I am completely aware that I have a handful of utangs. But I have been trying to find my footing in everything again, so none of the other stories I have drafted are working out. This one came to me on a random Spotify surf, so I just had to put it out first.

Most importantly, this is a gift for someone's kindness I have yet to unbox (and yes ikaw yun ssob k na bongga magbox ng i-uunbox, wait mo lang pdf hehe). I originally had something else written as the gift, but everything about it felt wrong. When a friend offered to read it, she said, "simplicity is not your thing". So, I had to ditch that story and find new material—one that wasn't out of my league; one that speaks to me better. And if there's one thing I am sure of that I am good at, it's taking a cliché or a classic, then gutting it and piecing it up until it becomes its own. In this case, the classic is... surprise surprise, The Little Mermaid.

Pero lilinawin ko lang na walang mga sirena o shokoy sa kwentong to T_T Ano lang, walang mga fish buntot yung mga Anak ng Karagatan. Basta. I'll check back here soon.