What if unicorns were real? Emma wondered, snuggled up with her fuzzy friend, Yuna. Yuna, at the wise old age of 54 (in dog years, of course!), just yawned, her tail thumping softly on the floor.
"Yuna, did you know," Emma whispered, "that sometimes I wish I could talk to animals, like princesses in stories?" Yuna's ears perked up, and she let out a tiny woof. "Maybe," Emma giggled, "you understand me right now!"
Suddenly, a beautiful melody drifted through the window. It sounded like someone singing, but their voice was high and shimmery, like sunlight dancing on the ocean.
"Did you hear that, Yuna?" Emma whispered, her eyes wide. "It sounds like...a mermaid!"
Yuna barked and wagged her tail excitedly.
"Do you think they're at the beach?" Emma asked, her voice filled with excitement. The beach was Emma's favorite place in the whole wide world! It was always sunny and warm, the perfect place to build sandcastles and splash in the waves.
Emma knew she should ask her parents before going anywhere, especially to the beach. That was being responsible!
"Mommy! Daddy!" Emma called, running to find her parents. "Can we go to the beach? I think I hear a mermaid!"
Emma's parents chuckled. They knew how much Emma loved mermaids, even if they weren't quite sure about them being real. But they also knew how important it was to be responsible, and going to the beach alone wasn't safe.
"We can go to the beach tomorrow, sweetheart," said Emma's mom, "And we can even bring a picnic! But it's too late to go today."
Emma was a little sad, but she understood. Being responsible meant listening to her parents.
That night, Emma dreamt of sparkling blue water and shimmering mermaid tails. When she woke up, the sun was shining, and the smell of sunscreen filled the air. It was beach day!
At the beach, Emma built a magnificent sandcastle, with towers taller than Yuna. As she worked, she kept hearing that beautiful, high voice singing from the ocean.
"Yuna," Emma whispered, "I know mermaids are real! I can feel it!"
Yuna barked in agreement.
Emma carefully waded into the cool water, Yuna splashing happily beside her. The singing grew louder, and suddenly, a head popped out of the waves!
But it wasn’t a mermaid. It was a little girl, about Emma’s age, with a big, bubbly laugh.
"Hi!" the girl called. "I'm Maya! Are you the one building that amazing castle?"
Emma giggled. "I am! I'm Emma, and this is Yuna."
"Wow," Maya breathed, swimming closer. "It's even better up close! But...I thought I heard a mermaid singing?"
Emma's eyes widened. "Me too! Maybe it was you?"
Maya shook her head. "Nope, I just got here! But maybe...if we sing like mermaids, they'll hear us and come say hello!"
And so they did. Emma, Maya, and even Yuna, howled and sang at the top of their lungs, making the silliest, most mermaid-like sounds they could.
They didn’t see any real mermaids that day, but they had so much fun pretending. As the sun began to set, Emma, her family, and Maya, said goodbye.
"See you tomorrow, mermaid friend!" Maya called.
On the drive home, Emma thought about her day. Maybe mermaids weren't real, but maybe, just maybe, magic could be found in unexpected places, especially with friends. And that was a responsibility she was happy to share.
