Calm by Viola Grace

while leaving her shoulders under water. The children were all lined up waiting for their parent or parents to arrive.
    Vehn was at her side, and together, they gestured for Niika to join them. She jumped into the water with a shriek, and while her entrance was seamless, Meri wanted to teach her the fine art of the cannon ball.
    Niika’s mind was excited, and she wormed her way between them, taking each of their hands in hers. Vehn hauled them away from the city and toward the shore. They entered the shallows and Vehn took Niika to purge.
    Meri tried to stand up in the shallows and eject the water from her gills, but she ended up doubled over and coughing, staggering up the sand and stone.
    She felt hands on her shoulders, and Vehn lifted her. “Back in you go until you can do it properly.”
    He held her under the water with one hand while fluid rushed into her gills. He dragged her back into waist-deep water and helped her stand.
    When her shoulders rose above the water, she held her breath. Vehn stood between her and Niika, wrapping his arms around her. “You have to breathe sometime, Meri.”
    She looked up at him, not saying a word with her body full of water. When his hands cupped her ass, her eyes widened, and when he slid his thumb between her buttocks, she gasped. Water flew from her gills as the influx of air propelled it out.
    She grabbed his arms and hung on while the world righted itself. “You can’t keep using that method.”
    He nodded. “I understand. Eventually you will get used to the shocking caresses and they won’t make you gasp. I suppose I will just have to be creative.”
    He patted her ass before he released her to walk to the bank on her own. Niika was bouncing around and hugging herself. She wrapped her arms around herself and twirled, her skirts flaring out around her leggings and her chubby bare feet stomped on the grass.
    “Hey, Niika, did you have a good day?” She walked into Niika’s spiral and became part of it when the little girl grabbed her hands and twirled with her.
    “It was wonderful. They had a class for purging and how to swim and Lahash history.”
    Niika was chortling and yanking on her arms.
    Vehn walked in and caught Niika in his arms. “Come along now, your gran will have dinner ready.”
    Meri swallowed, “Mir is here?”
    “It is a family home, and all our family will be here for her first day of school. They will also be with us on major holidays.” He chuckled at her expression. “It’s traditional.”
    She swallowed, “What did I get myself into?”
    He wrapped an arm around her and squeezed the bare skin of her waist. He kept his arm around her as the door opened for them.
    Mir and Hisk stood side by side, grinning wide.
    Niika squealed and kicked to be let down. The moment Vehn put her down, she lunged for her grandparents, chattering away and using her hands to pass along her emotions.
    Meri laughed, “It seems that she enjoyed going to school.”
    Vehn smiled, “It will last as long as it lasts. There is a reason we will need to move closer to the school after she fully adjusts. She will be just like other students and ditch school when she can.”
    “Even the evolved Lahash skip classes?”
    He stroked her bottom as she passed him to enter the lake house. “We have other means to prove our evolution. I look forward to assisting you in your search to find those means.”
    She wanted to blast him, but his family was looking on.
    They took one look at his hand on her waist and rushed forward to congratulate them.
    Hisk gave her a gentle hug. “Welcome to the Kaos, Meribeth.”
    Ys appeared from the kitchen, “She said yes?”
    Vehn grinned, “She said yes, and she didn’t even bankrupt the family.”
    Mir came in and hugged her with one arm while Niika was gripped with the other. “Welcome, daughter. The Kaos are a good, solid family, rich too. That doesn’t hurt.”
    Hisk rolled his eyes, and Ys just cackled. Vehn came up behind her and