“Jack, my name is Jack.”

    “Serena.”

     “Hey we are heading a little further, so please follow the boat and when we make port meet me down by the dock.”

     She smiled and nodded and I knew I just made my very first date with a mermaid.

     When we finally made port she was all I could think about, but I was terrified. When some of the sailors were headed to the local pub, against my best judgment I decided to tag along to help calm my nerves. Minutes turned into hours and when I peered out onto the dock there she was with her head peeking out of the water. At first she smiled and then her smile faded as she stared back at me. I dropped my beer and ran out to see her. I sat down on the dock. There were no words at first just beautiful silence among two souls from opposite worlds. Then finally I asked her if she could ever come onto land.

     “No, I am bound to the sea. But you, you could come into the sea.”

     “Me in the sea, you saw what happened before, I nearly drowned. Isn’t there any way you could come onto land? Like live in a tank or something?”

     “You want to put me in a tank?” She sounded hurt as she slowly mouthed the words.

     “No, no tank. I mean.. I guess I just don’t know.’

“Well I can offer you the whole sea. The sea prince, he can change you into a merman and you can have the whole sea. The open ocean can be yours, ours.”

     “A merman? Uncle, what did you do?”

     “Well here I am sitting on land, silly. It was just a story. It never actually happened. Now why don’t you two little scamps hurry off, your mom will be looking for you two. It’s almost dinner.”

     “Ok uncle, thanks for the story.” They cried back in unison

     I just smiled and turned away, back to the open water. I didn’t have the heart to tell them the truth. I did see a beautiful mermaid. Our eyes locked in place for one moment in time. But I never jumped in the water. I froze and she just stared with a beautiful smile and then in one flap of her tail she was gone. I gave up the sea after that and became a laborer on a farm inland. About five years ago I retired and now I come here every day to take in the beauty of the open ocean but also to hope that I will be given one last glimpse of my merrow I lost so long ago.