."

The girls scurried out the door and were almost knocked over by Marino, Boreal, and Caspian.

"Whoa!" Aquamarina exclaimed. "Guys!"

For once, the boys didn't seem to be in protection mode. They barely glanced at the girls as they slammed the door shut. They made a beeline for their uncle.

"Come on, Uncle Eric," Caspian demanded. "You promised us we could see your sword collection today!"

Eric laughed. "And you will. But not just yet."

"Why not?" Boreal cried. "We've been waiting for days already."

"One of my favorite pieces is on land at the palace," Eric explained. "I was going to retrieve it this morning to show to you later. It may take a few hours. How about you come back around 7:30? 8:00?"

"I thought you were having dinner with Urchin and his family tonight," Caspian said.

"We are." Eric nodded. "But we should be done by then. Come in through Grandfather's back garden. I'm going to set up all my swords out there by tonight, okay? I may even be able to part with a couple of them for my favorite triplets."

The boys cheered.

"I'll see you tonight." Eric waved to the boys and started the journey back to the land palace.

That afternoon, Melody paced around one of the many bedrooms in Grandfather's castle nervously. Alicia had lent her a stunning, light purple gown with shoes to match. Her hair was down and curled. Melody wasn't usually one for dresses and ribbons, but tonight, she felt beautiful.

Ariel was shocked to see her daughter all dressed up. Ariel herself could not remember the last time she had worn a gown under the sea like that. Probably not since before Eric, when she was still trying to attract mermen. She chuckled to herself.

"I'm ready for dinner!" Melody announced, somewhat awkwardly.

"I can see that." Ariel smiled. "You look great, honey."

"Thanks, Mom. Where is Dad?"

"He'll be here," Ariel assured her. "Something about swords in the back garden."

"Oh." Melody nodded, even though she had no idea what that meant. Maybe her dad was showing his sword collection to someone the next day. He sure was proud of it.

"Sweetie, there is something I want to talk to you about," Ariel told her daughter.

Melody's heart immediately picked up speed. There was no way her mom could know that she liked Alex! There was just no way!

"Uh, what is it?" Melody asked her mom nervously.

Ariel smiled and took her hands. "Well, you see, my friend Gabriella cannot hear. I'm not sure you have ever encountered someone who is not a hearing person before. I wanted you to be prepared."

"Oh, I know, Mom," Melody assured her mother.

"You do?" Ariel raised her eyebrows in surprise. "How did you know Gabriella can't hear?"

Melody could have kicked herself for the mistake. Her mom didn't know about her eavesdropping from the sea fan yesterday! Was she busted?

"Oh, well, Sebastian knows, of course," Ariel mused calmly. "He told you, I'm guessing. Anyway, I don't want you to think of or to treat Gabriella any differently than you would any other person, mer or otherwise. Do you understand? She is just like me, or you, or your dad. She just communicates a little differently, using her hands. Does that make sense?"

Melody nodded.

"Okay." The mermaid hugged the preteen. "You really do look lovely, Melody. Alex is a really nice boy. I think you're going to like him."

You have no idea, Mom.

Alex, Urchin, Gabriella, and Ollie arrived soon after that. Grandfather's servants immediately began putting dinner on the table.

Melody tried to concentrate on her meal. The salted seaweed was delectable! It was better than any salad she'd had on land. But she kept thinking about Alex. Finally, she lifted her eyes from her plate and decided to sneak a peak at him.

He was looking at her too!

Startled, Melody dropped her fork, and it plunged to the sand beneath the table. Her face reddened. "Oh, uh, sorry. Slippery little thing."

"That's a dinglehopper for you." Ariel shrugged. "Don't worry; they'll bring you a new one."

Melody's mom was correct in that. Soon the meal had resumed. The grown-ups had a lot to say, but Melody and Alex spent the rest of the dinner sneaking glances at one another. They didn't say a word.

The group slowly drifted into the sitting room for some tea after dinner. When Alex and Melody were out of earshot, Urchin whispered to Eric and Ariel, "Maybe we can send the kids outside in the yard with a game or something. They seemed awfully shy during dinner."

"Not too shy to sneak glances at each other the whole meal," Ariel laughed. "Good idea, Urchin. That'll help break the ice."

"We can all go outside," Eric decided. "Maybe go to the castle gardens or courtyard."

Everyone agreed, and the merpeople all adjourned outside. Ariel and Eric found a card game inside the palace for the two kids.

The adults collapsed onto benches in the palace courtyard. The gardens were just beyond the courtyard. The back entrance to the palace opened into the gardens.

"Maybe we could play the card game in the gardens," Alex suggested with a hopeful smile.

Melody could practically hear her cousins' voices: He wants to be alone with you! But she brushed those thoughts away. She didn't even know if Alex liked her. She watched the grown-ups talking and signing to Gabriella animatedly. They seemed busy, too busy to notice if they moved to the gardens. Plus, she had never been in the palace gardens. "Sure. Okay."

Gabriella signed something to Alex.

"Mom says it is 7:30, so we will be leaving soon," Alex explained. "But we can still play for a while."

"Okay," Melody agreed. They started walking. "You seem to know lots of sign language."

"Oh, yeah." Alex nodded. "I do. I mean, Ollie certainly helps a lot, but I want to be able to talk to my mom on my own, you know?"

Melody nodded, even though she didn't really know. It hurt her heart to think of not being able to hear her mom's voice and vowed to learn some basic signs before Alex's family came over again. Again. She repeated the word to herself. Would they have more dinners together after today?

The duo slipped away with their game. Alex found a shell bench for them to sit on near Grandfather's famous coral garden. A few feet behind them, Melody noticed a bunch of swords from her dad's home collection.. How had those gotten there? She was too nervous to think about it anymore.

After a few minutes, Alex put down his cards and smiled at Melody. "So, how do you like Atlantica?"

It was one of only a handful of times he had addressed her all evening. She dropped her cards on the bench too. "It's been wonderful."

"What do you like about it?" Alex asked her.

"Well, I get to see my family all the time, for one thing," Melody explained, warming to the topic. "I already feel close to Aquamarina and Alicia. Plus, I love being a mermaid. It's so pretty under the sea."

"I think you're pretty," Alex suddenly blurted out. His face turned the color of Sebastian.

So did Melody's. "Wow. Thank you, Alex. I think you're-I mean, I-I, uh-" Tell him you like him! No, don't! Wait, yes-tell him! Do it! It's the perfect time-

But before that thought was complete, Alex leaned forward quickly and kissed her on the lips. It only lasted for a few seconds before he pulled away, blushing furiously.

Melody was flying. Even for a few seconds after the short kiss had ended, she could still feel his lips on hers. Her face was warm, her heart was pounding, and pure elation was soaring through her. It was an absolutely perfect first kiss.

Almost. There was just one little problem. Or rather, three large, identical, overprotective, sword-loving problems, who had just come in the garden's back gate.

Right behind Alex and Melody.