He took the photo off the wall and studied every inch of it. The pain in his chest was coming from missing this special day. Hooking the photo back the wall and turned to listen in on Denise's conversation with this 'Michael' person he hasn't been told about. Was he jealous? Probably.

"Oh, they left already? Okay, that's fine I'll just find them at the beach." She continued and looked over at Raj for a second before answering Michael again.

"Yeah, I'll tell you more about it later. Give my love to Ramon." She ended the conversation and Raj tried to look like he wasn't being nosey.

"Before you ask, Michael and Ramon are two of my best friends and the fathers of Marty, Darya's best friend. They're married and I've known them since Darya started preschool. In fact, they helped me lug your heavy body into the house when you literally hit our house. And actually, Ramon thinks you should get a CAT scan done just to make sure you don't have a concussion." She said nonchalantly.

"I don't know what that is. I guess you could say that I am relieved that they are your friends and that Darya has such a dear friend with their son as well." Listening to him she could swear that he was almost jealous of Ramon and Michael. She still knew very little about him but she wanted to know more and she would start right after they told Darya the truth.

"We are going to meet Darya at the beach. They left for it a little while ago from Marty's house. We can tell her everything down there. She's in her best mood when she's by the ocean." She said as she grabbed her bag before leading him to the front door and to the beach.

"We don't have a far walk, that's the big reason why I bought this house. It's small but it was the closest one to the beach and I practically stole it since no one else wants to live this close to the ocean." He followed behind her and took in the beach around him and for a second he saw the spot where he first met Denise. Smiling to himself he tried to focus on the walk down the sand covered sh.o.r.e to tell his daughter everything that's happened so far.

At first, they didn't see them but then two figures coming out of the water with goggles on gave them away. Denise waved her hands and flagged Darya down. Seeing her mother she told Marty she would be right back. She jogged quickly up to her mom wondering why the man that was renting the attic room was with her.

"Hey, mom, David? What's going on?" Darya asked as she pulled her goggles off and pulled the towel out of her bag that Marty threw over to her just before she got to her mother.

"I need to tell you stuff hun and it's going to be a lot to swallow." She gently to her while they all took a seat on the sand with her so it was a more comfortable environment for the talk they were about to have.

"Is it that David's your boyfriend and you made up the rent a room thing because he stayed the night for the first time? I mean you're wearing the same thing as yesterday mom." Darya pointed the conversation towards her and it surprised Denise. She didn't see that coming...

"No sweetie, I don't know how to tell you this but David's name isn't David. It's Dane. This is your father..." She watched Darya's face go from one of indifference to shock. She stared at Dane until she put the pieces together. The eyes, the hair, the random drop in...This was her father.

"You're my father? Why didn't you tell me this morning when I first met you? Why are you back now? Why is your hair so long? Do you still surf? Did my birthday wish really come true? I want to know everything about you but I'm mad at both of you and yet I'm not...I'm just confused..." She asked a million questions within a very short time and Denise didn't quite know where to start, luckily he took over.

"It's a long story but it starts with my real name. I told your mother this morning after you left but you should know it as well. Raj Abioye. And I'm here because I received a call and after you mentioned the birthday wish thing I think I now know why I was and how." Denise was lost in the conversation but Darya was hanging off every word.

"I'm not from here, which is something I've told your mother and I know that she's told you. Where I'm from...It's completely different from your world, in fact, it is a completely different world but it explains a lot of things in your life that you've had questions about. For starters, that rash of yours. It's a genetic disorder that will only get worse. But I can help you with it." He smiled warmly at her while he waited for her to digest that small amount of information.

"So you're responsible for this horrible rash? I don't see it on you? How do I know if you're telling the truth or not?" She questioned making Raj smile even more. He really loved spending time with her.

"Denise, how long ago did I get here?" He asked her making Denise lose herself in thought. She counted the hours since the storm and figured it had been about twelve hours.

"I'd say half a day, twelve hours." She guessed while shrugging her shoulders.

Darya was a little worried that her mother was being so calm and accepting of everything. She wanted to know more about her father and why he left but she didn't want to scare him off. He just came back, for whatever reason, and she wasn't ready to see him leave.

"Then my rash should be about where yours is now." The ladies watched him pull the sweatpants up on each leg of his to reveal a much more advanced form of the same rash Darya had been battling for so long.

"Holy cow, mom do you see this? It looks just like mine!" Denise watched her daughter get weirdly excited about having the same rash as someone she met this morning.

"What's the rash about, how do we get rid of it or is it permanent?" She asked in a sad tone.

"Actually it's something that happens when my skin dries. Am I wrong to say that yours does the same thing? It's probably better when the water of the sea touches it, right?" He asked with a knowing smile. Darya only nodded her head, everything was beginning to make sense to her. She thought her love of the sea and the creatures that live in it came from growing up with her mother, but there had to be a born piece that came from her father.

"There's something else you need to know, sweetie." Denise took her hand in her own and tried to keep her mind on the fact that this information would be good for her daughter to know.

"I left your mother all those years ago because I got a call, similar to the call I got only a few days ago, I didn't want to leave please know that. If I had known about you and if your mother had any way of contacting me I would have ran here so fast the sand would have turned into a tornado in my path." Darya grinned ear to ear after hearing what her father needed to say even though she was still a little confused.

"I had to go home because my home was under attack, my father, your grandfather, was killed that night. It's something I'm still battling but when I got the call I found myself going without any other thought. Something was pulling me here and now I know what it was...It's you. Once you turn fifteen in our family things begin to change. The rash got worse didn't it?" He asked her and she reached up to the sides of her neck giving him a silent answer.

"There's no other way to say this Darya, I'm a king and my kingdom is underwater. I am king of the merfolk and that makes you my heir, the princess. Your rash isn't just a skin condition, it's covering up what you really are. A mermaid. And I would like you to come back to my kingdom with me." Both Denise and Darya's faces looked back at him in surprise.

Denise didn't expect this, his words took the breath out of her body. She wasn't going to lose her little girl to someone that just shows up and tries to enter their lives without any notice. Her shock turned into anger and when she stood up suddenly, spraying sand everywhere, the other two noticed.

"Darya go to the house. Now." Her stern voice scared Darya a little bit but she knew better than to question her mom when she used that tone.

Darya got up quickly and grabbed her bag and ran to the house without another word. Denise turned to the now standing Raj with a look of fury and pain in her eyes.

"You will not take my daughter, I don't care if you're some king, prince, or fool. She's my daughter and she stays here. End of conversation. And end of the visit. Goodbye." Her voice cracked with her last word as she departed. Her heart was breaking in two, the love for her daughter overpowered the want and need to be with Raj. She stormed off leaving him in the sand and a face filled with confusion and heartbreak.