The rusalka shook her head. She hadn't been hungry at all, although she'd been alive for a while now, but at the moment, she couldn't tell if that was because something had fed her, or because of nerves.
"We'll figure it out," Lorenzo said. "That's what I'm here for, after all," he said, turning to the rusalka and smiling gently. "To help you figure everything out."
The rusalka smiled back nervously, and Lorenzo went to get his cloak.
"All right," he said, gathering his things. "Say goodbye to Zeke. It's time to go."
The rusalka squeezed Zeke's hand one last time and pushed down her anxiety just long enough to give him a cheerful farewell. Smiling brightly, she floated up to his eye level and said, "Goodbye, Zeke! Thanks for being so fun! I'll call you!" She waved her phone at him and turned around, holding her arm out for Lorenzo's hand. He hesitated, which nearly broke her resolve and made her turn back, but after a moment, he gingerly took her hand.
Turning back to Zeke, he waved too, making a stab at reassuring him, and also possibly himself, by stating, "She's in good hands."
And it was true, his hands didn't look anything like the hands in her concept drawing, but they held on very gently, and the rusalka felt a tiny bit better.
"Let's go home," said Lorenzo, and with that, they departed.
