Dad stared at me. I stared back at him. We must have stared at each other for a full ten seconds before he finally cleared his throat and said, "No. Yes. I don't know."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Why are you sopping wet?" he demanded.

I glanced down at my clothes. "Well...I was swimming."

"Where?"

"In the ocean." I held my breath and waited for Dad to scream at me, to tell me that it was extremely dangerous and that I should never go near the water again. But all he did was shake his head slowly and deliberately.

"I should have known," he muttered. He let out a low whistle. "Rayne, please answer truthfully when I ask you this. It's very important." He leaned forward. "Did anything happen to you? Anything...well...out of the ordinary?"

Like growing gills and talking to dolphins and drinking saltwater? I swallowed nervously. For a few moments, I debated what to tell him. "Well," I said carefully, "I guess you could say I have this connection with the ocean. I can't stay away from it."

There. That was the most normal thing I could say at the moment.

Dad furrowed his brow before taking my hands in his. "Are you sure, honey? Please, if there's something you're not telling me, say it now. This is very important."

I backed away slowly. "Why? Do you know something?"

Dad hesitated before answering. "Yes and no. It's a tricky situation, Rayne. But you're sure nothing else happened while you were in the ocean?"

I hesitated for a brief second. "I'm sure."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Just promise me you won't go swimming in the sea again, alright?"

"What?" I tore my hands out of his grasp. "That's impossible. And you still haven't answered my questions."

"This is for your own safety, Rayne. You have to understand."

"How I can understand when you won't even give me any answers?"

"Answers to what?"

"Why my hair and eyes glow blue in the moonlight. Why I have this connection with the ocean. Why I love swimming so much. And—and why you lied to me about her." I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. "You said she was dead, but I know that's not true. Why haven't you told me? Why can't you open up and talk to me about this? Is it because you can't trust your own daughter?"

The tears shimmering in Dad's eyes caused me to regret my words at once. "I'm sorry, Rayne," he said huskily, "but I don't think you're ready. I haven't been lying to you this whole time; I've been protecting you."

"Protecting me? From what?" I clenched my fists in desperation. "Stop talking to me in riddles and explain some things! Please."

Dad sighed and took a seat on the couch. He held his head in his hands and sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. I crossed my shivering arms over my chest as I waited for him to respond.

"She was a swimmer," he said finally, his voice hollow. "Your mother, I mean. She loved to swim, but she loved the ocean even more."

I felt my heart breaking at his words. Memories flooded in like a tidal wave, but I didn't try to stop them this time. Dad's voice grew more and more alive with each sentence, and tears began streaming down his cheeks as he spoke. "She was the most beautiful thing I had ever set eyes on. Ever since the first day we met, she had me under her spell. She was amazing. Because of her love of the ocean, we decided to move to this quiet seaside town, in this old house, dreaming of starting a family and filling the rooms with our children.

"You were life's gift to us, Rayne. We were delighted to have a child just as beautiful as her mother. We were the happiest family on the coast, without a doubt, and we spent all of our free time together. I felt like the luckiest dad in the whole world.

"But it didn't last for long. You were just a toddler when the accident happened." He paused and made a steeple with his fingers, resting his chin on his hands. I had to strain to hear his next part of the story, as his voice became low and barely distinguishable.

"She disappeared one day and never returned. She was on her daily swim in the ocean, like usual, and then she was...gone. I never saw her again."

I chewed on my bottom lip to keep myself from crying. My voice cracked as I said, "So we moved to Newland."

"Yes." Dad nodded slowly. "The memory of Miranda was too fresh in my mind. I couldn't bear to face living in the same house as her, so we moved. But when I saw how much you resembled her, both in appearance and in spirit, I started to regret the decision. I realized you shared her love of swimming, and you were extremely talented at it—just like your mother."

I smiled through my tears.

"But when it became too hard for me to pay our mortgage, I saw that another house was for sale in Shady Cove. Believe me, Rayne, I was against moving back here at first, just like you. But I realized it would feel like Miranda was still with me—with us—if we were back in our old house. I still miss her terribly, but somehow living in Shady Cove makes it a little better. It makes facing the memories more bearable."

"So that's the reason for those." I glanced at the photo albums sitting on the coffee table.

"Yes." Dad reached over and picked one up, turning the pages slowly. He smiled sadly at each photo as he relived the moment in his mind's eye. "I wish she was still with us."

"So do I," I whispered, sitting down next to him and placing my hand on his arm. "Thank you."

"I had to tell you someday," Dad said wryly. I could see his forehead was crinkled deep in concentration, as if he was debating whether or not to say something else. He finally closed the photo album and stood up. "Well, I better start dinner. It's getting late. And we have a long day ahead of us on Saturday."

"What? We do?"

Dad flashed me a quick smile before disappearing into the kitchen. "We're going to see Kimmie."

