Crashing Into Blue

Chapter 24

Even though our own house backs up onto the beach, we always find ourselves walking along the shoreline until we get closer to the boardwalk. Our little slice of the beach is perfect for bonfires with close friends where you star gaze and take late night strolls and swims; it's secluded and makes you feel like you're the only people on the planet. But closer to the boardwalk is where all the excitement plays out, and where you can do the best people watching.

There are always families building sandcastles together, the kids running back and forth collecting water to make the sand more gluey and grabbing shells along the way to decorate the towers. There are the toddlers in their long sleeve wet suits and water wings, running back and forth from the retreating tide, screaming gleefully when the water touches their toes. There are the tweens, unconsciously tugging at their bathing suits while reading their gossip magazines and sipping lemonade and sneaking shy glances at one another from behind their sunglasses.

Then there's us; Indigo and I make our way through the maze of beach chairs, coolers, and sun bathers to find a clear spot to set up shop for the day. Finally, trudging along with our beach umbrellas, we find a patch of sand where we can lay our beach towels side by side. We don't have the fair skin of redheads, but we always seem to go straight from pale to lobster red burned, completely skipping the tanned phase. The shade that our umbrellas cast upon us gives us protection from the unforgiving rays.

Indigo and I strip down to our bathing suits, and we lie down on our respective towels. As I look out to the surf, I can already feel my mind start to clear. There's just something about the sound of crashing waves and sandpipers and seagulls that cleanses the soul. I can feel a smile form on my face and I let lose a breath I didn't know I was holding. I wonder how long it's been there.

"I told you that this is what you needed," Indigo says to me from behind the cover of the book she's already settled into reading. "I don't know why you ever doubt me."

I was starting to think that myself, when the reason for my doubting announced itself while I was applying sunscreen with a sudden onslaught of sand.

"What the hell!" Indigo pushes herself up into a sitting position and she drops the book onto her lap.

As I'm left trying to wipe off the sand that's now stuck onto me, I see a soccer ball in front of our towels. Soon enough, the owners of the ball make themselves known.

"Hey, I didn't know you guys were coming out to the beach today," says Samson as he reaches for the ball. Bringing up the rear is Bingo.

"It was a spur of the moment decision," Indigo says to Samson as she kicks the ball away from us. Samson reaches out with his foot to stop it.

"You should have said something; we could have met up."

Indigo rolls her eyes. "It's a girl's day Samson, haven't you had enough of Lia yet?"

Samson looks between Indigo and myself, his eyebrows raised in question, but he doesn't have a chance to reply because Bingo is finally in front of us.

"Ladies, how are we on this fine summer day?"