I didn't sleep at all that night. Every time I started to close my eyes, I feared that something would happen or Ani would stop breathing if I slept. Dr. Murphy came in periodically during the night to check on her, but I was the one who stayed by her side the whole time.

Focusing on her breathing was the only thing that kept me from thinking about Ross and my anger towards him. Dr. Murphy came in again around midnight to begin pulling her out of the coma. At first, when nothing happened, my heart sank.

It hadn't worked. Ani was still asleep. When I felt a hand on my arm, I turned and met Dr. Murphy's gaze, questions in my own. "This is a very delicate process, so it takes time," she explained gently. "If she's not fully awake by morning, we can explore other options. Give it time."

Only when I saw the sun rise over the water the following morning did I realize I hadn't closed my eyes at all during the night. I rubbed a hand over my eyes, whipping my head around as I heard the door open. Mom swam in, carrying a tray laden with shrimp, scallops, and bubble tea. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten or drank anything.

She smiled, but it was sad when she set the tray on the table beside the bed. "Did you get any sleep?" As the last word left her mouth, I saw the pallor of her skin and knew she hadn't. I wondered if Dad had.

I shook my head. "No. I was afraid that something would happen, or she'd stop breathing if I slept." Mom was staring at me, and I knew what she was thinking. If I slept, I'd risk dreaming of Faye and the circumstances surrounding her death. Never mind the possibility of the death of the mermaid lying in front of me.

As foolish as it was, I turned back to Ani, refusing to give up hope. She was so pale. My heart paused, stumbled, and started again as I suddenly felt her hand gently squeeze mine.

I exchanged a worried but hopeful glance with Mom before returning to Ani. "Ani?"

Endless minutes ticked by, and then Ani's eyelids suddenly fluttered. Mom let out a sob, and I leaned forward, my heart beating out of my chest. "Ani? It's Drew. Can you hear me?"

The following moments unfolded in slow motion, each second stretching out as if time itself had slowed to a crawl. Ani's eyes shot open, her gaze darting wildly around the room before landing on Mom and me; terror filled her eyes as she lurched forward, a sob slipping from her lips as she flung her arms around my neck, her body shaking wildly.

I could feel the sobs wracking her body, but she made no sound save for the occasional whimper. She locked her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder, her whimpers growing louder until Mom and I exchanged a worried glance. I let out a shaky breath.

Mom immediately leaned forward and put a soft hand on Ani's back, rubbing soothing circles. "Ani, honey, it's okay," she said, raising her voice to be heard over the whimpers that cut through the tense and shocked silence like a dagger. "You're okay. You're safe now. Everything's going to be okay."

It wasn't until Mom's words faded that I became aware of another voice, speaking so quietly I couldn't make out the words. Ani was murmuring something into my chest, but I couldn't understand her. "What is it, sweetheart?" Mom asked gently.

With great effort, Ani pulled away and met my eyes, her chest heaving as tears streamed down her cheeks. "H-he could have killed you." Her voice broke on the last word, and a sob broke from her chest, the sound cracking something inside me. She hadn't mentioned a name, but it wouldn't have mattered. All of us knew who she meant. I met her eyes and wordlessly placed her hand on my heart.

If there was ever a time when she needed to feel comfort, it was now. Her trauma was rooted deeply in fear, and I knew it would take months (if not years) to bring her out of it. A shudder rippled through her body as she closed her eyes. "But he didn't," I replied softly. "I'm right here. I'm safe. You're safe. We'll get through this together, my love. I promise."

Ani nodded, but the fear remained in her eyes. Mom squeezed my shoulder and took a breath before speaking. "I'm going to update David and the others. Try to eat something if you can. I'll be back in a minute." I saw the unspoken words in her eyes and nodded in response. Ani needed to eat as well.

I made to rise from where I perched on the side of the bed, but Ani suddenly clutched my arm, her eyes wide and fearful. "W-where are you going?" I closed my eyes at her words, swallowing hard. The sheer terror in her voice broke my heart in two.

I put a hand on her arm as I looked back at her. "I'm not leaving. I'm just going to the door." My words were soothing, but sorrow filled my eyes as I spoke.

A few seconds passed before Ani nodded and reluctantly let me go. I rubbed a hand down my face, exhaling deeply as Mom and I swam to the door. We spoke quietly, obviously not wanting Ani to overhear. "This is more than just fear, Drew. She is terrified of letting you out of her sight. The situation with her sister altered her perception of safety; Ross's altercation with you shattered it entirely.

"You're the only one she trusts—you're the only one she feels safe around. The thought of losing you was too much for her. I think you should talk to Dr. Murphy about it, and she can officially diagnose her." Again, Mom's unspoken words were painfully clear: Ani was suffering from severe PTSD.

"I love you. Let me know if anything changes. I'll be back soon." Mom kissed me on the cheek before quietly leaving the room.

Ani was trembling now; her breathing had quickened until she began hyperventilating. I took both of her hands, squeezing gently. "Listen to the sound of my voice. You are going to get through this. But you have to breathe. Watch me: in through the nose, out through the mouth."

I inhaled through my nose and exhaled deeply through my mouth several times, encouraging Ani to copy me. I watched her breathing return to normal, quickly followed by a wave of exhaustion. Her eyelids fluttered shut, but she forced them open again, that familiar terror returning to her face. I spoke before she could so much as open her mouth. "Eat, and then you can sleep."

