Cassie returned to her apartment exhilarated that Rafe had asked her out but also a bit anxious. It was her first official one-on-one date. The incident at the bonfire hadn't really been a date; Cassie thought of it more as a group activity gone wrong.

Aunt Marnie arrived a little after ten and Cassie wasted no time spilling how Rafe had asked her out.

Her aunt said nothing, but from the look on her face, Cassie knew she was turning the idea over in her head. Instead of commenting, she asked about the text message. "You said something happened to you in the water."

Since they were still standing at the door, Cassie said, "Let's sit." She made them both a cup of coffee from the Keurig machine and joined her aunt at her small dinette.

Cassie wrapped her hands around the coffee mug to warm them since the overcast sky kept the morning air cooler than usual. "Before momma died, she told me my instinct would guide me when the time came for me to hear the calling. Can I trust my instinct?" She went on to tell her aunt about the fire sponges and how she would've caressed them if Rafe hadn't stopped her.

Marnie didn't react in panic or make a big deal out of it. She sipped her coffee and asked, "How strong was the urge for you to do that?"

"Overpowering. I have no doubt I would have. Also, I had some sort of hallucination, a moaning, but it didn't call my name. The sponges kept asking for  Sirena."

Her aunt considered and said, "The sponges don't know your name, but they know who you are."

"You mean what I am."

Marnie didn't try to correct her.

Cassie squeezed shut her eyes a moment to compose herself. "Aunt Marnie, I don't want this for myself. I never asked for this. It's unfair. I just want to be normal and not have to live in fear. I want to go out with Rafe and not think about anything else."

Her aunt set down her coffee mug. "I feel for you, Cassie. I really do, but now I'm going to say something that I hope you don't misinterpret as me being cruel. You cannot suppress your true nature. You can't hide from it. You are what you are, and you need to face what comes. You've known that since you were a child."

Cassie sighed. "If I'm wrong about my instinct, the toxin in the fire sponge spicules will kill me."

"Your blood and DNA are unique. If the calling you experienced is as overpowering as you described, the toxin might be the catalyst your body needs for you to become an adult of your species."

Cassie remembered the word catalyst  but forgot what it meant. She'd look it up later. The toxin had to be the key. Hearing her aunt voice the argument made her less afraid. Her real fear had to do with something else.

"Aunt Marnie, what about boys?"

Her aunt looked puzzled. "What about them?"

She felt weird talking about it, even to her aunt. "Say for instance Rafe and I hit it off. Eventually..." She let it trail off not knowing how to put her thoughts into words.

"You can only have female children. I don't know why. You'll need a human male for that to happen since obviously there are no males of your kind."

Her aunt's frankness made Cassie blush. She pressed on. "Rafe, or whoever I end up with will find out about me. What happens if boys find me repulsive."

Aunt Marnie shrugged. "Either he will accept you as you are, or he won't. Cassie, your mother and father had a happy marriage. It didn't bother your father at all. The only time your mother transformed was during the rare occasions when she was summoned by the sea. Likely your father never saw her in that state. I suspect throughout history human men and their special wives coexisted in loving relationships. I don't think you need to worry. If a man loves you, he will cherish you regardless."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Cassie didn't think her aunt could tell her anything new, so she changed the subject. "Rafe didn't tell me where he was taking me tomorrow afternoon. He wants to surprise me, but he said to wear something nice." She looked at her aunt. "I don't know what that means."

Her aunt smiled. "It think it means he wants to see you in a dress."

It dismayed her. "I have bathing suits and shorts and tees and sexy halters, and skirts and hoodies, but I don't own a dress. I never needed one. What kind of dress should I get that'll make me look nice but not slutty?"

Marnie grew thoughtful. "I suppose I haven't done a very good job talking with you about dating and such. With us in hiding and being so careful, I didn't give it a priority. Cassie, I'm sorry for that. I neglected to realize you're becoming a woman and need to know these things."

"Don't," Cassie said. "Don't ever feel regret over how you raised me. I owe you everything."

"Let me give you some quick advice then. To look classy in a dress and not as you put it, slutty, there's a simple rule. If you want to show off your legs, then you should be modest up top. If you want to show cleavage, then your hem should be below the knee. It's considered pretentious to show both leg and cleavage."

She liked that vocab word: pretentious, and often used it herself.

"Aunt Marnie, the storm isn't supposed to come until late this afternoon. Can you take me shopping and help me pick something out?"

Her aunt smiled. "I'll do you one better. I'll help you, and I'll even buy a dress for you. Maybe two so you'll have one in reserve."

Before Cassie could express her gratitude, Marnie's expression turned serious. "I need to say something more. It's about Rafe."

Cassie jumped in a bit more defensively than she intended. "It's not his fault Uncle Milos and Ofelia got together."

Marnie held a hand up in front of her. "That's not my point. What I'm saying is Rafe is older."

"He's nineteen."

"Exactly. You won't be able to grasp this, but there's a huge difference in the level of maturity between a sixteen-year-old girl and a nineteen-year-old boy."

"You're saying I'm naïve?"

"Compared to him, yes."

Cassie grinned. "I sense that's part of the reason he's attracted to me. And his maturity is part of the reason I'm attracted to him."

Marnie nodded. "That's usually the way it is between young men and women." She went on, "You should consider Rafe was partly raised by your uncle and works for him. He might be involved in some of Milos's less than ethical business affairs. Don't be surprised if you discover he has a darker side."

She had witnessed how quickly he had beaten up Connell. No doubt Rafe was tough and worldly, but everyone seemed to like and respect him. Thinking about how Rafe had saved her from Connell, she said, "I trust Rafe. He would never force me to do anything."

Cassie found it odd when her aunt laughed at what she said until she explained herself. "I trust Rafe too. Milos would throttle that boy if he behaved badly toward you. Rafe may be Ofelia's son, but you are family and a beloved niece. Your uncle thinks the world of you."

The conversation had opened a door and Cassie decided to take advantage. "Aunt Marnie, since we're being open and frank about relationships, can you tell me about you and Milos? I mean, only if you feel comfortable enough to talk about it."

Marnie picked up her mug and drank the rest of her coffee. When done, she said, "First of all, I need you to know that I harbor no ill will toward your uncle. The same holds true for Ofelia. I knew in advance the job he proposed to you involved working as a member of Ofelia's crew. Don't quit your job over some misguided loyalty toward me. Embrace the opportunity she and Milos are offering you."

What her aunt said relieved Cassie. If she quit, she'd end up back at square one, abandoning her apartment and independence and moving back into the condo. Although she missed her aunt and the condo, she'd feel like a failure if that happened.

Marnie went on. "On the other hand, Ofelia isn't bullying you or otherwise being overbearing, is she?"

"Oh, no. Just the opposite. I can't believe how patient she's been. I've been such a screw up."

Marnie giggled. "You're a teen, Cassie. Of course, you're going to screw up from time-to-time. Just be sure to learn from your mistakes."

If only she screwed up from time-to-time instead of all the time.

They went quiet.

Cassie cleared her throat. "Um, about you and Uncle Milos?"

Marnie stared at her as if judging whether she would be able to handle the truth.

She finally spoke. "Cassie, I know what you've been thinking all these years. I haven't corrected your assumptions because I needed your respect in order to raise you. You're old enough now, so I can confide in you. It's a classic case of things not being what they appear to be. You see, your uncle never stopped loving me. I'm the one who walked out on him."

Question - We'll find out later why Marnie left Milos. In the meantime, do you agree with Aunt Marnie's fashion advice?