The next morning, I woke up in my old bed in the room I used at my uncle's house. I knew I would have to go through everything and give things away or sell them. Uncle never wanted to waste anything but just having it sit around the house. Yawning and stretching in the old twin size bed. I look over at the clock and it read exactly noon. Was everything that happened last night a dream? Running down the stairs and right to the dock I look down into the water and don't see a thing.

"Areona?" I call out in a loud whisper to her.

Within a few moments, she comes up out of the water, fin able to be seen through the water and all. She grinned as she looked up at me.

"Good morning Will, or is it afternoon?" she giggled as she held her hand to the sky and blocked the bright sun from her eyes.

"You are real...thank goodness it wasn't a dream." I chuckle as I sit down on the dock.

"Oh, so now you dream about me?" Areona laughed as she propped herself on the dock and grinned.

"I was making sure you weren't a dream if you were I would have been highly disappointed."

I then felt a warm yet wet hand on my arm. Looking to Areona, I see her pull herself up to me.

"I'm real, I promise."

A few hours later, I was busy going through some things in the house. Uncle did have a lot of things and most of them he had in boxes labeled "junk". Looking at some of the things in here it made me wonder about my uncle. He had quite a few books, a notebook that is and I couldn't help but open one. There wasn't anything exceptional about the notebook but I felt I just had to open it and take a look inside. Opening its old cover I can see my uncles writing, it looked like just random notes he had written down but after reading a few it seemed like a journal.

'Will met her today, the mermaid. Though she is just a few years older than him in looks in true age she is over a hundred years older than him. He is only fourteen and finds her to be the most beautiful woman in the world. I doubt she has the true courage to tell him that she is a mermaid. He met her on the edge of the lake, she was in her human form then and the minute he looked at her I knew that Will was in love with Areona. It's a young love so I do not know if it one that will last, one that will break the spell.'

I was in love with her? I wish I knew if I had been in love with her at one point in my life, maybe then I would at least remember something more from my past. Unfortunately, I didn't remember anything about her. This was a lot to process and to be honest, a part of me was still wondering if this was all part of some weird dream. Maybe I hit my head on something and knocked me out? Still, that wouldn't explain the journal...maybe I just needed to give it time. Scratching the back of my head I stand and look out the window to the lake. She isn't there, not above water at least. Maybe she was down under it doing whatever it was that mermaids do?

"Are you alright?" a female voice asks from behind me.

I nearly jump ten feet as I turn around and see Areona looking at me also shocked and confused. She had her legs back and she backed up against the bookcase. I must have yelled a little when I jumped and looked back at her. She looked genuinely afraid. Seeing the fear on her face hurt something deep down inside of me, I didn't know why or how but I felt like I had to comfort her. Carefully walking to her I gently brought her into my arms and held her close.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I was just frightened and you scared me." I tell her in a calm and gentle voice.

She immediately calms down and leans into my embrace.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to scare you," she says in a low voice.

All the sudden we both hear the front door open and then slam shut. Pulling barely away we look at one another once again confused. who could that be? Who knew that either of us would be here? Especially her.

"Will! Get your ass down here! We need to talk!" my ex's voice yells as we can hear her making her way up the stairs.

"What in the world is she doing here?" I question just as the door opens and there stand Debbie and her boss Paul standing right behind her but now they have shocked faces.

"Move on quick, huh Will?" Debbie comments looking at Areona and me.

Moving Areona behind me, she looks up at me confused but I just nod my head trying to comfort her.

"What do you want now Debbie?" I sigh as I look back to my ex-wife.

"$500,000!!! I deserve some of that!!" Debbie yells and points her finger at me.

"Why would you? My uncle's death happened after our divorce was finalized. It has nothing to do with you." I groan as I roll my eyes, of course, all she wants is money.

"I'm pregnant, so, hello, child support!" she grins as she chews her gum and looks back to Paul with a wide grin.

"It's not mine."

"Psh, how do you know that?"

"We haven't had sex in over a year...if it were the baby would have been born or almost born by now," I tell her as I cross my arms over my chest.

"You have some nerve! I'll get that money even if the baby has to get the DNA test to prove it!" she yells as she back both Areona and me back into a corner. "Hide your side slut all you want but trust me when I am done with you, you won't have a damn thing."

She just laughs and looks Areona right in the eyes.

"You dare come to this home, threaten someone I love and have the nerve to leave without an ounce of respect. You truly are a spiteful woman." Areona's voice spoke up from behind me and I looked back at her.

Her once forest green eyes were now a bright blue. She was angry, very angry and she had her hands to her side in tight fists. She was going to do something and I didn't want to be on the receiving end.

"He's nothing! Couldn't even knock me up! I wanted a kid so bad I had to screw his boss just to get one! He won't love you! He will throw you away just like he did me!" Debbie yells at Areona.

Deciding I needed to intervene, I grab Areona and force her to look at me. Her bright blue eyes looked up into mine and she all the sudden calmed down. Debbie and Paul just left claiming they would get the money. It wouldn't happen but I wasn't going to fight them. Then Areona went limp in my arms. Carefully picking her up, I carry her to the spare bedroom and lay her down on the bed. Had just that taken the energy out of her?