For a split second, the sea witch appears slightly touched, but she quickly recovers, hissing, “You humans and your emphasis on beauty.” She draws out a pause, as if she’s at a loss for what to do next. “There is no way it’s possible to love someone after a single day.”
I stroke Moby’s slick back. “It’s possible if we’re soul mates.”
She is visibly disgusted by that suggestion. Not to mention skeptical. “Fine. I have an idea. Since you claim to love this whaleandbecause beauty is so important to you, would you trade his good looks to have him stay a human forever?”
“Yes,” I breathe, without hesitating. “In a heartbeat. I don’t care what he looks like, I just want…his heart with mine at all times.”
Again, the sea witch doesn’t appear to believe me. “We’ll see about that.”
With a wave of her bony finger, the whale beneath me begins to grow warm. A vibration passes through him, emitting a brief glow before Moby swims beside me in the water—as a human. Just not the one I remember. His head is waxed clean of hair and his face is disfigured, as if it has been burned in a fire.
His grey eyes are the same, though, staring back at me among the scar tissue.
They watch me steadily, in trepidation of my reaction.
But there is only one reaction possible. Joy.
Crying out, I throw myself into his arms, sobbing in relief when his embrace closes around me and squeezes. “My little human,” he says thickly. “You really do love me.”
“Of course, I do. I love you so much,” I wheeze, hardly able to believe my luck.
I cling to Moby as he swims us to the jet ski, his hands grasping me around the waist and settling me onto the seat. As he’s climbing up behind me, holding me tightly to heat me, I focus on the sea witch through a veil of tears. “Thank you,” I whisper.
She’s silent for a prolonged beat. “It reallyistrue love,” she marvels. “I didn’t think such a thing existed.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but it was a pleasure to prove you wrong.”
A laugh nearly bubbles out of her.
She traps it at the last second.
“Moby will remain human now and live a normal human lifespan. With the love of his life, apparently.Sohappy for you. Mean it.” With an exaggerated eye roll, she waves her hand at us and begins to sink below the ocean surface once more.
I catch her smile just before she disappears completely.
Moby and I are halfway to the resort before I turn to look up at him…
…and realize the sea witch has restored his original human face and form.
“Did you miss my handsome face?” he teases, kissing my temple.
“All I ever needed was your heart,” I say, nuzzling my nose into his chin.
“You have it, Darla,” he vows, as the resort comes into view ahead, a bright beacon on the horizon, symbolic of our incredible future. “For the rest of our lives.”
Epilogue
Moby
Five Years Later
Ilearned to build and made it my profession, simply so I could build my little human a home. And I am good at building. But I am better at loving Darla.
I am amasterat that. She makes it very easy. Although sometimes I think love is a very mild word for how I feel about my wife. She is the moon, sun and stars. My oxygen. An obsession with no cure. No appeasing.
Darla is life.
I watch her through the doors of my work shed where I fashion furniture and home fixtures for the locals. She sits on the hillside now, sketching tattoo ideas in her notebook, the wind blowing her long strawberry blonde hair this way and that. Our son and his toddler sister play at her feet, tumbling around inthe grass, laughing merrily. I cannot believe the life this girl has given me. Happiness that words cannot describe, for it is far too vast. Knowing she would choose me and love me with any form or appearance has given me a security that I could never have imagined before Darla was in my life.
