Chapter 4
Mum looked really confused at what I'd just told her, puzzled. She raised an eyebrow and looked back from me, to Roger, and back to me.
"Sapphire… What in the world are you talking about? Mer… Mordowrgi… Human blood…? I understand if you wanted to have a boyfriend and go diving with him, but nothing your saying now is making sense. The cold must be getting to you. Lets go home and talk this out, ok Sapphy?" Mum said calmly, as if refusing to acknowledge what had just happened.
"And for goodness sake, Sapphire, I know you like the water, but making your boyfriend wear a tail? That's a bit ridiculous. Faro, was it? I'll see if I have a pair of pants for the poor you." Roger added on afterwards and headed inside the boat.
My mouth just hung open. I looked from Faro to Conor, who were both frozen with shock just like I was. Faro had his arm draped over my waist as we both laid on the deck on our sides.
Did this really just happen? She must think I'm joking. Or that I've gone mental. probably the second one.
That was when the cold suddenly set in. February. Snow. Ocean. Frozen. Not good. I shook violently from shivering and even Faro's warmth faded as he and I sat back to back on the boat floor.
Conor pulled me up off the floor and Mum extended her hand out to Faro. Faro cautiously took it, and as Mum struggled to pull him forward, he flopped into a chair, and I stumbled in front of him with my arms slightly spread out.
"Umm, Mum, Faro's handicapped." I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Handicapped, perfect!
"He… had an accident a few months back and this suit is supposed to strengthen his legs again. he isn't supposed to take it off." I bit my lip slightly at the end, Mum's got to believe this. She's refusing to believe anything else.
"Oh! That explains a little bit. But why were you swimming if he's handicapped? And in February of all times?" Mum questioned expertly.
"Er- It was to… help him adjust to the climate…" I said uneasily. Luckily Mum didn't pick up on the wavering in my voice, but Roger, who'd just come back, wasn't so sure.
"Climate...Handicapped…" Roger echoed, as if trying to peice things together in his head. He looked at me, deep into my eyes, as if that'd make me crack and spill the secret that he knew I had.
"Yes. Faro was in a car accident a few months ago. The suit was made to help him recover. He was on the winter swim team, so they thought it'd be good to train a good swimmer like him in the water." I confirmed. It was kinda true. Faro had hurt his tail a while back, and he is an excellent swimmer.
Roger finally decided it wasn't worth the effort of forcing it out of me, and returned to the front wheel. Conor stood next to him, 'learning the ropes' he says. Mum is in the back of the boat, seasick. Then again, what would you expect from a person who hasn't been on the sea or ocean in years.
Besides the occasional flicker of a radio signal, the boat was eerily silent. I nuzzled into a sleeping Faro's side, and leaned against the back of the bench where we sat. The sound of the lapping of waves against the side of the boat was the only comforting sound to be heard; aside from breathing.
The Sun was almost completely set, having half of the orange disk left above the skin-er-ocean. It cast a warm relaxing glow across our faces and lit the usually dirty white room with a orangeish pinkish glow. Mum had finally joined us again when I went and pulled something out from under my seat.
I always kept one of Dad's old cameras away from Mum and Conor so they wouldn't sell it. I quietly removed the lens cap and switched the button to on, with a flick of my forefinger. After focusing the camera on the sunset, I took three pictures. The first of the sunset, the second mithe Mum, Conor, and Roger, with a blurry sunset background, and the last was of Faro and I curled up on the bench.
Just as quietly as I took the pictures, I saved them, and put my camera away. No one had noticed, nd Faro was still asleep.
Mum finally exhaled and sat next to Conor and Roger. She cupped her stomach, which had a noticeably large bulge. A wave of guilt and depression swept over me like a rogue tide. It wasn't the baby's fault that they were going to be born into our family. In slow wide circle movements, Mum rubbed her stomach.
"How far along are you..?" I murmured with my head down.
Mum looked back at me, shocked, as I imagined she would be. She gathered her breath and became more relaxed. with a faint smile glowing on her face, Mum replied:
"I went in for another examination. Three months and a half months along with them. I was hoping you and Conor would help me name them. They'll be due around July or August."
I tilted my head to the side, and Conor was clearly surprised too.
"They?" I asked curiously.
"Yes, they. You'll be having two younger siblings, a girl and a boy." Mum said, beaming with happiness, as we pulled onto shore.
Conor and I helped Faro into the cottage. He had to sleep on the couch due to his 'handicap' and sooner or later, Conor and I helped him back into the ocean. before we knew it, those remaining months had flown by, and it was late July…