The night before their wedding, Ariel stood in the courtyard. Again, she only wore Eric's shirt. Her hands were scratched from climbing down off of her balcony. She needed a moment alone and he bodyguards were becoming overbearing.

Tomorrow was her wedding day. She'd imagined it thousands of times since she was a little girl, but she never could have dreamed she'd be human. Things tasted, smelled and looked different. She'd spent the past month with more options thrown at her then she knew what to do with, but it would all be over after today.

Her sisters should be with her. They should be helping her get ready and chattering with excitement.

As she thought about them, there was movement in the water. She waited a moment before sprinting down the steps toward the water.

"Adella?" she tried to shout low.

Nothing happened. Ariel's heart felt heavy. She'd hoped to see one of her sisters before tomorrow. As she started to turn away a face broke through the surface. Ariel started to walk towards her, but she backed away.

"It's true…" she said sadly. "You really are a human."

Her legs were bare and Adella stared at them with pain creasing her features.

"Why would you leave us?"

Ariel sighed, "We both know I was the worst mermaid that ever existed."

Her older sister didn't laugh at the joke they often told. She looked frightened and hurt.

"I didn't leave you, Adella. I left a world I was never meant for. I don't know why, but I do know was always meant to be a human."

"For your prince?" she demanded.

Ariel shook her head, "For myself."

Again, her eyes flickered over her legs. Carefully, Ariel sat down. Adella's instincts were screaming at her to run even though she knew her little sister would never hurt her.

"Would you like to see them?" Ariel asked. She dipped her feet in the water and waited patiently. At first Adella looked as though she would immediately say no, but curiosity got the better of her. Hesitantly, she inched forward. Ariel didn't move, letting her slowly feel comfortable enough to touch her feet.

"Did it hurt?" she asked.

Ariel nodded.

"How did it-?"

"I'm not sure. I saved Eric, and when he kissed me… I knew my life would never be the same. When it happened it was like being sliced in half. My bones popped and changed into new ones."

Adella gently touched a nail on the end of her smallest toe.

"So you didn't actually do anything to become human?"

She laughed, "I fell in love with one. The powers of the sea only know how far I would have gone to be with him if I'd had to find a way."

She sighed, "Ariel, how could you fall in love with someone you'd only just seen?"

Ariel shrugged. "I don't know. When mother was alive she used to talk about love at first sight. That you could see someone and know in an instant that they were the one."

"That's just old fish talk." Adella scoffed.

"Love is a strange thing. I didn't know when I first saw him that his favorite color was blue, or that he always scrapes a fork through his teeth when he's eating and makes this noise that drives me crazy!"

Adella couldn't help but laugh and Ariel's face lit up when she described him.

"I didn't know he could love me too, or accept that I was a mermaid. I didn't think he'd let me ask more questions than any teacher and never grow tired of answering them."

Adella sighed, "But you knew he was the one."

"Yes. From the moment I saved his life I knew I was his."

Her sister wrinkled her nose. "Tell me he doesn't treat you like property?"

Ariel laughed, "It's just an expression."

Adella nodded and backed away.

Ariel grabbed her hand and explained, "Today is my wedding day. All I could think about you arrived was how we used to play when we were children."

Adella laughed, "Atina always had to be the bride. I think Aquata got to do it one time and Atina sulked through it the entire afternoon."

"We'd collect pearls to wear and weave our hair in different patterns."

Adella snorted, "Yes well, if you recall the time I let you do my hair I think we knew from the beginning that wasn't going to be a profession for you."

"I suppose it wasn't written for me to style hair."

"And yet it was written for you to be a human queen. My how things work out…"

Their laughter continued with the other occasional shushing to be quiet if they got too loud. The sun was beginning to rise before Adella finally decided she needed to leave. Before she was off, she had Ariel turn around and helped her wash her hair in the ocean before weaving it in a traditional style. Ariel couldn't see herself, but knew she wouldn't let anyone change it for the world. They waved goodbye, and she walked back up the steps, wiping a few silent tears for the life she left behind as she did.