I was going to ask her but then she started to gasp for water again. "Sorry, questions later. I need to get you to the pool." I pick her up with some trouble (the tail is heavier than it looks) and carry her bridal style to the pool outside. I walk down a few steps in the shallow end and release her into the water. Instantly, she darts to the deep end on the opposite side of the pool in a maybe half a flick of her shimmering tail. I started to swim over to her but she kept swimming away from me. For about ten minutes we played this seriously outmatched game of Marco Polo. I stopped once I realized 'You saved her but that doesn't mean she trusts you yet.' So I made my way out of the pool and stand by the screen door. "Well a watched pot never boils."
I go inside and think about what I can do for her to make her feel at ease. My stomach growls. "Duh, food's important. Pretty sure mermaids have to eat too." So I make my way over to the kitchen. "Now what do mermaids eat?" This could be serious problem. They might eat fish. But what if she doesn't? What if I give her some fish sticks and she thinks I want her to eat her cousin? Fish is probably a bad idea. I pace around the kitchen a few times until I come up with a perfect solution. The most harmless food ever... a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
I make four sandwiches: two for me and two for her. I like strawberry jelly in mine, but I made her one strawberry and one grape to see what she likes. I also cut the crusts off hers because I don't know if mermaids like crusts. I'm just trying to be considerate. So I grab myself a glass of lemonade and some chips and go out to the patio. I set up my food on the table first and then I walk over to the deep end of the pool where she likes to hang out. The mermaid notices me and swims over to shallow end by the stairs and surfaces. She still doesn't trust me yet but at least she's curious. I smile. "There she is. How are you?" She doesn't answer. "Well until you want to talk to me, I can't help you get back home, wherever that is. But until then, you still got to eat." I put a plate with her sandwiches down near the edge and then walk away from the edge. "Hope you like sandwiches." I go back to my food and eat, watching for her to try it. I sit there for a about an hour and a half waiting. And then she surfaces.
I nearly jump out of my chair but I try to remain still so I don't scare her. She cautiously approaches the plate. She even looks at me a few times to make sure I won't try anything fishy. She'll do this cute thing where she'll creep up to the plate poke it and then dive back in the water like it'll spring a trap or something. But after a while she grabs the plate and brings it down to the water so she can look at it. I get a little closer but she doesn't notice me. When she realizes it won't float, she swims with it to the shallow end. She pulls herself into the stairs and eats her sandwiches sitting up. When she finishes she wipes her face and puts the plate on the edge and swims over to the deep end. She looks at me and speaks "Thank you for the food" before she dives back into the deep end.