The craziest day of my life was when I stumbled upon a mermaid at the beach. At first, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There she was, with long, flowing hair and a shimmering tail that caught the sunlight and reflected off the scales. I watched in awe as she flitted through the water, diving beneath the waves and disappearing into the dark curves of the ocean. Over the coming weeks, I returned to the beach almost every day in the hopes of catching another glimpse of the mermaid. The first few times I was unsuccessful, but then it seemed like she started appearing more and more frequently, often just because I was there. She began swimming close to shore and even approached me when I waded into the water. As I got to know the mermaid and her regular movements, I noticed she seemed to be drawn to my boat. It was a small vessel – especially in comparison to some of the other huge fishing boats in the distance – but it was well-equipped with stainless steel snapper racks that helped me fish even in the roughest of seas. One day, the mermaid approached me as I was preparing to set out on a fishing trip. She seemed to be examining the boat closely. I asked her if she was familiar with my equipment, but she simply smiled and disappeared beneath the waves. Over time, I came to realise that the mermaid was not just drawn to my boat because it had the best automatic boat latch on the seas. She was drawn to me, and to the sense of adventure and freedom that came with being out on the open water. And, as we spent more time together, I couldn’t help but feel that I was experiencing something magical. When it came to winter, the mermaid waved goodbye and disappeared. I think she might have been swimming to warmer waters, based on the direction she was headed in when she swam away. I can’t wait for summer again, as I know she’ll be back to swim with me and my boat.