I took Avari's hand as she looked between Zak and Holly. His face had a hard expression on it from Holly's high pitched whinging voice.

"Here. Of all places, you bring me here. Why do I want to be here?" She asked tapping her heels on the floor.

"You shouldn't be, it's for Avari, I did try to tell you before you insisted on coming. Now we are gonna go inside, you decide what you want to do... The mall is across there." He pointed.

As he turned Holly's eyes turned into a furious glare that actually put me in discomfort, if she had an axe, I'm sure it would have been embedded into Zak's back.

"Ready pumpkin?" He asked Avari who nodded gently.

"Good, let's go and have some fun."

Her hand stayed in mine as we slowly made our way to the doors when the heels started clicking behind us. I looked over at Zak carefully to see his face brooding with annoyance.

"I'm coming with you. Obviously."

"Thought you might." He muttered as he pulled the door open letting a small family out.

"Thank you." The man smiled nodding to Zak. Each child had a stuffed toy in their arms of a sea creature causing Avari to look at Peanut.

"Peanut will be okay? Won't he?" She asked me.

Before I could answer Holly scoffed "The stupid toy will be fine."

Avari looked bashed and lowered her head. My anger rose instantly with Holly causing Zak to throw a glare her way.

"What?" She asked as Zak took over leaving me to speak with Avari.

"He's not stupid mommy... He's not. Is he?"

I shook my head "No way, Holly doesn't understand just how special a Peanut is. I think he will be fine, we will be too, maybe Peanut will have a friend when we leave?" I suggested.

My ears caught Zak's voice low tone as he scolded Holly for saying something so hurtful to a 5 year old who looked at Peanut in time of need and comfort.

"Let's go, I bet you're gonna love this." I spoke causing the excitement to start in Avari.

Taking her hand again, we entered the aquarium. The dark grey carpet held a small white pattern of thin squares. The walls were adorned with large portraits of the animals here and a large map of the aquarium.

"Mommy look!" Avari pointed to the large glass tank showing only a small section of what's to come from this place.

"Awh, awesome! Let's go and get some tickets." I urged just before Avari pulled me over to the ticket stand.

Pulling out my purse I was about to ask for the tickets when I was hipbumped out the way by Zak.

My foot rolled and I lost balance but before I landed on the ground, his arm had snaked around my waist and a grin had filled his face.

"Going somewhere Miss Summers?" He asked quietly. My face flushed instantly at the closeness of our bodies, a foreign feeling stirred with familiarity as I held onto his biceps for support before I realised I was suppose to be angry with the handsome man in front of me.

"You!" I hissed punching his shoulder making him pout.

"Sorry, I thought you were ready."

"Ready to punch you in the arm again. Damn your hips are bony!" I moaned as he set me back onto my feet.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked placing his hand on my side. "Want me to rub it better?"

A throat clearing brought my eyes away from the hazel pools that absorbed me so easily "No that won't be necessary." I mumbled looking away from Zak's eyes to Holly's hard ones.

After Zak completed the transaction, we headed in through the arched shaped to be a sharks mouth. The lighting darkened and UV lights shone on a wall making the replicated skeleton of a shark and some fish glow.

"Woah!" Avari whispered touching the white chalked parts gently.

I took an unusual step back as Zak took over and began talking to her about the skeletal figures and reading the signs of each one.

"I know your game." Holly spoke lowly under the laughter of Avari and Zak's voice.

"Excuse me?" I questioned.

"You heard me, you plan to pimp out your daughter to win him back. It makes me feel sick. You should be ashamed of yourself and for using her in such a way. Do you have no shame?"

I scoffed "You're batshit."

"Keep your hands to yourself and we won't have any problems..." She warned before strutting away leaving me slightly confused at how that even started.

An aquarium was designed for all the family, but more so for children as they walked through the large tunnels with thick glass ceilings and sides. I had taken Avari to an aquarium many years ago, as a toddler. She would fall asleep watching the fish or sea turtles fly over her head. But I also used to go to an aquarium when I was pregnant, usually to escape the troubles of the world I was in.

Alone and pregnant with a mans baby who didn't want to know. I now knew that wasn't the case..
But I found myself falling for the tranquility of the place, the fluid motions of the animals swimming and how the fish schooled together.

I compared myself to a fish, I was a fish but not in the literal sense. I preferred to be with a trusted few, safe in a little bosom of love. Where as a few people I knew were designed to be sharks. Out for themselves, blood thirsty and taking no prisoners.
Remind you of anyone?

Zak was once a shark, probably why he had that fin hairstyle, but after cracking the surface, I found him not be a shark as he perceived himself to others.

No deep down he was a schooling fish like me. Keeping a close circuit of friends and family.

I walked behind watching Zak and Avari as they both interacted with each other about the fish and shared the joke about his shark fin hair.

"Mommy, there are sea horses!" Avari exclaimed pointing to the large picture on the wall as we walked towards the first outdoor area.

"Really? I-"

"Sea horses still your favourite?" Zak asked slightly amused.

"Yeah. They are cute." I mumbled slightly embarrassed. The real truth was that sea horses, much like penguins mate for life and I found that beyond adorable. That and the male seahorse shot out babies! If only men know what child birth was like!

