Page 1 of A Husband for Max

"Hey! Stop, thief!"

I'd always thought that was something that was only said in the movies. And yet, there was a young kid in a black hoodie barrelling down the sidewalk. It was shocking to see the way the lithe kid danced and jumped around people. He must have done some sport in school with the way he moved as he clutched a bundle of ill-gotten goods under his arm.

He was bowling people over like he was some sort of footballer, but that didn't stop me from putting my leg out. When he hit it, it sent a shock up my leg and I was sure the pain meant the thief had broken something. But it went numb pretty quickly, and it was completely satisfying to watch the tall guy crash to the ground.

It wasn’t the most skillful way to stop a criminal, and my stupidity continued as I threw myself onto his legs, doing what I could to at least slow him down. The adrenaline that rushed through me meant the few kicks he got in didn't hurt as much as I was sure it should have.

Still, I hung on. The guy scrambled and cursed, trying to get up while still clinging to the bundle under his arm. It wasn’t working. My weight was like an anchor he couldn’t get loose of. Usually I wasn’t impressed with the extra doughnuts around my middle but right now it was a blessing. When the sirens sounded, the guy cursed again and dropped the bundle to get his hands under his body. With the extra leverage and one last kick, he was up and running, leaving me laying on the pavement with a sore body from his kicks and trying to catch my breath.

Hands lifted me, careful, and even though my ears were ringing I could tell the other pedestrians were concerned. I could take stock of the pain and even though I wasn’t used to it, I could tell nothing was broken. I held the bundle close as I stood.

I think people were trying to talk to me, but with the adrenaline still running through me everything seemed to be ringing. I could barely hear anything except the thumping of my heart.

Thankfully, it was easy enough to follow the trail of destruction the thief had left to find my way back to the owner. I didn’t even get a chance to look at what had been taken as the crowd seemed to part.

It was a surprise to see the table of four still sitting, with the exception of the poor victim. He was standing, his chair fallen back to the ground as if he’d gotten up in a hurry.

He hadn’t gotten very far, but I was still grateful that I could retrieve whatever had been taken. It was so soft in my hands and as I got closer to the young man watching me with silver eyes, I realized it was a jacket. More like a cape, actually. Nothing was made with fur anymore, but I’d swear it was as silky as some animal’s hide.

It even matched his beautiful eyes. He looked like some sort of pixie; a tiny frame and ethereal pale skin. His hair was a short pixie cut, though it curled slightly at the edges. I couldn’t help but wonder how soft it would be if I ran my fingers through it and pushed it behind his ears so it stopped hiding the tips of them. Would they be pointed like the mythical being he seemed to be?

Shaking my head, I wondered if I had a concussion. I was thinking the weirdest things.

Blinking up at me, the young man didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to do with any of this; my ears were still ringing from the tussle and I was more confused than I’d care to admit. Still, I needed to do something, and he just looked so sweet staring up at me. I shook out the cloak, carefully draping it over his shoulders. Somehow, he looked even more like himself than before. I didn’t know what to do with that thought but I patted his shoulders gently.

“It looks good on you. I’m glad he didn’t get away with your coat.” I felt stupid and awkward, and with my job done, I wasn’t going to hang around and continue to be awkward. The rest of the world was already moving on and I knew I should, too. There wasn’t any need to hang around the quiet little silver eyed man.

With one last stroke of the soft material, I gave him a smile and shuffled back to my own table and, after picking up my briefcase, I headed home. All I wanted was a hot bath, Netflix, and a cold beer before the loneliness took over again.

***

“Well, at least he returned your skin straight away, eh, Tesh?”

I did not know how humans communicated every day. Even though I was considered young among our kind, the idea of just using verbal language was beyond confusing. Selkies spoke with sounds, their movements, and even scents. There was no room for miscommunications in any interaction my family had, so now was no different.

I was just so surprised by the entire scenario that I could barely react let alone have a coherent conversation with my Nona.

That, and I was still reeling from the feeling of having my skin torn away. It had hurt beyond anything I had ever imagined. No one but family had touched my pelt before, let alone taken it from me. It was even worse knowing that the thief had no idea that he’d ripped the skin from my body.

Even while I’d been gulping for air, one man had stepped in. He’d tripped the thief, wrestling the boon from him, and staggered back to the family with it.

All I had been able to do was stand there. The family had twittered all around me, sitting back into their seats once the danger had passed. But I waited for the man to reach us. He was tall and older than me, and a man of the land. Everything about him was rough and weathered. I wasn’t sure how he could fit in normal human clothes. Yet he had poured himself into jeans and the usual parker everyone wore for the Tasmanian winters.

This human seemed to be a loner. Everything about him said he only spent the bare minimum of time around others. Yet, he was bringing back my skin. My heart beat faster when he paused in front of me. I couldn’t speak and time seemed to stop as my skin went back over my shoulders. I’d never forget the way his hands gently touched my body.

I didn’t think I’d ever wanted someone as much as I did this human. But then he was gone and I’d fallen back into my seat in disbelief.

“Such young love.” My father’s pure delight vibrated through his skin. It was like it caused a feedback loop. It echoed around him. “What will you do, Tesh?”

“Traditionally, returning your pelt is the start of the rest of your life.” Nona bared her teeth. Even if our skinless form was almost entirely human, our teeth could not hide that we were something more. They were sharp with two points and a slight hook.

Just like a seal.

Mother and Father were both Selkies, but the love of Nona's life had been a human who returned her skin. It was a story we’d all been told a million times, but we all loved to hear it. The story sounded like a dream come true, a real one. I wasn’t shy about admitting how much I loved the idea of finding the one I was meant for by some sort of cosmic act of kindness.

“But your new man doesn’t seem to understand what has happened.” Mother was sad about it, watching the space where he had disappeared.

“I should go after him.” I held to the edges of my skin. As I said it, the righteousness of the words had me standing. I needed to go after this man.

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