Three days quickly passed, and within those days, Esteban gradually adjusted to liFe as a human. Izan was pleased, especially when Esteban could walk without needing his assistance. Esteban and Granma Ancha were starting to get along better. 
In fact, Granma was delighted because she once brought Esteban to the market, and he ended up carrying her purchases.
That day, Izan invited Esteban to take a walk along the beach. It was already five in the afternoon, so the sun’s rays weren’t as harsh on the skin. They walked quite a distance until they came upon a massive rock. Izan estimated it to be about fifteen Feet tall. 
At the top of the rock stood a statue of a mermaid.
It was a famous spot in Donastia - San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa. 
According to the story, the mermaid statue was erected as a sign of gratitude to a mermaid who used to help the residents of Donastia - San Sebastian. However, the people abused her kindness, so the mermaid stopped showing herself.
"Do you want to climb up there?" Izan asked Esteban, reaching to the top of the rock.
"That sounds like a good idea, Izan. Let’s go up," Esteban agreed.
Hand in hand, they climbed to the top of the large rock. Once they reached the top, they sat facing the sea, gazing at the vastness and the small orange hue reflected on the water from the setting sun. 
Izan took out his cell phone and snapped a photo of Esteban. The flash of the camera startled Esteban, almost causing him to fall from the rock, but Izan managed to grab his arm just in time.
"What was that light? What did you do?" Esteban asked in confusion.
"I took your picture."
"P-pi. What was that again?"
"Picture. A photo! It’s something people do when there’s a moment in life they want to remember. We can revisit it through the photo. Look, your picture is on my cell phone now."
Esteban smiled in amazement as he saw himself on the cell phone. "Oh, wow! Does that mean you want to remember me always?"
Izan also smiled. "Hmm... maybe. Yes. Hey, let’s take a picture together. Do you want to?"
Esteban nodded. They took several selfies on top of the rock before Izan stopped taking pictures. He even taught Esteban how to do wacky and ducky faces.
"Esteban, do you miss Ver Profundo?" he asked, not looking at him.
"What is 'miss'?"
Oh, right. Esteban didn’t understand English. He planned to teach the man the language the next day to make their conversations easier.
"'Miss' means feeling to go back to a place. When it comes to a person, it means longing to be with that person again." Izan explained.
Esteban nodded. "So, that’s what it means."
"So, do you miss Ver Profundo?"
Izan heard Esteban take a deep breath before answering. "Of course. They say that if you don’t miss the home you left behind, you’re on the wrong path in life. I miss Ver Profundo, my friend Atun, and my Mother Queen and Father King."
Izan’s hand reached out and held Esteban’s hand, which was resting on the rock. "Esteban, how long will you stay here on land? How long will you be by my side?" He gulp a lump in his throat as he released those questions.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Esteban looking at him, but Izan couldn’t meet the merman’s gaze. He was embarrassed for Esteban to see the tears welling up in his eyes. For almost two nights, he had been thinking about the things he dreamed.
What if Esteban suddenly left? What if the sea took him back? What if the merman grew tired of being human and returned home? So many questions had suddenly formed in his mind.
"Why are you asking me that, Izan?" Esteban's tone suddenly grew serious.
"Esteban, let’s not fool ourselves anymore. We come from different worlds. I’m human, and you’re a merman. Yes, you have legs now, and you’re here beside me, but for how long? What if something unexpected happens? What if a big wave suddenly comes and takes you?"
Esteban gently held Izan’s chin and guided his face to look at him. "Izan, does it really matter how long we’ll be together? What’s important is that we make the most of every day we have together. Let’s think of every day as if it could be our last. 
If the sea suddenly takes me from you, we won’t regret not doing what we should have done!
"Whether our time together is short or long, I don’t care, Izan. What matters is that I was with you, we were happy, and I felt what it’s like to love and be loved."
Izan couldn’t hold back his tears any longer. He hugged Esteban tightly and cried on his shoulder. The merman was right.
It's not about how long they were together, but how they loved each other, even if the time given to them by God was short.