_ _ _ _ _

My mind was still spinning with everything Dad had told me. I could hardly sleep that night as I tossed and turned in bed, my thoughts drifting back and forth from the ocean, to her, and to the mysterious message etched onto the cave walls, followed by Miranda B. I had a powerful feeling that she was still alive. She was still here, somewhere on this earth, and I could feel her presence as strongly as if she was sitting right next to me.

Before long, fatigue overtook me, and I found myself drifting off to sleep. Since I was both physically and mentally exhausted, I experienced no dreams or nightmares—just one long, blissful sleep. I awoke the next morning to a sharp pain in my side, and realized that I had slept in an awkward position that aggravated my gills.

My gills...would I ever get used to the fact? But it was true, I knew, as I lightly traced the smooth skin over my hipbones. They were real, just like the dozens of other weird things that had happened to me as of late. I knew it all tied in to her somehow—after all, Dad had said she had loved the ocean and used to be a great swimmer. But was he really telling the truth? Had she really died? Or was she kidnapped, lost at sea, or—I gulped—had she run away?

I couldn't bear to think of Mom that way. Dad made her seem like such a beautiful, amazing person, someone who would never think of abandoning her family and leaving them to grieve. And yet my conscience told me she was still alive. She had to be alive. But where?

My mind was overwhelmed with all these questions. Since I was suspended for today, I relaxed in bed and did some homework before Dad headed off to work. Then, as soon as the coast was clear, I headed for the cliffs.

The ocean was as refreshing and inviting as always. I spent nearly the entire afternoon swimming in the sea, enjoying the use of my newfound gills and perfect underwater eyesight. I finally dragged myself out of the water to allow myself enough time to dry off before Dad returned home. Fortunately, he didn't ask what I had been doing all day. My conscience pricked at me, reminding me of Dad's instructions not to return to the sea, but I pushed it away. How could I go against my own passion?

Dad and I didn't talk much during dinner that night. He seemed deep in thought, as if weighed down by an invisible burden on his shoulders. I was lost in thought, too, but I didn't dare ask him about Mom again. Dad was in a strange mood.

My mind was still consumed with questions the next day, too, when I woke up after another long night's sleep. I felt a little better after showering and getting dressed, so I made my way downstairs to where Dad was making breakfast. I smiled when I remembered we were going to see Kimmie today.

"Good morning!" I chirped, sliding into a seat at the table.

"'Morning." Dad grinned as he cracked open an egg. It sizzled as it hit the frying pan. "You sound pretty excited today," he noted.

"We're driving to Newland. Of course I'm excited!" I exclaimed. "And the weather outside is perfect—nice and sunny, with no fog in sight."

"The forecast said it's going to rain tonight. As long as we leave within the hour, you and Kimmie can spend the afternoon outside until the storm rolls in."

He cracked another egg, and this one sizzled even louder as it landed inside the pan. He cleared his throat and turned to face me. "Listen, Rayne...about the past couple days. I've been thinking, and I'm sorry for getting on your case about the fight at school. You don't deserve to be grounded."

His words surprised me. "Oh, Dad, it's fine."

"No, it's not fine. I was upset and overwhelmed with a lot of things, and I took the fight too seriously. It wasn't your fault, honey. I should have known you would never do something like that." He sighed heavily. "I've had to make some tough decisions over the past few years, and I'm sorry that I haven't been the best parent."

"You're a great parent, Dad," I protested.

He wrapped his strong arms around me. "Thank you, honey," he murmured, planting a kiss on the top of my head. "If it seems like I'm holding back from telling you something, just know that it's for your safety. Before your mother...well...before she disappeared, she asked me to promise that I keep you safe. And every day I struggle to keep that promise, Rayne. The world is more dangerous than you think."

"Dad..."

"I know that at your stage in life, everything is about fun and games—"

"Dad."

He placed his hands on my shoulders. "Honey, you have to understand that—"

"Dad!" I pointed to the stove. "The eggs are burning!"

His serious expression immediately morphed into one of surprise. "Oh!" he exclaimed, quickly turning around and using his spatula to flip the eggs. I chuckled.

Dad smiled sheepishly. "You do get what I'm saying, though, right?"

"Of course. You don't have to worry about me."

Though he gave me an anxious look, he let the subject drop and continued to scramble our eggs. My mind persisted to wander all throughout breakfast, debating whether or not to bombard Dad with more questions. But as soon as he finished eating, he headed upstairs, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I was busy running through multiple scenarios about the message on the cave walls: The sea holds many secrets.

Could my mother have written that message before her disappearance, trying to communicate something to her family? Or was it more plausible to believe that she had written the message after disappearing? In grave danger and unable to show her face, she could have etched the mysterious message in one last plight of communication.

I shook my head and took one last bite of breakfast. I was getting too far ahead of myself. For all I knew, my mother was completely fine and in no danger whatsoever. She could have been a teenager when she wrote that message, many years ago. After all, Dad never told me where she grew up. She could have lived right here in Shady Cove her whole life.

