A few days later, Charlotte's foot was still stuck in that horrible brace, which she only took off to sleep. She and Sebastian had decided that she would continue working on his projects. At first, he had resisted – but it was the only way to keep both Sebastian's clients happy and the farm running.

So she sat in his desk chair, whose backrest wobbled dangerously every time she leaned back too far – so she sat upright, her foot propped up on the overturned wastebasket. Fortunately, most of Sebastian's clients were on summer vacation anyway, so only a few small tasks trickled in. She spent the morning coding, ignoring the email notifications that popped up whenever a new apartment listing for Zuzu went online.

She had no problem helping Sebastian with his job – but she would not help him move to Zuzu. She was convinced that he would only withdraw further there – without Sam, and without Abigail, no matter how little she wanted to admit it. Or did he really want to reconnect with his father? Charlotte thought of the letter that had unsettled Robin so much.

Either way – she couldn't imagine Sebastian waking up at six in the morning to go to an office job. Picking up a coffee to go on the way, only to sit in an open-plan office where he'd be greeted by ringing phones, broken air conditioning, and the bad jokes of his colleague Joe – who hated his job only slightly less than he hated his wife.

By now, Charlotte knew Sebastian well enough to know that he needed silence. Not only here in his room but also in nature. When it rained, he watched the frogs hopping across the yard. When he rode his motorcycle (he hadn't done that since their body swap, but he'd told her about it), he didn't ride because he had a destination in mind – but because he could completely switch off along the way.

No matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise: He didn't belong in the city. Especially not that city, which swallowed people faster than they realized – only to spit them out as hollow shells.

Charlotte's phone blinked, making her turn away from the screen. She realized her eyes had become dry and remembered the times when she sat in the subway every evening with red eyes and an aching back before either returning to her empty apartment – or stumbling into the next bar to get drunk.

Sebastian's name popped up on her display.

"I'm so sorry, I couldn't stop her," the message read, making Charlotte's pulse quicken slightly – just as a light knock sounded at her door before it was immediately thrown open. Robin beamed from ear to ear.

"Charlotte is on her way, so get up, get ready. Maybe take a shower."

Charlotte blinked at her in confusion. When she didn't respond, Robin sighed.

"Today's the 24th," she said, as if that explained everything. When Charlotte remained silent, Robin shook her head.

"Oh, come on. It's time for our family picnic – and I invited her. She's part of the family now." Robin winked, and Charlotte groaned.

The last few days had been quiet – lots of work, little contact with other people. Under normal circumstances, she would have been happy to do something – but a picnic? With Sebastian's parents?

But Robin's look left no room for argument – she gestured over her shoulder with her thumb:

"Come on now, or do you want me to welcome her instead?"

Of course, it was still Robin who greeted "Charlotte" with an exuberant hug, just as the real Charlotte stumbled out of the bathroom. But when she saw Sebastian enthusiastically hugging his mother and then asking how she was doing, Charlotte wondered for a moment whether Sebastian was still in his own body. And when he even winked at her over his mother's shoulder and agreed to help with the picnic preparations, she was completely baffled.

Robin ushered her into the kitchen, where she had already been busy preparing. Charlotte shot Sebastian a questioning look, but he simply beamed at her.

"Hi?" she murmured, noticing that Robin was watching the two of them intently. Then, Robin suddenly threw her hands in the air.

"Oh dear… I totally forgot my… thing… Well, I forgot something. I'll just run over to Pierre's real quick. Sebby, sweetheart, you know what to do," she called, giving Charlotte a knowing glance before disappearing from the room - and even closing the door behind her.

Charlotte was just about to protest when Sebastian let out a loud sigh.

"God, this is exhausting," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. All of a sudden, he looked like himself again. Or rather, like himself in Charlotte's body. But still, unmistakably him.

"What's exhausting?" Charlotte asked, amused. Sebastian smirked.

"Being you. Being cheerful. At least around my mom, you're always so… unrecognizable."

Charlotte laughed. "But you're in a good mood today too," she pointed out, smiling. She was tired of being annoyed, angry, or whatever else Sebastian usually made her feel. The day would be exhausting enough as it was. Unless…

"We're really doing this? A picnic with your family?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

But Sebastian just nodded, much to Charlottes resignation. "It's an old family tradition. We've been doing it since Mom and I moved here. Then Demetrius joined, then Maru - and now Sam's family joins in too, so Abby sort of got pulled in as well."

Charlotte wasn't sure if it reassured her that so many people were involved in this little gathering or if it only made her more nervous. But she noticed the unusual sparkle in Sebastian's eyes.

"You… you're actually looking forward to it." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Sebastian waved dismissively, but he couldn't quite hide it.

"It's just our thing," he said simply, then glanced around the kitchen, which looked like a tornado had torn through it. Or rather, like Robin had. "Alright, let's get started. Mom's already made her pasta salad… and tuna salad… and fruit salad… basically everything you can carry in a big bowl."

Charlotte watched as Sebastian scanned the contents of the fridge.

"What do you think about stuffed pancakes? We can do both savory and sweet."

Charlotte blinked at him. "I didn't know you had a sweet tooth," she remarked.

