"This blasted thing won't get off me."

"It's your fault for getting too close to the water."

"Next time I'll let Ronnie drown then, shall I?"

"Beryl," Mrs Carson said in a threatening tone of voice, looking at Mr Mason with a silent plea for them to stop yelling. Really, people were giving them looks. There was no reason to cause a scene.

"Oh alright," Mrs Mason glanced at the children, all giggling and merry. "What matters is that no one got hurt."

"Quite right," Mr Mason smiled, handing his wife a towel. It was getting colder now and there was a gentle breeze. They were getting older, the soft rush of cold air pierced through them and Elsie was already coughing because of it.

Earlier, when Mrs Mason's mind was wandering elsewhere, thoughts of a dinner to cook, floors to clean and clothes to wash drifting in and out of her brain, Ronnie had taken it upon himself to run up to the men. They were standing closer to the seashore. There were small waves gaining momentum but they were too tall to truly notice them. Ronnie was not. A wave came in and dragged the child with it, at first he managed to stand back up but with the second one, all the women could hear was coughing. Elsie tried calling out to Mr Carson and Andy, Mrs Mason just ran in instead. Scooping up the child, nearly slipping herself before Elsie caught her, since she too ran in when she realised that the men wouldn't, but they brought the child back unto the safe sand nonetheless.

"I don't know how we didn't hear you," Andy shook his head.

"Perhaps you were dreaming of a pigs and hay," Beryl rolled her eyes, attempting to remove all the sand stuck to her skin. It was easier for the boy. There were no qualms about divesting the child of his damp clothes down to his underthings. It was different for the women of course, they were uncomfortable but they would have to bare it until they arrived home.

"Perhaps we ought to make a move on? It's getting dark and Johnny is getting rather sleepy," Anna asked, walking up to them with a now tired Johnny cuddling closely to her.

As they made their way to the train, Elsie and Beryl distanced themselves from the group.

"What would you have done if you'd slipped?" Elsie asked, shivering as the breeze became a harsher wind.

Beryl shrugged, "Thankfully that didn't happen."

"Do you know how to swim?"

"Of course not," Beryl shook her head, "Where did you think I'd learn? In a pot of soup?"

"That would be a scalding task, I think."

They shared a laugh and after a moment or two, Beryl spoke up again, "What a different world we live in."

"I agree, it's not like what I could have imagined all those years ago."

"I thought you and I would end up sharing a cottage as spinsters."

"That arrangement would not have lasted very long," Mrs Carson smiled, "This is nicer though, having a family. Albeit they aren't ours."

"Aren't they in a way?"

"I suppose Daisy and Anna are, they were the youngest when we arrived."

"Daisy was only eleven, poor girl."

Elsie sighs, "It's hard to imagine a boy like Johnny would have been expected to work soon in our day."

He was only eight. Still full of life and carried a sense of wanderlust with him everywhere he went. It was contagious, which made everyone around the boy adore him.

The train was full. All of them had to squeeze into two smaller carriages, one with the adults seated comfortably, the other with the children piled on them. There were no complaints to be heard, just blissful content. The sun was setting, a beautiful orange-y pink filling the skyline and peaking through the window unto their faces.

Mr Carson squinted, shifting a snoring little Johnny from one knee to the other, careful not to bump his head with the window.

He took off his jacket and handed it to his wife, "You're shivering."

She shrugged it on without a word. All the the children were asleep, or almost, and it wouldn't do to wake them up. As quietly as she could, she whispered a thank you.

Opposite them, Mr Mason was telling Lou a story, which she refused to let lull her to sleep, struggling to will her eyes to remain open. His wife was sound asleep as well. He tightened the blanket which was wrapped around his girls as he kept speaking. It was a subconscious thing but it showed how he cared and how time had changed. There was new life in their midst, in a new era full of possibilities they'd never heard of, never dreamt of. Ones they read in newspapers or heard spoken about in the village, things older, more well-to-do folks got, with a ribbon tying it, ensuring it was theirs and no one else's.

It was sad, really. All that lost potential buried in worn pockets of people who never knew life, only hardship. But surely, their sacrifice will be worth it? People are growing more aware of their worth and are fighting, keep fighting.

Elsie looked at Lou. Hopes she won't be forced to choose between work and having a family, have to forfeit one for the other. She turned to Ronnie and Johnny, hopes they won't see a war, will live unscathed, though no one ever does.

In her heart, she said a prayer. Then she turned into her husband's shoulder and gave into the need for sleep which had been plaguing her since they first sat down.

A.N.: I realise this addition ends in a bit of a bittersweet manner, especially if it is set in 1933. Initially, the first chapter was supposed to be a one-shot, but I got an idea and decided to write it up for you all to read. I do think I'll be stopping this story here, however. Thank you all for the reviews and support! Until next time!