Birches was everything Skye remembered it to be. It was adorable and blue and a bunch of other lovely and summery things.
Skye mostly liked the view.. She stood right in the middle of the living room and looked out the massive windows right to the surf.
"The sea calls to us," Jane said. "Just like it did all those years ago."
"But we're the adults now," Skye said. "We've got to check the kitchen and bedrooms and whatnot."
"And check on Rosalind too, probably," Jane murmured.
The two sisters slowly turned their heads towards the master bedroom which Rosalind had disappeared into with her duffel bag.
"Was that normal?" Skye said. "I mean, has she been like that lately?"
"I have no idea," Jane said. "I haven't spent a ton of time with her of late, and especially not with her and Batty."
"We should maybe check on Batty too," Skye said. "Although God knows, I've said worse to her."
"Nah, that was bad," Jane said. "She's never heard Rosalind talk like that to her."
Skye scuffed the toe of her sneaker against the worn wooden floorboards. She thought of the two other sisters alone in their rooms.
"We should check on them," Skye said. "But first – what was that thing you say about the sea calling us?"
"The Mermaid Queen calls to us with her siren wail," Jane said.
Skye grinned and opened the backdoor to the deck. Within seconds, the two young women were clambering down the steps. They tore off their shoes and bolted across the sand and into the roaring surf.
Skye felt the cold of the water slosh her up to her thighs. She turned to Jane, who was twirling in a circle with her arms outspread and her head tipped back.
In one swift move, Skye bumped her shoulder against Jane's back, and Jane went sprawling.
Jane came up spluttering and shrieking.
"Payback for that time Grover made me fall," Skye said. "And you just watched."
Jane pushed herself up and lunged, shoving Skye hard into a particularly big wave.
Several minutes later, the two women made their way slowly back into the cabin, fat drops of water trailing from their arms onto the deck.
Rosalind was lounging on an Adirondack chair.
"Having fun?" Rosalind said.
"The Ocean waters have restored my spirits greatly," Jane said. "Mayhaps a plunge might bring you clarity as well?"
"We need to do a grocery trip," Rosalind said.
"I'll go," Skye said.
In five minutes, Skye had changed into a dry t-shirt and shorts and had pounded on Batty's door and demanded that Batty assist in the grocery quest.