"Gustave! Gustave you must see my solo!" Matilda planted her bare feet in the sand in fifth position a wave crashed over her feet and knees, wetting the blue ruffles of her bathing suit. She counted off and started her dance humming the music. Half way through, her brother lifted her up and threw her into the Atlantic.

The girl shrieked before finding her footing. Gustave laughed as he ran into the water, shivering as soon as the water got waist high on his red and white striped bathing suit.

"That was not funny," Matilda crossed her arms and frowned as he walked up to her.

"I thought it was hilarious," He picked her up again. "We're here to have fun!" He tossed her into the water again and this time she laughed.

"Goose, stop!" Rose called, her ankles barely in the water.

"Tilda, I think Rose is jealous of our fun. Let's get her!" Siblings chased after the young woman.

Rose screamed and laughed as she ran away, the skirt of her swim suit becoming heavy with water, slowing her down.

From a bench, Christine laughed as she adjusted the ribbon on her hat.

"Why don't you go join them?" Erik asked adjusting his sunglasses. "You wore your bathing suit after all."

"It wouldn't be the same without you."

"I am wearing linen khaki is that not enough? You do not want this old man in a bathing suit."

Christine giggled as she took his hand and rested her head on his shoulder, "I have seen you naked."

"Coney Island has not."

"Speaking of which, Rose was inquisitive as to why Gustave had no birthmarks or deformities like his father since all his siblings have them."

"What do you mean?"

"I might have mentioned she will see something on her wedding night."

The Phantom sat up straight, "You didn't!"

"What else was I supposed to tell her, Erik?"

"I would hope you would keep such intimate details private, especially since she's our future daughter in law. Now she's going to wonder when you know that birthmark does not affect anything. You don't even notice it on my groin anymore because you're too busy grabbing elsewhere."

Christine's cheeks, already pink from the sun, reddened, "Erik! This is not proper conversation for where we are!"

He leaned back and crossed his legs, "I'll remember that tonight if the fingers of a certain diva come wondering down these linen pants."

"Well, they won't be. I think a certain angel forgets our future daughter-in-law is still sharing the bed with me."

"Ah yes, the appearance of virtue. She's probably already seen that birthmark."

"That's my baby boy you're talking about! Besides, she would not have acted so flustered if she had already seen it."

"Then maybe he took after his parents and so far, it's been stolen moments in the dark by fumbling hands."

Christine stood as she huffed, "I refuse to think of my baby boy in such a way!"

"He's grown man, Christine. We're going to have to accept it," he reached forward and grabbed her hand. "Maybe they haven't yet. We told him so many times not to be like us." The Phantom looked out towards the engaged couple each holding a hand of Matilda's swinging her back and forth in the water, "He's come back from college with a new job, not like us in so many other ways."

The couple cut their conversation as their oldest daughter approached them dusting sand off her bathing suit, "I bore of building sand castles with Arthur. I'm bored in general out here. May I go practice?"

"It's family weekend, Charlotte," Christine spoke softly. "Why don't you go in the water with the others and bring Arthur up there?"

Charlotte crossed her arms in front of her chest, "I'm still mad at Gustave."

"Whatever for?"

"He doesn't come home. He doesn't work Phantasma anymore; seems embarrassed by it."

"Is that so?" Erik lowered his sunglasses to look at his daughter.

"Charlotte, I need help with the spire," Arthur trotted up to his oldest sister and pulled her hand from her chest. "And we still have the mote to worry about."

Charlotte sighed heavy, her shoulders rising and falling. She looked down at Arthur, his face a middle ground between her's and their father's. She then looked over her shoulder at Gustave. Oh how he betrayed me. I must not do the same to Arthur. She smiled down at the little boy, "Alright, let's fix this together. I'm a master with blocks, but sand if going to be your medium."

The boy arched his good eyebrow, just as she always did, "Medium? I was hoping we could make it big."

"No silly, medium as the type of material you work with. Come on," Charlotte turned around leading Arthur back to their sand castle. "For as well as you speak, you sure are stupid."

"I'm five! What do you want from me?"

"You know, Arthur…I just want you to love me; never betray me."

The boy stopped walking and threw his arms around his sister, "I already love you, Charlotte."

Charlotte sighed and wrapped her arms around him holding him tight, "I love you too."