After swimming for hours, the mermaid decided it was time to take a rest. She saw a large rock at the beach’s edge that would be a good place to sit and enjoy the sunshine. Positioning herself on top of the large grey rock, the little mermaid, Raegen, had a great view of the beach and ocean. The warm ocean breezes gently blew her long hair and the ocean waves crashing against the rock showered droplets of salt water onto her skin.

After a little while, Raegen noticed several starfish slowly climbing over the beautiful shells at the base of the rock and making their way up the rock toward her. To the little mermaid’s delight, the starfish were her old friends with their new babies. After playing and sunning themselves on the rock, the sounds of the oceans waves gently drifted the little mermaid and her starfish friends into a relaxing sleep.

Sounds coming from the ocean awakened the little mermaid. Slowly sitting up and looking around, sleepy eyed Reagan, viewed the source of the sounds from the ocean. A young blue-grey dolphin was swimming toward her. The dolphin would raise his head above the water, nod his head, and speak dolphin talk toward the little mermaid. As the dolphin came closer, Raegen recognized the dolphin as her cousin, Xander, who had moved far away months ago.

The mermaid was so surprised and delighted to see her cousin. Xander eased his way through the surf up to the base of the rock and nestled himself between the seashells. Xander, Raegen, and the starfish talked and played in the ocean waves and sunned themselves on the grey rock for many hours.

What fun these friends and family had on this beautiful day at the beach. As the day was ending, the little dolphin said he had to be one his way to visit his father many miles away. Raegen knew she had to get back home to enjoy her older sister, Saige’s birthday party. Still sadness filled the little mermaids heart with the thought of ending this wonderful day with her friends and cousin.

 Raegen held out her arms to the little dolphin to jump onto so she could give him a hug goodbye. Xander gently glided into the air and onto the little mermaid’s arms.

After holding Xander and giving him a little kiss on his head, Raegen gently lowered the little dolphin into the sea. Standing up and swimming backwards on the ocean waves, Xander nodded his head and with dolphin talk said goodbye to Raegen. After swimming under the water for a few seconds, Xander popped his head above the ocean waves and said in dolphin talked “We’ll see each other again very soon, my dear cousin!” The little mermaid waved goodbye and threw him a kiss into the ocean breeze. With a sigh, Raegen turned to say goodbye to her starfish friends noting they will meet again at this large rock in a couple of months.

The full moon was beginning to rise upon the ocean’s horizon and the wind from ocean was beginning to blow cool breezes onto the land. The little mermaid knew if was time to hurry home to wrap her sister’s birthday gift. Raegen had found a large seashell and tied a string of seaweed to the shell to create a necklace for her sister, Saige. With one last look around at the beach and ocean, the little mermaid placed the necklace around her neck and dived into the waves. As Raegen quickly swam toward home, she smiled to herself and thought what a wonderful day she had at the beach. She knew in the future she would enjoy many more days like this with her friends and family at the large grey rock at the edge of the beach

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