Chris walks to the edge of the cliff and sits, watching the rolling waves of the ocean crash against the rocks below. A single tear drips down her cheek, followed by another, and then another. She brings a hand up to wipe her eyes, but her fingers come away oddly dry. She looks at her hand and chuckles a bit. “I guess I’ve cried myself dry.” She murmurs softly with a wry smile. She lowers her hand to the ground and leans back, looking up at the sky and watching as the clouds pass. Closing her eyes, she enjoys the feeling of the breeze rushing through her long, dark brown locks.

“You know, I waited a whole year to bring you here.” She whispers, opening her dark chocolate eyes and facing the sky once again. “This is my special place. My mom used to take me here for picnics, or to watch for Daddy to come in from his fishing trips when he was gone for more than a day. We’d come out here everyday to see if we could see his ship.” She smiles softly, falling back and stretching her arms, reaching for the clouds.

“And after Momma died, we came here to spread her ashes. She loved the sea, and always said how she wished she could be a mermaid one day and just swim away with the waves.” She closes her eyes and rests one arm across her eyes and the other on the grass.

“Daddy comes here to talk to her. This is where her spirit is, and I brought you here. I should have known you could never understand.” She sighs softly, just basking in the sun’s warm rays and listening to the tide and the call of the gulls. Taking a deep breath, she slowly breathes out and lets all of the tension melt from her body.

“Chrissy..” a soft voice calls out. Chris tenses a bit at the familiar voice. “Missy Chrissy” The same voice breathes.

Chris sits up and looks around. “Who’s there? Mom? Is that you?” She asks, searching for the source of the voice.

“My little Missy Chrissy, what’s wrong dear? Why do you cry so?” The voice asks with a concerned tilt.

Chrissy looks down at her lap and picks at the grass under her hand. “It’s Dennis. He… he broke up with me. He said he was tired of my insecurities. He was tired of me talking about you, and praying, and just… tired of me.” She says to the wind, tears rolling down her cheeks, soaking the collar of her shirt.

A soft breeze blows, drying the tears on her cheeks. “Now now, my dearest Chrissy, don’t cry. No one is worth your tears. Now tell me, is this boy what you care about most?” the voice asks. Chrissy shakes her head. “Oh? Then tell me, what else is important to you?”

Chrissy sniffles a bit. “Well, Daddy is important to me, but… he’s always out on his boat. Sometimes I think he’s trying to find you. He never comes ashore for anything other than to restock every couple weeks.” She tells the voice sadly.

The voice let out a sympathetic murmur. “I’m sorry I left you like this Chrissy. I never wanted to leave you. I’ll tell you what, Chrissy. Where I am, everyone is happy. We are all together and no one ever leaves. Would you like to come here with me, Chrissy? Then together we can wait for Daddy to come. Would you like that Chrissy?” the voice offers, the wind growing completely still.

Chrissy looks up, her eyes showing a spark of hope. “Could I, Momma? Could I come and be with you? And Daddy to?” She asks, already rising from the ground.

The wind swirls around her, making her dark blue dress and hair whip close to her body. “Yes Chrissy, and we can all be together. You, me, and even Daddy. So, will you come?” The voice asks. The wind blows against her back as if trying to lead her. She starts walking forward “Come on Chrissy, let’s go. We need to wait for Daddy together.” The voice encourages. Chrissy takes a few more steps to the edge of the cliff. She puts a hand to her forehead to try to protect her eyes from the sun. A slight shadow crosses her vision as an eagle flies across the sun. “Come on Chrissy, I’m waiting right here for you, let’s go.” Says the voice, laughing happily. Chrissy smiles and takes one more step.

She fall, the wind rushing passed her as she plunges into the tide below.

Dennis walks along the beach contemplating his new girlfriend, Amanda. She’s young and very pretty, slim with small, dainty features. Very unlike the chubby curves of his ex’s body. She was also very immature and playful. “But Chris was playful too…” he sighs quietly, kicking some sand and pretending to listen to his girlfriend's chatter.

As he walks along the beach, he looks up and watches the waves hit the shore. The sun glints off of a dark object as the waves carry it onto the beach. Dennis walks closer curiously. As gets closer, he realizes it’s a body. He breaks out into a run and drops onto his knees next to the body and turns it over, his face going white as he recognizes the chubby features of his ex.

He feels for a pulse and finds none. “No, no! Chrissy, don’t you dare do this! Come on Chrissy, wake up!” he commands, straddling her and starting CPR. He goes on for twenty minutes before someone else finds them.

Three people finally manage to pry the sobbing boy off of the dead girl. A few of the towns people surround and try to comfort him as the girl’s body is zipped into a body bag and transported to the morgue by an ambulance. The boy, white and shaking with both shock and grief slowly walks home, never noticing the presence of his girlfriend by his side.

No one ever notices the peaceful smile on the dead girl’s face, the first one since the tricky mistress ocean claimed her mother three years before.