The room turned silent immediately as everyone stared at Nerissa. Rob and Lauren's jaws dropped and Zac stared at his birth mother with anger radiating in his eyes.
"The Northern pod?" Zac managed to bite out bitterly.
Nerissa furrowed her brow and looked around confused, not quite sure what the problem was.
"Yes, the Northern pod. I 'm sure that the mermaid counsel will accept you after you saved the world. There is nothing to be afraid of darling," Nerissa said, placing a hand on her son's shoulder.
Zac pushed off his mother's hand and stared at her angrily. "Afraid? I'm not afraid, I'm mad. You have been back for what, an hour, and you want me to pack up my life and move across the sea with you? No way. I'm not going anywhere."
Nerissa opened her mouth to interject, but Zac quickly silenced her. "What about my parents? What about the people who raised me when you abandoned me?"
"I did tell you that they could come and visit at any time," Nerissa stated.
Rita stepped in. "We are going to give you five some space." She said, motioning for Ondina and Weilan to follow her. Once they left, the conversation continued.
"Nerissa, I cannot go to the Northern pod to live. I have a family on land. Friends, school and I made my life here. I'm sorry but I'm not going." Zac explained.
Nerissa looked down at the floor. "What about your sister? You both just reconnected and you want to be separated again?"
Everyone in the room turned to look at Mimmi who still sat there bench, completely dumbfounded.
Zac looked back at Nerissa. "She's staying here with me."
Nerissa looked directly into her daughter's eyes. "Are you also not coming home? I didn't mean for this living arrangement to be permanent. Mimmi darling, you have friends and family at home. I know that they would be so excited to see you again." She turned and looked at her son. "They would love you too."
"I-I have people waiting for me? I have more of a family?" Mimmi asked in a shy voice.
Nerissa looked surprised. "Of course darling. Aunts and cousins. All who love you. You don't remember?"
"I was four!" Mimmi screamed, standing up from the bench. "I was four when you left me! I had family I could have stayed with? Why did you put me in a different pod?"
Nerissa took a step back, obviously surprised at her children's temper.
"To be close to your brother. To form the bond that you obviously have. By growing up close together, you were able to enhance your powers, even if you were still learning to use them."
Lauren finally had the guts to interject. "Why can't you stay here?" she asked.
Nerissa turned to face the woman. "I need to restore peace in the north. I need to help rebuild the pod. I just thought that my children would want to come with me."
"Well you thought wrong." Rob remarked. "By law, Zac is ours. We adopted him. He is our son. Mimmi on the other hand," he said, nodding to the brunette who sat back down on the bench. "Is not legally ours, but she had merged into our family extremely well. We see her as our daughter. If you think for a second that you can take them away from is, you are dead wrong."
Nerissa was taken aback, "I-I think we have all had enough excitement for one night. I'm going to leave now." She said, edging toward the door.
"Mother wait!" Mimmi cried suddenly, reaching her hand out. Nerissa froze and turned around.
"We don't want you to leave, it's just Zac and I have been through a lot. Gives us a few days to think about our future. Don't make us decide our future tonight."
Nerissa nodded and bid everyone goodnight, leaving though the sea entrance.
Lauren sighed heavily. "Well, that was something. Come on Zac, let's go home."
"I'm actually going to stay with Mimmi tonight," he said sitting down next to his sister on the bench. He reached down to grab her hand, which she grasped tightly. "I think we both need each other right now. I will be home first thing in the morning. I promise."
Lauren hesitated, her eyes flicking down at their combined hands, and caved.
"Of course. Be there for each other. I'll see you both bright and early tomorrow for breakfast."
Lauren walked over and kissed both of the teens on the head. Rob nodded to each of them and they left.
As soon as they were gone, Weilan and Ondina re-entered the grotto.
"What happened?" Weilan asked the twins.
Mimmi's hand stared to shake and Zac could feel her emotion. She was so confused and was trying so hard not to break down.
"They gave us time to think. Do you think the two of us could have the grotto tonight?" Zac questioned.
Ondina nodded. "I'm about to head out anyways." She started walking towards the sea opening but stopped. She turned to Zac. "Take care of her okay."
Zac gave her a curt nod.
After Ondina left, Weilan stood there awkwardly. The twins stared at her. She looked around uncomfortably and then pointed to the exit.
"I'm just gonna go." She said, backing out of the room.
Zac and Mimmi started laughing when she left, but that laughter soon turned into tears as the stress of that day came crashing down on Mimmi. Zac turned to embrace his sister. She sobbed into his baseball tee. He made hushing sounds to try to calm her down. Her entire body shook as sobbed. Zac was only feeling a tiny part of what his sister was feeling. She had just found her missing mother and was told that she had to make a difficult choice. Leave everything behind and have to start all over once again, or leave her mother for a second time.
Minutes pasted and finally Mimmi was able to start to calm down. Zac held her the entire time. Finally, the tears were used up and Mimmi sat there snuggled up to her brother's chest.
"What are we going to do?" Mimmi asked through mind speak.
Zac tilted his head down at her. Her normally bright blue eyes that were full of life, were close. Dried tears lay stained her face. Thank god bodily fluid didn't transform them. Zac didn't think that would improve his sister's mood.
It was obvious that she didn't want to talk out loud.
"I wish I knew sis, I wish I knew."
"Do- do you want to go?" Mimmi asked.
Zac sighed. "I have a life here. I can't pick up my entire life and move across the sea to meet mers who most likely won't accept me. They will see me as a threat. I don't think I can take that chance."
He felt Mimmi shift her position. She sighed deeply.
"I don't know what to do. I have made some many friends here, but Nerissa said that there are people waiting for us in the North. I don't want to disappoint anyone."
"You wouldn't be disappointing anyone. You have to make the choice that is right for you. If you want to journey with Nerissa, no one would blame you. You haven't seen her in thirteen years. You are able to go and explore the northern waters with mother. If you decide that you want to come visit us, we will embrace you with open arms. Besides, it's not like we are not able to communicate. I mean, we are talking through each other's mind right now. Of course I will miss you terribly, but I completely understand. You don't have to make this decision right now. Come on, it's been a long day. Let's get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning." Zac answered tenderly.
Mimmi huffed underneath him.
"How is it that you always know exactly what to say?"
Zac chuckled. "Years of practice. You have met Evie right?"
Zac looked down to see Mimmi smiling.
"I have," she said aloud. She paused. "Thanks."
Zac nodded and pulled his younger twin closer.
They ended up falling asleep in each other's arms. It was nice, just the two of them. When they first found out about each other, they were close. Now, after everything they have been through, they were inseparable. Brother and sister reunited again. For that moment, everything was good.
It stayed that way until Zac woke up on the bench with Mimmi's foot in his face.
Hello!
After ending the other chapter on such a cliffhanger, I decide to have this one end on a lighter, more playful mood. I have a younger sibling and I can guarantee that I woke up with her foot in my face.
Okay, wow. Big decision Mimmi has to make. Will she stay with her brother, or journey backhoe with Nerissa? Only time will tell.
Thanks for reading!
~Moonlight Mermaids