"I know," Glory said. "Trust me, that's not something I want to do with my mother visiting." She thought for a moment about when the house might be empty. "I know Nana is going to visit Aunt Cassidy for a few days soon, I'm just not sure when."

Léan nodded absently. "That...might be a good time, then..." He fell silent when he finished speaking. He had already started to clam up, due to embarrassment, and now he just wanted to rest.

"Dropping the subject for now," Glory said as she cuddled with him.

"A wise plan." Léan closed his eyes again, pleased that they were off the subject for now. He was ready to nap for a while.

Glory could feel herself dozing off as well, and she didn't try to fight it. She was relaxed and comfortable, and sleep was always nice.

Léan only allowed himself to sleep once he saw that she was drifting off, as well. He slept soundly, completely still, and had pleasant dreams.

Glory wasn't sure how long she slept, but she woke up snuggled comfortably in Léan's arms. It definitely wasn't a bad way to wake up, she she stayed there for a while, content.

Léan woke up a minute or so after she did, and yawned softly to show that he was awake. His tail flicked back and forth, slightly, underneath the blanket. He didn't feel like moving, either.

"Hey," Glory said softly, turning to give him a kiss. "Seems we're both too comfortable to move."

"I can see that." Léan returned her kiss, gently, his tail flicking back and forth continuously. "Do you think it's safe to check on them...? How much time has passed?"

"There's only one way to find out," Glory said, sitting up. Opening the window, she peeked out the shutters cautiously. She was only partially surprised when she didn't see either of them outside. She raised an eyebrow a bit when she saw her mother's things arranged neatly by the shore, though. "Well... I'm not sure whether to be surprised or not."

Léan tilted his head, curiously. He was instantly nosy. "What is it?" he pressed, eagerly. Though...he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know. Especially if, er...they weren't finished, yet.

"Well, neither of them are on the beach," Glory said, "and I'm willing to bet they're not in the house." She moved over so he could get to the window to see. "I don't see them, so I'm willing to bet they had the same idea we did... We just chose not to act on it."

Léan blinked a few times. "Ah...I see. I do think your mother is going to have to think carefully before she gives everything up, however. She owns an apartment. She still has a life on land."

"Not really," Glory pointed out. "I mean, she has the apartment, but she could easily transfer it to my name or something like that. Other than that... I imagine she has a job, but two weeks' notice is all she needs to give to quit. But all of a sudden, everything that matters is here, not in the city." She blinked. "I can't believe I'm defending her... She's different, though. She's not how she was before."

"There are other hurdles," Léan reminded her. "Changed humans do not usually do well in our world. Especially if they are over the age of thirteen. It is not known why, but most do not choose to stay in the water. Most choose to live double-lives, on land and in water."

He paused. "...Being around large groups of merpeople is difficult. We are very attentive to the actions of others. Seeing a grown mermaid with awkward swimming and no fin deformities or the like, for example, sets off red flags."

"It's not all that hard to guess why they chose to stay on land," Glory replied. "What my mom might do, though, which seems more like her, is she'll probably try to find a place around here, so she's not twenty minutes away anymore."

"That would work, I suppose." Léan curled back up, still not ready to move just yet. "...I don't see how anyone could live in a city beneath the water, let alone on land, where everything is dangerously unstable. I suppose I just don't like other people all that much."

"It's not all that bad," Glory protested. She'd lived in the city for a while, so to her it wasn't all that unusual. "It's easier to keep to yourself in the city. And the buildings aren't unstable, really... Left on their own, with proper care, they're sturdy enough."

Léan grumbled. "I don't like dealing with large crowds of people," he insisted, scratching at his arms. "I get claustrophobic. And want to bash my way out of the crowd."

"Well, I used to live in the city," Glory said, cuddling closer to him. "It's not as bad if you're used to it."

"I will never be used to it," Léan assured her, closing his eyes and resting his head against her comfortably. He let loose a small, relaxed sigh.

"I probably don't see anything wrong with it because I was raised in the city, pretty much," Glory commented. "You sound happy."

"I was raised in a semi-large town, bordering a city. I hated going in there." Léan stretched himself out more, a smile on his face. "I am, I suppose..."

"You've mellowed out a lot since I met you," Glory said. "It's good to see you so relaxed."