Zak nodded accepting my answer whilst holding the door open for Avari but Holly shoved in first making him roll his eyes gently.

"Thank you Zak." Avari smiled.

"You're welcome pumpkin."

"Thank you." I whispered slipping in the gap.

"You are most welcome." He replied giving me a lingering smile.

I felt like a spare part as I followed them around. On a few occasions Holly would hang off his arm and give him subtle hints that she was fed up and wanted to go elsewhere.  Holly had taken up texting on her cell phone whilst Zak hadn't picked up his to check it once. For me that was a big brownie point as it showed he wasn't bothered by the time or the outside world whilst he was with Avari.

The best was yet to come as we stepped into the next section. My attention was snapped to the squealing as Avari spotted one main attraction behind a large tank.

A mermaid.

"MOMMY! MOMMY LOOK!" Avari raced to the glass pinning herself against it waving frantically.

The mermaid smiled and moved off the rock she was sat against, swimming down in front of Avari. She placed her hand to the glass and waited for Avari to do the same. Of course she did and that was enough to set her heart racing.

"MOMMY LOOK!" Avari cried in excitement making me beam at her.

I kept my eyes on the mermaid as she swam up and around. Her shell bikini top matched the white and transitioning blue of the tail which shimmered in the light.  The mermaid had brown hair, which had Avari touching her own as it floated freely in the water. She swooped back down before floating in front of us and stopped to looking at Zak, my eyes travelled to his face to see a small smirk and a quick nod.

Oh he hasn't...

Sensing my eyes, he looked over at me and gave a small shrug. I shook my head with a smile.

"So I may know a mermaid.." He admitted.

"Have you... Her?" I asked.

"Would you hold it against me?"

"I- you slept with a mermaid?" I asked quietly making sure Ava couldn't hear.

"I may have had a blip with a mermaid." He admitted.

"Unbelievable... You really have no limits." I whispered. "But thank you." I quickly added.

"I have to make memories, 5 years worth."

For the first time, he pulled his phone out and began taking photos of and with Avari.

"What's going on?" Holly barged in pushing me aside.

My eyes snapped from the mermaid to Avari quickly in alarm incase Holly became loose lipped. Her face said it all as she looked jealous to see Zak beaming at his cell phone with Avari beside him.

"You never take photos with me." She bit.

"Holly." Zak spoke causing her to shift on her feet before folding her arms and shooting me another spiteful look.

"Mommy, I want to be a mermaid." Avari spoke coming to hold my hand.

"You do?"

"Yeah.... But. But I can't. Can I?" She frowned.

"Why not?" Zak asked putting his phone away.

"I don't have a tail." She answered wiggling her toes in the Jelly shoes. "And I can't swim.."

"You can't swim?" Zak questioned looking to me for answers.

"Nope. So if I went in there, I would sink." Ava answered simply.

"Well that won't do will it?! You young lady are going to be taught how to swim. By me."

She looked at me as I sat open mouthed.

"That is okay? Isn't it?" He asked.

Not sure how to put it into words, I nodded giving a smile to them both. My heart was warmed simply for the idea of Zak teaching her a life lesson and suggesting it himself. Whether he knew it or not, the parental bond and love was growing every second he spent with her.

Eventually, it was time to leave the aquarium having walked and investigated every single nook and cranny of place. Avari was filled with excitement at the idea of becoming a trainee mermaid if there was such a thing. And Zak had a smile plastered on his face.

Jessica rabbit was still tip tapping away on her phone.

Our last stop was the gift shop, I planned to pick her up a toy to go along side Peanut, who had been stuffed under her arm until she saw the mermaid, it was then Zak's turn to hold him.

Whilst Avari investigated and sniffed out a new friend, I walked around admiring the charity work they did, they had a wall of dedication showing how they rescued injured animals, like the sea turtle who had rubbish and a fishing net wrapped around its neck. They then showed a few members of the team releasing the sea turtle back into the open waters.

"Mommy look!" Avari spoke racing back with the new addition.

"Oh he is cute!" I gushed looking at the sea turtle stuffed toy with large friendly eyes.

"He's called Jam."

"Peanut and Jam huh?" I asked amused.

"Yep!"

"Well let's go and pay for Jam." I advised.

"No need, I already have." Zak answered coming over with a bag.

"You get a toy too." I teased.

"No."

"Gracie?" I asked.

"Uh no. It's uh.. it's for you." He admitted handing me the bag.

Surprised, I opened it up before a smile broke across my face as I bit my lip.

"You like it?" He asked shyly stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Love it... Did you really buy it for me though?"

"Yeah. I did offer to buy Avari a few but she wanted the turtle." He answered casually.

"A few?" I asked looking at him as if he was half crazy. "That would cost a fortune." I whispered.

He scoffed "Let, I can afford it."

I frowned before it clinked in my mind "Oh. Oh well I guess you could. I- uh.. I didn't even think about that."

His soft smile and happy eyes were genuine as he looked at me.

"Then thank you, thank you for my toy." I smiled opening the bag to look at it again.

"You're welcome." He replied before heading away with Avari who was now his sidekick.

Once out of sight, I let out a squeak in excitement and pulled out my toy.

A stuffed pink seahorse with shimmering multicoloured scales and big eyes.

I loved it. I freakin' loved it!