Damp sand crunched under Garrus' feet, Cipritine's shoreline spread for miles with endless rocks and tidepools. Just ahead of him, Solana and their mom, Laesia, searched for a secluded spot.
"Here is nice." Their mom pointed out a spot near flat rocks that lead to water.
"I call the rocks!" Solana said, throwing her bag toward the ground and strolling off to the rocks, pocketing shells and driftwood along her path.
Their mom placed a towel down, trying not to disturb the sand. She sat and turned to Garrus, patting next to her.
"Sit with me for a bit."
He followed suit, soaking in the heat and sights of the beach in silence for several minutes.
Clouds grew and shifted in the distance, with winds pushing the scent of salt towards them. Streams of rain fell from the clouds onto water, glinting in the light. The sun beat down, drying out small tide pools that formed from high tide. Guard nets streamed down the coastline, keeping out the odd predators and beachgoers within safe water levels.
"Looks like it's coming this way," Garrus noted towards the clouds.
"We still have time left," she said, closing her eyes and tilting her head towards the sun. Her browplates furrowed a little. When are you leaving for the Citadel again?"
Garrus sighed and answered. "Orientations in a week, like I said already, a day before Sol ships out again."
"Right, right," she said, now concentrating on brushing away loose sand on the towel, clutching her mandibles close to her jaw.
"Everything alright?" Garrus asked.
"I'm excited for you. I am. It's just that," she stopped and flared out her mandibles, twitching her nose.
"Are you still worried? It's on the Presidium, safest duty in C-Sec," Garrus stated.
"Until you're promoted, and that's going to come quicker than you think," she retorted, continuing to brush away at the sand. She sighed, her brow plates dropped, as she looked out to the water.
"You know, the first time we took you here, both of you," she motioned her head towards Solana and continued to speak. "You almost drowned."
Garrus laughed at the change in subject. "In a tidepool? One way to go out."
She rolled her eyes at him in response. "Not funny. You were barely a spurs height and decided to run out of the tidepools and into the waves." "Your father just panicked as we lost sight of you."
"Dad, panicking? Sure," Garrus said with doubt.
"He might not be the best at showing it, but he worries about you two a great deal." She glanced over to Solana, who lay down on the rocks. "Anyway, he froze, while you were dragged out towards the nets. I ran out there and pulled you out by your cowl. It felt like forever, even if it was barely 30 seconds." She looked back towards him.
"You were shivering, covered in sea grass, but you know what you did?"
"What?" Garrus asked with a small laugh.
"You just looked at me and yelled 'Let's go again!'" Her mandibles flared out in a smile, but her voice dualed a somber tone. "I mean, we both knew you were never in any danger. The waters are barely half a meter tall, but the threat, even with the net, is still there."
Garrus hooked his around her arm and patted it with his other hand, trying to reassure her. "I know what you're getting at. I know there are still dangers, but trust me, it's way safer than my deployment with the Resolute. I'm going to be fine."
"I guess I don't know. That's all unknown to me. I was stationed on Menae for most of my service and never patrolled. The ships came to me." She rested her hand on his and gave it a squeeze. "But I know the dangers of C-Sec and what that brings."
"So would you rather I go with the known or unknown dangers?"
She smacked his hand playfully. "Smartass, fine, I know I'm worrying, but I'm not going to be there to pull you out, and the nets aren't going to be there forever, is all I'm saying."
"Maybe Solana should be getting this talk, too." Garrus grew a little uncomfortable at the worry, trying to throw it off him.
"Oh, I know, she will. But she's more behind the scenes, dealing with the numbers, not on the front lines."
"Front lines of lost tourists and protesting permits."
"For now." She paused momentarily like she was pondering what to say next. "Just promise you'll come back to me?"
"Of course." Garrus leaned his head against her shoulder. "I wouldn't go running off into any waves either, I promise."
"Thank you." She eased and rested her head on his in return.
A few minutes passed before she pulled out her omni-tool and gestured to Solana, who was preoccupied twirling a stick in the sand with a limp wrist.
"Nevermind it all, go over there with Sol, I want a picture."
"One, twenty, or a hundred this time?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Hush, the more you complain, the more I'll take."
Garrus groaned but followed over to Solana stretched out on the rocks, blocking any comfortable sitting.
"Pictures?" Solana said, eyes still closed.
"Yeah, so move over a bit or get up."
"Make me." She stuck her tongue out of him and held her place on the rocks. Without hesitation, Garrus scooped up sand and threw it in her cowl.
"Ass!" Solana laughed and leaped from the rocks. Garrus sprinted already past their mom to flee from Solana.
Solana ran down to the shoreline, cupping wet sand in both her hands. Half of the content spilled out when she caught up with him. She dumped the sand down his neck, and it pooled in his cowl and dug its way under his plates.
More sand was lobbed between the two as they chased each other around their spot. Their mother blocked her face to stay out of range of the fight, holding the omni-tool their way, capturing the moment for memories later.
When the sand settled, they ate lunch, enjoying the remaining sun until clouds finally came overhead. Rain filled the drying tide pools and pattered lightly on their plates.
Their mother closed her eyes and smiled, not packing up alongside them. "Let's just enjoy this a bit longer? I don't know when I'll have you both back here again."
They agreed and settled themselves against her, watching the rain fall on the shore.
She grabbed them both around the neck and nuzzled her chin into their brow plates. Covering herself in damp sand along with them, her laughter sang in the air.