Months passed by and the floorboards finally got filled with jello. Upon hearing this, Angel used her outdoor privilege to catch enough living worms and carefully sealed them away in cans.

All they now had to do, was steal a boat, fill it with the jello, the cans of worms, their clothes and some equipment River made to filter sea water into something drinkable.

According to intel they had gathered, the parents of the owner of the sanetorium had a boat. Those parents also visited their kid every year with said boat. They'd spend the night in the private part of the sanetorium while their boat would remain at the docks.

River and Angel had only 1 night to escape.

***

That night they loaded the jello in baskets made of newspapers, sneaked several times passed the guards and filled up the boat.

As they carried the last basket of jello out, River looked back. The light in Maya's room was on.

They sighed as they continued their way to the boat.

"Here," they said as they handed Angel the last basket. "Take it all. It will be more than plenty to keep you alive until you've reached your destination. Have a safe trip."

"You're not coming with me?"

"Nope."

"What about your mermaids and about showing the world you're right?"

"The mermaids brought me to where I had to be. I'm grateful for them, but I no longer wish to hunt them down. I have found everything I need right here."

River looked at Maya's room. She was all they needed.

"Suit for yourself. I'm off, sucker!" Angel said as she loaded the last nello on board and started the engine.

"See ya!" she waved as the boat disappeared into the setting sun.

***

River knocked on Maya's door before walking in.

Maya sat on the windowsill. She looked outside as the guards and police officers started their pursuit of Angel.

"There's a lot of commotion down there. What happened?" Maya asked.

"Let them," River said. "You're the most important."

They sat down next to Maya and intertwined their fingers with hers as the sun set over an azure sea.

I love you.