"I love you so much, Esteban! I'm sorry if I'm already thinking of negative things even though our relationship has just started."
"I love you so much too! Don’t worry about that, Izan. I understand you." Izan felt Esteban's gentle touch on his back. "Even I am afraid of what might happen, but I don't want to show that to you because I want to be the source of your strength!"
After talking on the big rock, Izan and Esteban went back to the house. After eating, they asked Grandma Fe for permission to stroll around town.
The old woman allowed them because she also wanted to make the most of the day while school was still out.
Esteban was delighted to see the various items being sold in town. He bought some T-shirts, shorts, and underwear for the merman because Esteban always had to borrow from him.
When they saw a karaoke bar, they went inside.
"What are we going to do here, Izan?"
"I’m going to sing for you! Do you want that?"
"You’re going to sing for me?" Esteban's eyes widened with joy.
"Yes! I know how to sing a little. You’ll see! You might even fall in love with me more!"
"What do you mean by 'fall in love'?"
"Oh, nothing!" He didn’t feel like explaining anymore.
They found an empty table and ordered two bottles of beer. One for each of them. Luckily, the waiter didn’t ask for their ages, probably assuming they were of legal age because both Esteban and Izan looked mature.
"What’s this?" Esteban asked, holding the beer bottle.
"It’s an alcoholic drink. Don’t drink it all, or you might get drunk," he warned the merman.
"Stay here. I’m just going to pick a song to sing," he said, standing up.
Izan grabbed the songbook and quickly chose a song. He returned to their table right away.
"This is good!" Esteban said with a smile.
He took the bottle from Esteban and was surprised to see it was already empty. "Wow! You finished it that fast?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes! It’s good!"
Izan laughed. It turns out mermen can drink a lot! They could even outdrink him.
Soon after, he stood up as the title of his chosen song appeared on the karaoke screen.
“Pure Imagination" by Gene Wilder. He took the microphone and began singing with all his heart.
Come with me and you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Reach out, touch what was once
Just in your imagination
Don't be shy, it's alright
If you feel a little trepidation
Sometimes these things don't need
Explanation
He looked at Esteban while singing.
He chose the song because he Felt it suited them both, especially after what Esteban said to him on the big rock.
If you want to view paradise
Simply look at them and view it
Somebody to hold on to, it's
All we really need
Nothing else to it
Come with me and you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination
We'll begin with a spin
Traveling in the world of my creation
What we'll see will defy
Explanation
If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanna change the world?
There's nothing to it
There is no life, I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there, you'll be free
If you truly wish to be
Izan was close to tears again as he finished the song. Returning to Esteban, he suggested they go home. But when Esteban stood up, he suddenly collapsed.
"Hey! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to walk," he asked as he helped the man stand.
"Esteban, why does it feel like everything is spinning?" Izan held his forehead. "Oh no, you’re drunk! I knew it. Come on. I’ll help you to the tricycle terminal." He draped Esteban's arm over his shoulder, and they walked out.
When Esteban woke up the next day, he felt his head throbbing. He also felt sticky all over.
"You threw up last night. You got drunk from just one bottle of beer!" Izan was standing in the doorway. "Take a bath to get rid of that sticky Feeling."
"So that’s what happens when you get drunk. Okay, I’ll take a bath. But I want to bathe in my merman form. I miss my lilac tail!"
Izan smiled at him. "Wow! You’ve learned to use the word 'miss,' huh!"
"Of course. Come with me to the bathroom."
When they got to the bathroom, which was inside Izan's room, Esteban undressed. Izan quickly turned his back when he saw Esteban removing his briefs. He stepped into the bathtub filled with water. Once in, he removed the Piedra. His Ancheta began to glow, and his legs merged until it turned into a mermaid tail again.
"Your lilac tail is really beautiful, Esteban."
"I’m an Sangre, so my tail is different from other mermaids and mermen in the ocean," he said proudly. "Here, hold onto the Piedra for now. I’ll call you when I’m done." He handed the Piedra to Izan, who then left.