I picked up the plate of shrimp and held a piece out to her. She robotically placed it in her mouth, repeating the process until the plate was empty, doing the same with the bubble tea until she'd drained it to the dregs. I could all but feel the exhaustion radiating from her, but the fear underneath it was just as intense. Her body and mind were bruised and battered, but she simultaneously craved and dreaded sleep.

Sleeping meant the barriers around her mind—the ones she'd painstakingly worked to erect in the wake of Ross's attack—were down, allowing the thoughts and memories she'd worked so hard to bury to reappear. I knew what she would see, or rather, who.

Della, Ross, the attack, the fight between her and Della—it would be a miracle if she could even fall asleep. She had just picked up a scallop and was putting it in her mouth when a knock on the door startled us. Ani flinched so violently that her scallop went flying. I squeezed her hand before swimming to the door, figuring it was Mom coming back.

But my heart skipped a beat when I opened the door and glimpsed a flash of curly red hair. I stared openmouthed at Della, the shock palpable between us. Looking over my shoulder, I quickly swam outside, leaving the door cracked behind me.

I recovered first, but my voice was low and menacing when I spoke. "You've got a lot of nerve showing up here. Especially when your sister is recovering from an injury you partially facilitated." I'd never heard my voice sound so... cold.

I was shaking as fury rippled from me. Della looked as if I had slapped her. For a few tense moments, the only sound was our breathing. When she finally spoke, her voice broke. "Drew, please. I'm so, so sorry. You have no idea how much I regret what happened between Ani and me. When I heard what happened, I rushed over here."

I opened my mouth to respond, but another voice—a new voice—spoke up from behind Della, cracking with nervousness. "A-Adella? Is that you? Is Adriana with you?"

Della went rigid as she sucked in a breath. I tensed at the sound of Ani's full name. I caught a quick glimpse of shiny platinum blonde hair and captivating ice-blue eyes peeking out from behind Della. I swam outside and instinctively pushed Della behind me, leaving the door cracked. "Who are you?"

My voice was stern, my eyes flashing as I looked from Della to the mermaid before me. I was about to repeat myself when Della spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "Mom?"

I had to brace a hand on the wall to keep from faltering. Neither Ani nor Della had ever mentioned having contact with either of their parents in recent years—I'd figured they had either died or moved on with their lives. If someone had told me my wife's sister would be seeing their mother for the first time in years, I would have told them they were crazy.

Yet there was no doubt in my mind that the mermaid floating before Della was her mother. Della and her mother had striking ice-blue eyes, while Ani had inherited their mother's full lips—the same lips that had kissed me with such passion after she'd woken from her coma.

I peeked back into Ani's room, relieved to find her asleep and grateful our voices hadn't woken her. Blistering anger surged through me as I spoke, my body trembling with the effort to contain it. "My wife is currently recovering from an injury that your daughter—her sister—caused. Being in the hospital is certainly not the right time or place for a family reunion."

I kept my eyes on their mother the entire time I spoke, not daring to meet Della's pleading gaze. "After the traumatic experience that Ani went through, it will ultimately be her decision as to whether she wants to re-establish contact with either of you. Her well-being and comfort should be the top priority in this situation."

I let out a tense breath, rubbing my eyes. The exhaustion I had barely kept at bay all day was rearing its ugly head again. "I can't do this right now. I don't need this. Ani doesn't need this. If both of you genuinely love and care for her, you will leave and allow her the time and space she needs to heal from such a traumatic event. When and if she decides to re-establish contact is entirely up to her."

A tense silence fell over us before Della nodded. Their mother glanced between me and Della before following suit. "Of course. Whatever is best for Adriana."

I winced at Ani's full name. I hadn't heard it in so long—even before we'd gotten married, I'd only known her as Ani. Hearing it twice in one day was like a slap in the face. Their mother left first, casting a longing glance in Della's direction. Della was last, her gaze pleading as she swam toward me.

"Drew, please. You have to understand—I had no part in her showing up here. Before today, I wasn't even sure she was still alive. After I met Caspian, I left home entirely." Her voice was calm, but I sensed panic underneath the steady exterior. The sudden reappearance of their long-lost mother had rattled her.

"I meant what I said, Della. Ani doesn't need this right now. If you ever truly cared for her, you'll leave and allow her the time and space she needs to heal." My voice was a breath away from cracking under the exhaustion threatening to suffocate me.

Without another word, I swam back into Ani's room. Mom suddenly appeared before me, her face etched in concern. I beckoned her in without a word. After I closed the door, I collapsed against it, breathing heavily. Mom glanced at Ani, sleeping soundly, and then back at me. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

I wasn't sure what it was—the tone of her voice, the concern, or the shock of the events that had just occurred—but a sob cracked from me before her words had even finished echoing. But I couldn't fall apart. Not now. Not when the chair beside Ani's bed practically called my name.

Mom put a hand on my arm, her gaze worried. When she spoke, her voice floated in and out of my ears. "Drew, you need to..."

The last thing I was aware of before the blissful darkness overtook me was Mom's firm hand on my arm, keeping me upright. I could only hope my body and mind would be strong enough to reveal the truth when I woke again. Would Ani be able to process the news? Or would hearing it set her back in ways none of us could have foreseen?

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