was. I wanted to move in with him– to find a place to rent and start college together, side by side, but Ethan was resistant, afraid to get off on the wrong foot with my father. After the way him and Evie clashed, I suppose I could understand his hesitance.
So for now, we kept our plans to ourselves, and tried to be patient. We had finals week to get through, and college to think about in the fall. I’d signed up for just a few classes, uncertain as to what exactly I should study. Ethan would be attending on a full-ride scholarship, and he knew exactly what courses he needed and how long it would take to graduate. Ethan worked so hard for everything he got that I was embarrassed when my father called on his connections in order to get me enrolled after the deadline.
I wouldn’t be eighteen until January, and once I was, no one had any say in our plans but us. Those eight months stretched out before us like an eternity.
The next morning I woke at dawn, eager to get to Ethan. I wanted to tell him about the meeting with the council, and what we planned to say. I needed reassurance that everything was going to be okay. I dressed in a hurry and found Abby in the kitchen, reading the paper.
“Good morning honey! How was the prom?”
“It was alright,” I said, “How are you feeling this morning?”
Abby smiled as she stroked her pregnant belly, “I’m good, just a little more tired than usual. I’m sorry I didn’t stay up to see you get in, Cruz told me that Evie came by to take you all out. That was sure nice of her.”
“Yeah… nice,” I said. I hoped Ethan was over it by now.
“Do you want to go with me to the farmer’s market?” she asked.
I smiled, “I was just on my way there.”
She got up to get ready, pressing her hand on the small of her back. I offered to drive, and when we got to the market we went our separate ways, agreeing to meet up later. I made a bee line for Ethan’s booth, disappointed to see his friend Long standing there with him.
Long was the grandson of Lue Khang, Ethan’s employer and my confidant. A wise and kind man, Lue seemed to know all about the mermaid’s presence and my connection to them. His Hmong beliefs considered them to be part of the natural world– he thought I was good luck. His grandson didn’t see things that way at all. Long viewed me with suspicion and fear, believing that I was using supernatural powers to manipulate and control Ethan. Little did he know, somewhere deep down inside, I was afraid of the same thing.
I slowed my pace and approached them cautiously. They were engrossed in an intense conversation and didn’t notice me until I came right up to them. When they looked up at me both of their faces were serious, clouded over and unhappy.
“What happened?” I asked, looking back and forth between them, suddenly alarmed.
“I gotta go,” said Long. He walked away, taking care to avoid me.
“Come here,” Ethan said, walking to the back of his stand to meet me with open arms. He wrapped himself around me, clinging to me tightly. He seemed even more in need of a hug than I was.
“Uhm, no pun intended, but why the long face?” I asked, pulling back to look up into his eyes.
“We just got some really bad news. There’s a problem with Lue’s land,” he said unhappily, “Apparently the government’s seizing it and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“What?” I was confused, “I thought he owned it.”
“He does,” he said grimly. “But we just found out that they can still take it from him. They just have to say it’s for the public good. If they prove it’ll be put to a better use they can force him to sell it to someone else.”
“But that’s crazy!” I exclaimed, “What better use?”
He looked angry, “There’s a developer that has plans for a seaside resort and golf course.” He snorted bitterly, “They call it ‘eminent domain’. Our congressman wants the tax dollars it’ll bring in.”
“Your land too?” I asked, horrified. It was everything he’d been working so hard for. It was his future– our future. I had seen his house…
“Everything,” he said with a sorrowful shake of his head, “Including the fields on either side of Lue’s.”
I stood rooted to the