Page 75 of Oceansong
“Aw.” Rosie pouted. “But will you tell me when you do?”
“Of course I will. Did you have anything to drink yet?” Rosie shook her head. “Well then!” Angie stepped aside and handed her a cup. “Go get your mama so she can get something to drink in that cute little belly of yours until your dad comes.”
“Okay!” Rosie seemed to have forgotten about mermaids as she ran to Mia, waving the cup at her.
Angie followed behind her to grab a Mamie Taylor for herself, bumping into Stefan when she reached for the ginger beer. She had been drinking more liquids lately, hoping to fill the void in her stomach.
Even though she tried not to look, she caught him leaning over to whisper something in Ken’s ear, and they laughed. Each time she saw them, they had the energy of two new boyfriends with the familiarity and comfort of a long-married happy couple. She’d find it a blessing if she and her future partner were still so loved up after over two decades of being together.
Meanwhile, she couldn’t figure out what she felt for Kaden.
“Ugh, where the hell is Nick? I’m starving,” Jenny said from Angie’s other side, putting a hand over her swollen belly.
“How far along?” Angie asked.
Jenny kept her gaze on her midsection, a forlorn smile tugging at her lips. “Sixteen weeks.”
“I’d kill for some protein right now.” Dave joined her, kissing the top of her head. He squeezed Jenny’s shoulders, pulling her closer to him. “I’ve been giving her most of the food we get. I’ll gladly starve if it means my wife and kids will live.”
Angie exchanged a sad look with Mia who had joined their group with Rosie and Peter, Jenny and Dave’s son. Dave did look skinnier than the last time she saw him, his T-shirt hung loosely on his upper body.
An urge struck to tell them that she’d seen the fish. That they weren’t all gone. The fish were safe, and if they agreed to talk to the mer, maybe they would get them back.
No. She had to stay quiet. Couldn’t betray Kaden’s trust.
“We’re so happy you all are here.” Mia leaned back in her chair.
The sun had set, the skies lit with scintillating stars, and Angie zipped her jacket all the way up.
Then, Mia, Ken, and Dave looked up, and pushed their chairs back to rush toward two men who had just arrived, each holding one side of a one-hundred-and-fifty-quart cooler.
It was Nick and a red-bearded fisherman, the one Angie had helped when she first realized that fish were missing.
Angie trailed at Dave’s heels.
“What you got in there, Nick?” He towered over the cooler when Nick and the fisherman set it on the grass.
A triumphant grin spread over Nick’s face when he threw open the cooler top.
Chills trailed down Angie’s spine.
Fish filled the cooler. Sea bass, salmon, arctic char, all the fish that hadn’t been seen in months. Two lobsters and three crabs were tucked into the corners.
“Nick! Holy shit, where’d you get that from? You two are heroes!” Ken clapped them on the back, and Angie stayed back as more partygoers joined, including Rosie, Bàba, and Stefan.
“Where did you get these from?” Stefan asked. “Angie, come with me to throw these on the grill?” He handed her a cold, dead salmon. Numb, Angie held out a limp hand to receive it.
She didn’t move, and felt as if roots had grown under feet and anchored her into the ground.
“Well.” Nick pulled out a lobster in each hand and handed them tothe red-bearded fisherman, and two crabs to Ken. “Help me unshell these, boys?”
“You got it, man,” Ken said, following the fisherman toward the long plastic table next to the grill.
Beside Angie, Mia, Bàba, Dave, and Stefan fixed their gazes on Nick who seemed to relish the attention, with his chest puffed and a smug smile plastered on his face.
“We found where the mer were keeping them. Somehow those scaly bastards managed to keep all the fish in one place. Our cameras sensed movement, we were able to follow a trail straight to the site. I can’t believe it.” Nick paused for dramatic effect, turning his gaze to Angie and holding it. “Took us a little while to pinpoint exactly where it was and then get enough fish for us, but we did it.”
How did this happen? How did he find–