But something told me she had written the message, and she had written it for me. She was still alive, and she was trying to get my attention. Why else would the dolphins lead me to that secret underwater grotto beneath the cliffs, where no human could go?

"Rayne!"

I jumped in my seat, startled at hearing Dad's voice. "Huh?"

"We need to get going. Are you ready?"

"Almost." I quickly dumped my dishes in the sink and scurried upstairs to finish getting ready. I came back into the living room a few moments later, dressed in my usual T-shirt and jeans, carrying a sweatshirt in case it got cold later tonight. I knew I didn't want to be caught in short sleeves when the storm rolled in.

The drive to Newland seemed to take forever due to my excitement. I couldn't wait to see Kimmie. My thoughts had quickly switched from the grotto's mysterious message to my best friend. It had been two weeks since we had last seen each other, but it felt like an eternity. I grew even more agitated as the scenery faded from pine trees and lush green fields to houses and buildings. I squealed with excitement when Dad drove past a sign reading, Welcome to Newland! Kimmie's house was only a few more minutes away.

As soon as we pulled up in front of a cozy one-story house, I hastily unbuckled my seatbelt and leaped out of the car. I sprinted straight to the front door and rapped my knuckles on the wooden surface. Just seconds later, it flew open to reveal Kimmie's smiling face. "Rayne!" she exclaimed.

"Kimmie!" We embraced, laughing. "Wow, it's great to see you," I said.

"I know! I miss you so much. I felt miserable last week when the fog rolled in. It seems like we haven't seen each other in forever!"

"It's nice to see you again, Kimmie," Dad said, smiling as he came up to the front door. "How've you been?"

"Good! Thanks, Mr. Bennett." Kimmie stepped aside as her mother stepped forward.

"Rayne! Clark! Lovely to see you," Mrs. Winstrom gushed. "Please come in. I've made some sandwiches and a fruit salad for lunch."

As Dad followed her into the living room, Kimmie pulled me upstairs to her bedroom, where we plopped down on her bed. Her room looked the same as it always did—messy and colorful, with posters everywhere. Her laptop was sitting on top of multiple notebooks on her desk.

"So how do you like it?" Kimmie asked. "Living in Shady Cove, I mean."

"Oh, it's fine..."

"Do you wish you were back here?"

"Yeah." I winced, suddenly realizing I wasn't entirely sure of my answer. Of course, I did want to live near Kimmie so we could see each other every day, but then I would miss the ocean. After everything that had happened, I couldn't imagine myself living away from the coast.

Fortunately, Kimmie wasn't daunted in the least by my hesitation. "So how's the school? I bet you're still the number-one swimmer on the team, right?"

"The school's okay, but the swim team is actually pretty good," I said, partially skirting her question.

"Do you still have the same classes? How are the teachers?"

We went on and on, with Kimmie asking me questions nonstop for the next half-hour. I found myself zoning out during parts of our conversation, not really paying attention to what I was saying. I answered her questions vaguely and said nothing about the ocean or what strange things had happened to me over the past week. Something told me it wasn't right to spill my secrets to Kimmie. Even though she was my best friend, I couldn't bring myself to tell her about drinking saltwater, communicating with dolphins, and growing gills. It seemed fictional, somehow, now that I was farther away from the sea.

"—and then Zach was all, 'I'm gonna show him how it's done,' and he totally did show him up, and he was flying through the water! He's one of our best swimmers. You remember Zach, right?"

"Uh...I think so."

Kimmie giggled, lowering her voice. "I guess we're, like, friends now or something. I don't know what you call it. But rumors are going around the swim team that he might ask me out next week. What do you think?"

I suddenly jerked back to reality and ran Kimmie's words through my mind again. "Wait, so you have a boyfriend?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"That's the thing—I don't know! I guess we're technically 'friends' right now, but we have four classes together and I sit at his table during lunch, and we've hugged a few times, and people are saying we should totally be a couple, and there's a rumor that he might actually ask me out, so I guess he might be my boyfriend, but I'm not completely one-hundred-percent sure, because he hasn't said anything to me yet, so I don't know what to do." She took a deep breath, her eyes shining. "What do you think?"

"Me?" I was still shocked that we were talking about boys. It had never come up in our conversations before. It was just Kimmie and I and our love of swimming. There was never room for "boy talk."

"Yeah! Don't you have someone special?" Kimmie asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed dryly. "No way. I mean, there's this guy who tutors me in Spanish, but—" I quickly stopped myself from going any further. Telling Kimmie about my kind-of date with Luke was sure to bring another round of endless questioning. I opted to change the subject. "So have you made any other friends?"

"No, not really," Kimmie said vaguely, brushing my question aside. "Just Zach."

"Oh."