Breathe and Count Back from Ten

Mermaiding and swimming are Verónica’s greatest passions in life. They bring her closest to herself, to freedom, and to the Personal and Sexual Autonomy she craves as she nears adulthood. Verónica went to Mermaid Cove with her family for the first time when she was seven and was still in a cast from a surgery. Watching the mermaids perform and move with the water in a seemingly effortless fashion inspired awe in Verónica, and she knew she wanted to be a mermaid one day. Verónica’s mother bought her a wax mermaid statue to commemorate the day. Verónica started swimming soon after when the doctor recommended she swim to gain strength in her legs. Gravity is weaker in the water, Verónica points out, and metaphorically speaking, this refers to the fact that she feels less weighed down by the world and by her disability while she is in the water. Verónica also meets Alex at the pool, and many other significant events take place there. It becomes a romantic spot for the two of them to discover one another and fall in love: “Maybe I’ll show him my favorite places and we’ll swim until out fingertips turns soft as clay.