Mermaids in Miami
Copyright© 2026 by Rachael Jane
Chapter 6: The Boy in the Wetsuit
Morning light filters through the skylights above the aquarium, scattering gold across the water. Naida and Nerissa drift lazily near the surface, half‑asleep, tails swaying in slow, dreamy motions. The fish weave around them like colourful clouds.
It’s peaceful. Until something splashes into the water. A loud, human‑sized splash.
Naida jerks upright, startled. Nerissa spins around, eyes wide. A figure descends through the water. The sisters don’t understand who or what it is. It’s human in shape but they have never seen a diver wearing a dark wetsuit, flippers, mask, and oxygen tank. Bubbles stream upward in a glittering trail.
A human in their water. Naida’s first instinct is curiosity. Nerissa’s is alarm.
‘What is he doing?’ Nerissa demands, tail flicking nervously.
‘Swimming,’ Naida replies, already drifting closer.
‘Humans don’t swim like this. They stay outside the glass.’
‘Maybe he’s lost.’
‘Naida... ‘
But Naida is already circling the newcomer, studying him with wide, fascinated eyes. His hair floats around his mask in soft brown waves. His movements are slow, careful, almost respectful. He doesn’t reach for them. He doesn’t try to touch. He simply hovers, watching them with the same awe the visitors show ... but his movements are gentler as though he doesn’t want to frighten them.
The boy lifts a hand in greeting. Naida beams and waves back, copying the actions she’s seen the aquarium’s visitors use.
Nerissa groans. ‘You’re impossible.’
The boy’s eyes crinkle behind the mask, as if he’s smiling. He turns slowly in the water, showing them he means no harm. Naida swims closer, close enough to see her reflection in his mask. She taps the glass of it lightly.
He laughs and bubbles burst from his regulator.
Nerissa hangs back, arms crossed. ‘Be careful.’
‘He’s friendly,’ Naida counters.
The boy gestures toward the coral arch, inviting them to follow. Naida darts ahead eagerly. Nerissa hesitates, then reluctantly trails behind.
They swim together through the tank, around the artificial reef, through the kelp beds. The boy moves awkwardly compared to them, but he tries to match their pace. Naida finds it adorable.
When he tires, he floats near the surface, watching them with open wonder. Naida circles him again, studying the strange equipment strapped to his back.
‘Why does he carry that?’ she asks.
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