Esteban took the liquid soap Izan mentioned. He poured it into the water and made lots of bubbles. He submerged his head underwater, happily watching the bubbles.
Andrea was surprised when he bumped into Grandma Fe as he came out of the kitchen. She was holding a machete.
"Grandma Ancha? What are you going to do with that machete?" he asked, puzzled.
"Well, you didn’t tell me, child!" 
"Huh? I don’t understand, Grandma."
"You have a very large fish in your bathtub! You even soaked it in soap. It looks delicious to cook, my child!" It’s Esteban! Izan's mind screamed.
He was nervous as he blocked Grandma Fe's path. It seemed like she only saw Esteban's tail, luckily.
"Uh, Grandma, I’ll be the one to butcher the fish!" Izan took the machete from the old woman.
"Alright. Do you know how to do it?"
"Yeah, Grandma! Sure!" he said, quickly returning to his room. He didn’t forget to lock the door, just in case Grandma Fe tried to enter again.
He rushed to the bathroom and found Esteban still soaking in the bathtub, playing with bubbles.
"Esteban!" he called to the merman.
"Why? I didn’t call you yet. Why are you here?"
"Grandma Fe saw you! Get out of there now!"
"What? She saw me?"
"Yes, I told you!"
"Maybe I didn’t notice her come in because my head was underwater. Wait, why are you holding a large knife?"
Izan immediately dropped the machete.
"Grandma Fe wanted me to butcher you because she thought you were a big fish!" he answered, laughing but also nervous.
Esteban's eyes widened. "You’re going to butcher me?"
"Stupid! No! Get out of there."
"Alright, get the Piedra."
Izan left the bathroom to get the Piedra, which he had left on the kitchen table. As he exited the room, Grandma Fe greeted him with a smile.
"So, Izan? Did you butcher the big fish?"
"Uh, well, it got away, Grandma!" he lied.
"What? How?"
"It just did, Grandma!" he replied, quickly locking the door behind him.
Luckily, only he had the key to that room.
"Why did you let it get away?!" Grandma Fe shouted, but he didn’t respond.
He hurried to the kitchen to retrieve the Piedra, but his heart pounded harder when he saw it was no longer on the table!
He immediately thought of Grandma Fe. She might have seen the Piedra. He found the old woman sitting on the sofa in the living room.
"Grandma Fe, did you see a necklace in the kitchen? The one that looks like a shell?" he asked.
"Ah, yes," she replied.
His anxiety slightly eased. "Where is it?"
"I had Juancho take it out to the garbage dump."
"What?! Why did you throw it away?" he asked, eyes wide.
"Why are you shouting, child? That necklace was ugly! Just buy a new one in town."
He’s in trouble now!
"Where’s Juancho?!" He was sweating profusely.
"He left a while ago. He’s probably already thrown it away at the dump."
With large strides, he returned to Esteban in the bathroom. He was shocked to see that Esteban's skin had turned pale and the glow of his lilac tail seemed to have dimmed!
Worried, he approached him. "Esteban, what’s happening to you? Why are you so pale? And your tail!"
"A-Izan..." Esteban called weakly. "The P-Piedra... It seems I can’t be separated from the Piedra for too long. I’m getting weak. Give me the Piedra, Izan."
"We have a problem, Esteban. Grandma Fe found the Piedra and had it thrown away." He was almost in tears over Esteban's condition.
"I'm struggling," the merman replied.
He hugged Esteban tightly, forcing himself to stay calm because he knew he couldn’t think straight if he let himself panic. “Okay, stay here, Esteban. I’ll find the Piedra; just don’t let go. Don’t leave me, okay? ”
“O-okay…”
“Promise me! You’ll wait for me! ”
Esteban lifted one hand, and Izan did the same. They pressed their hands together, fingers interlacing.
“I-I promise. I’ll wait for you, A-Izan,” Esteban replied.
“I’ll be back soon with the Piedra! I promise! ”Izan planted a kiss on Esteban’s lips, which were growing weaker, before rushing out of the room. He locked the door behind him. He had to find the Piedra. The life of the man he loved depended on him!