Elick and Mallard, drove around the city in search of a job. The day was hot, and the sun was beaming brightly. The smoldering smell of hot asphalt and foot trucks permeated the cool air of the car every time they rounded a corner block. Everywhere Elick looked, he hoped to find a help wanted sign. To his disappointment, he felt defeated, but Mallard held onto his hand.

At a downtown grocery store, there was a help wanted sign for a couple cashiers. The inside was dimly lit, the shelves were overstocked, and the aisle barely had any customers. The workers looked as if they didn’t want to be there, they leaned against their cash registers or played on their phones. Elick snarled at their service and looked for the customer center.

When he found the customer help center, he tapped on the bell. “Excuse me. I need some help, please.” A lady walked over to the desk, wouldn’t look him in the eye, and sat down. She tapped on her computer and didn’t say a word. “Excuse me, miss, could you please help me?”

The lady gave a big sigh and looked up with furious narrow eyes. “What do you want?” She dragged out her words as if it were hard to speak.

A spark of anger shot through Elick and he grit his teeth. He was ready to snap back and be just as rude, but Mallard stepped in.

“We’re job hunting and saw the sign on the window,” Mallard said.

“So, what of it?” she said.

Her attitude made Elick even angrier, and he moved Mallard out of the way. “Listen, you, I don’t know what the problem is, but I didn’t ask for the attitude.”

She rolled her eyes and shrugged him off.

“I came here for a job.”

“Did you fill out the online application?” she asked.

“No, do you have a physical copy or someone I can speak to?”

“No, sir, if you didn’t fill out the online form there is nothing I can do. Thank you.”

“What if I can’t access the online form? I’d like to apply in the store.”

“That’s not my problem sir, please go if you’re finished. I have a lot to do.” She spun around in her seat and chomped on a bag of chips.

Elick drew a fist and trembled with frustration.

Mallard grabbed him by the arm and led him outside. “Don’t fight her.” He opened the car door for Elick and guided him in.

Elick shooed Mallard away and slammed his hands on the steering wheel. “I wasn’t going to fight her. I’d never hit a woman.” He leaned back in his seat and slid as if he melted. “She was just so rude! I hate that!”

Mallard clasped his hands around Elick’s and nodded. “I understand but don’t let her bother you. It’s not worth it.” Mallard started to breath in loud intervals. “Breathe with me.”

Elick chuckled and shrugged it off. “What are you going on about?” He focused on Mallard’s breathing and joined him. The two matched their breathing and Elick felt his anger melt away. After things calmed down, he started the car and let the cool air blow in his face. “We’ll try somewhere else.”

As the sun ticked across the sky, Elick and Mallard stopped at every potential shop. They visited restaurants big and small, hardware shops, deli shops, candle shops, and everything else in between. It was one disappointment after the other and Elick was losing patience. It felt like his world was caving in and there was no hope. One place would say they needed to apply online or that their qualifications didn’t meet the employer’s standards. He felt overwhelmed with defeat and wanted to cry. It was like his life came to a halt and there was no hope in sight.

They drove uptown, past the park where Mallard transformed and into the outskirts of the city. The area was more urbanized with fewer shops and larger fields covered in flowers. Elick pulled into an Italian restaurant parking lot that overlooked a pond surrounded by blue hydrangeas.

“Come on, Mallard. Let’s take a break from this heat.” Elick wiped his forehead. “We’ll eat a bite and try again later.” The restaurant was filled with stucco walls and rock patterns. It felt warm and cozy except for the low fire that was going in the corner fireplace. “I don’t want to sit over there.”

The couple sat in a booth that overlooked the pond and flowers. The blinds were turned to keep the sun out and the smell of freshly baked garlic bread filled the air. A polite waitress brought over a salad and some drinks.

“What’s an Italian restaurant?” Mallard asked.

Elick covered his mouth when he took a bite of salad. He tried to cover his laugh. “It’s a place for food, silly. It has variety but mostly the food surrounds some form of noodles, like pasta, spaghetti, lasagna.” He showed Mallard the menu.

“What if I don’t want those things?”

“I’m sure we can find something for you, then. I wouldn’t worry.”

Mallard looked over the menu and pointed at a pasta and fish meal. “This looks good, Elick. I think I’ll try it.”

Elick gave him a nod and looked at the price and gasped. He looked at his wallet because he knew Mallard didn’t have any money. He had forgotten how expensive this kind of restaurant can be. When he opened his wallet, he felt mortified when he saw that it was empty. In a panic, he realized he had forgotten his cards at home and only had fifty dollars of cash. If they got two meals, they might not be able to pay for their meals.

“Is something wrong?” Mallard asked.

Not wanting Mallard to worry, Elick smiled and looked up at him. “No, there’s nothing to worry about. Everything is fine.”

“Are you sure? I don’t have to get this if you don’t like it.”

“If I don’t like it? What do you mean?”

“I thought we’d share,” Mallard said.

Elick felt an immense weight lift off his shoulders. He reclined in his booth and sighed. “That’s fine, I’ll try it with you.”

They ordered their meal and Mallard was too eager to share his food. Elick refused most of it and only ate a few bites. He wanted Mallard to enjoy it instead. To Elick’s relief, they had enough to pay for the meal and soon left.

“Look over here,” Mallard said.

They walked over to the pond’s edge where people could walk or sit along the cobblestone path. Elick sniffed a bundle of flowers and beckoned Mallard to do the same. “They’re so beautiful, Mallard. Do you like how they smell?”

Mallard nodded. “I wish we could take some home with us.”

“I don’t think we can take any from here but if you like them, we could stop at the flower shop nearby.”

“Is it expensive?” Mallard asked.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we can afford a flower or two.” Elick didn’t want Mallard to worry about the money. He wanted to make sure he was able to enjoy whatever he wanted without feeling like he missed out on something. Together, they walked hand in hand around the pond and only occasionally hid their hands when someone would look at them.

“So, Mallard, what did you mean when woke up and said you were a mermaid?”

Mallard paused for a moment and thought it over. “Well, it was like a forgotten dream. It came to me in a rush, and I woke up.” He reenacted his motions as if he were swimming around. “I think I’m a mermaid and it was your grandmother who found me.”

Elick gasped. “What does that mean? Are you not a fish?” He held his head; it was like the world was spinning around him suddenly. He didn’t know if he had gotten too hot or what was going on. Mallard called out to him and waved his hands in front of his face to snap him out of it. “I’m okay!” He took a few deep breaths and came back to his senses. “Sorry, I’m still trying to process this whole fish—mermaid—thing.”

Mallard held Elick by the shoulders and smiled. “It’s alright. I understand.”

“Do you though?” Without another word, the couple walked over to the nearby flower shop and saw a help wanted sign in the window. Elick felt like this might be his last change to make a good impression, so he took a deep breath and tried to gather his confidence. “We can do this.”