"It worked. But it took even longer. I wonder if the ring is running out of power or something?" said Amanda.
"That can't be - the lady who gave it to me said it would grant my wishes 'from now on.' Let me see if I can change you back or get us back: I wish Amanda was back to her normal form and we were both back in the library."
We waited. And waited. Nothing happened.
"So I'm stuck as a mermaid here alone on a deserted tropical beach with you?" asked Amanda.
"It looks that way" I answered.
"Doesn't sound all that bad to me. A pretty good fantasy for this librarian to live out!" She grinned.
"Well, now that you mention it, its not exactly a bad situation to be in, is it? Wait, that might be it!"
"What?"
"The delay in the last two wishes that worked and reversing them not working at all. I know how to be sure too: I wish I knew why some wishes too longer than others and some didn't work at all."
Instantly, I knew. I remembered the lady's words after she gave me the ring: "Now, from now on, it will grant your fondest wishes!"
"Fondest wishes, Amanda, that's why! Deep down inside, we want to be trapped in tropical paradise with you as a mermaid. We can't undo your being a mermaid or us being here because deep down inside, even if I verbally wish otherwise, I really want it to be like this. And making deep wishes like that takes longer to happen than just normal wishes."
"Interesting. Well, since we're here in paradise together, what do you say we..."