It had been a few months since the morning you’d found the selkie. She’d settled in wonderfully. You snuck up on her while she was doing dishes, hugging her and burying your nose in her hair. “Morning Odine. Did you sleep well?” She smiles, nodding. “Good,” you say, kissing her soft cheek.

You made breakfast for yourself and Odine. She’s awfully quiet today, but then she doesn’t talk much. She seems so distant the last week, but I know what will cheer her up! “Do you want to go down to the beach after breakfast?” Her head snapped up, a bright smile on her face. If this is all I can do for her to stay; I’ll do it. Anything for her to stay. The two of you ate in silence; Mostly silence. You could hear the nervous tap tap of your girlfriend’s feet.

As you were washing up the last of the dishes from breakfast, Odine padded up behind you, wrapping her arms around you and pressing her face into your back. You stopped scrubbing, rinsed the dish and put in the drying rack before drying your hands and turning to hug Odine.

It was midday when the two of you returned from the beach. Your grandmother was sitting on the porch enjoying a sandwich and a glass of lemonade. You kissed her on the cheek. She smiled before her expression turned serious. “We need to talk.” She turned towards Odine. “You look tired, why don’t you go lay down for a bit?” Odine nodded, yawning silently. She disappeared into the cottage.

“Sit down, junior.” You sat on the edge of the small, white porch swing, twisting to face your grandmother. “Have you noticed anything different about Odine?” You shook your head, slightly confused. “It’s the same thing that happened to your mother. Your father ignored it until she left.” You looked down, flushed with shame. “Now I know you were young and had no way of knowing what was going on at the time, but you’re grown now. Things are different. You’re going to have to make a choice.”

You looked at your grandmother, confused. “What do you mean, Choice?” She looked at you as if the answer was obvious. “You can let her leave, or make her stay. She isn’t getting any better.” You narrowed your eyes. She said that my mother was a selkie…. Wouldn’t that make me a half-selkie? “Didn’t you say that my mother was a selkie? That must mean something!”

Your grandmother looked thoughtful before looking at you, here eyes misted with tears. You stood and grabbed your arm. “You don’t have much time… I’d hoped to have a bit of time to let you think about it.” She gestured for you to follow her into the house. You followed her, feeling slightly nervous.

You noticed your grandmother was moving faster than you’d thought she could. The two of you sped past the kitchen and down the hall towards her bedroom. She flung open the door, making it bounce against the wall. You stiffened, pausing a moment before following your grandmother inside. The slatted doors of her closet were flung open, clothes and boxes scattered around her.

“Uh… Grandma? What are you doing?” She cried out, tugging at something in the depths of the closet. You rushed over, making sure to stand to the side. “Here let me help with that!” You waited for her to move. Bending your knees slightly, you tilted the wooden chest, sliding your fingers under it, and lifted it out of the closet. You set it down onto the bed with a thump.

Your grandmother took out a key from underneath her shirt and stuck it in the lock. She jiggled it a bit before pushing it into the lock further; The trunk popped open. You watched as your grandmother reverently took out a small photo album, a soft, cream colored baby blanket, and a jacket made from seal skin. You watched her put each item back in the box, except for the jacket.

She turned to you, holding the jacket out, her eyes misting over.

A loud crash sounded from the other end of the house. Odine! You bolted through the house, slamming the door to your and Odine’s room open.

The room was a mess. A glass vase was smashed and scattered across the floor. Pillows were torn, their feathers strewn across the bed and around it. The wooden trunk which you’d been keeping the seal skin in had been tipped over as well, it’s contents spilled out of it. You were about to kneel down and start looking for the skin, but your grandmother flung the coat at you, shoving you towards the window. “GO! If you want to be with her or let her go, it’s now! Make the choice!”

You gripped the coat and took a running leap out of the shattered window. The soft bushes tripped you, making you fall face first into the sand. You wrench your foot out of the bush, losing a shoe in the process. Stumbling into a standing position, you sprint towards the ocean. The small figure of a girl stands between sea and shore. The waves lick at her bare feet. As you run, panting, you see her turn to face you. “Odine!” You sputter, gasping for breath. “Please wait!”

She takes a step back, the surf closing around her ankles. You hold the coat towards her, your heart pounding. One of us has to make a choice; To stay or go. “My grandmother gave this to me. It’s a seal skin coat… She told me that my mother was a selkie; Like you…” You trail off, uncerian what you want.

Odine smiles, a pretty blush rising in her cheeks. Your heart skips a beat. She opens her mouth, sweet and tender notes filling the air. You can feel her love you you, and the even deeper love she has for the sea. Her voice goes higher as she sings of summer days sunbathing on the rocks, nights spent on the beaches dancing, and the joy she feels when she chases her sisters through the deeper waters. Her voice lowers, catching, as she sings of the pups that come with spring, and her longing for a litter of her own; Her voice becomes soft and hopeful as her hands reach out for you, imploring you to join her beneath the waves.

You take her hand, letting her lead you deeper into the waves. She dawns her skin, jumping into the water, a brown and spotted seal appearing a moment later. You stare at the coat in your hands for a moment. Odine gives an encouraging bark. You take your clothes off, tossing them into the sand before slipping the coat on and swimming out to meet her. Before you’ve made it very far the jacket became tighter around you, the seal skin growing and sliding down your body. You ducked beneath the water and swam a bit before popping back up. Odine swam towards you, playfully nudges you with her flipper. You nudged her back before dipping beneath the water again, taking off like a shot.

The selkie had made their choice.