Sebastian grinned and shrugged. "I don't. But Maru loves strawberries. And Jodi goes crazy for pancakes."

"So do I," Charlotte said with a smile. She had never realized that Sebastian actually cooked - she had always assumed he just ate whatever Robin put in front of him.

Sebastian noticed her look and rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Oh, of course. What I meant to say was: I hate everything about this, I hate Maru, I hate Jodi - and most of all, I hate pancakes."

Charlotte laughed. "Oh, thank Yoba, I was already worried you were getting sick."

Sebastian felt the warm, damp sand beneath his feet, sinking slightly with each step. The waves washing in again and again kept his soles from burning. His head was shielded by Charlotte's large straw hat. He had wanted to leave it at home. But then he had put it on in front of the mirror and decided that he looked so… cute in it that he wanted to gift himself that sight. Even if only in the mirror.

Usually, he avoided the sun like a vampire. Even at the annual family breakfast, he preferred to retreat directly under the large umbrella, moving himself and his plate along with the shifting rays of sunlight throughout the day. But now, in Charlotte's body, he felt a strong urge to do things differently. Not just because he assumed Charlotte would also be standing barefoot in the sand in this setting - but because he had realized that it didn't matter. It didn't matter how he acted. He wouldn't even mind if Charlotte joined him.

Despite being trapped in this unfamiliar body, he felt something close to freedom. The freedom of not having to meet expectations. Because no one had known Charlotte long enough to have serious expectations of her. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the salty ocean air, and wished he would never lose this feeling. Zuzu City would help him hold on to it.

Robin had brought Charlotte a cushion so she could prop up her foot, which, at least on the way to the beach, had finally stopped hurting. In return, her arms now ached from walking so much on crutches. When she had reached the sand, she had set them aside and let Robin and Maru guide her while she watched them absentmindedly roll out the picnic blanket and prepare everything.

Shortly after, Abigail arrived, eyeing her with a concerned look. She still hadn't started speaking to Charlotte again. Which Charlotte was actually fine with - but she also didn't want Sebastian to lose that friendship. The fact that Abigail had come at all, however, showed that she was capable of forgiving. Even so, Charlotte wanted to make sure that an apology wouldn't be seen as an invitation to pick up where they had left off.

Sebastian had offered to help, but Robin and Maru were in their element, and Demetrius had asked Sam and Kent to help him carry everything they needed from the houses to the beach. So Sebastian had taken a moment to step away, closer to the shoreline. Charlotte could feel the disapproving glances Abigail kept throwing in his direction, but she had no idea what to say. Besides, everyone was still busy, and she definitely wasn't going to have this conversation in front of the whole group.

So she patted the spot next to her on the blanket.
"Ab… Abby. Would you please sit down for a moment?" she asked, looking up at the purple-haired girl, who raised an eyebrow. She hesitated briefly before lowering herself onto the blanket beside Charlotte, careful not to touch her splinted foot.

Abigail smelled warm and spicy, yet at the same time, there was a summery sweetness to her scent. She was wearing denim shorts and a black top, a choker with a small amethyst dangling from it, and purple flip-flops. Even her toenails were painted the same shade of purple. She looked beautiful. And she didn't look like she was about to slap Charlotte the moment she opened her mouth. Still, her expression remained expectant.

"Abby… I'm so sorry for what happened." Charlotte's words were sincere, and she hoped her face reflected that honesty. Abigail's features softened before she let out a sigh.
"I thought you'd never say anything," she said simply, glancing down and tracing a pattern in the sand with her finger. Then she looked back at Charlotte. "You know you can talk to me."

Charlotte felt guilty. She had never quite been able to gauge the friendship between Abigail and Sebastian - and if it weren't for their shared afternoon, she wasn't sure she would have thought to apologize at all. She had to admit to herself that the idea wouldn't have crossed her mind otherwise - and she wasn't sure why.

"It was... a lot," Charlotte admitted.

Abigail nodded slowly, her gaze shifting toward the ocean, where Sebastian still stood with his back to them.

"What's going on with you two?" she asked without hesitation.

Charlotte followed her gaze. That feeling in her stomach was back. Her gut twisted every time she realized she was looking at herself. That she still wasn't back in her own body. And she didn't know what confused her more: that fact itself, or the realization that she could no longer claim Sebastian didn't matter to her.

She looked at Abigail, who was still watching her intently. With every passing second of silence, her gaze became more piercing.

"No idea," Charlotte mumbled. And that was the truth.

Charlotte quickly understood why Sebastian had been looking forward to this day - everyone was in a great mood. The food was amazing (Demetrius and Kent had brought a small grill, where they were now cooking all sorts of things), Sam had brought one of his guitars and was playing a few songs, and eventually, everyone was watching the sun slowly but surely sink toward the surface of the ocean. The sky glowed orange. It was beautiful.

Still, she was glad that Sebastian wasn't known for being overly talkative. She feared she might act suspiciously if she suddenly started chatting away. It was completely against her nature not to find herself in at least three conversations at once. She kept catching herself stealing glances at Sebastian, who was mostly talking to Sam, who laughed loudly and clapped him on the shoulder.

Robin noticed this too, casting a quick look at her "son," which Charlotte made sure to return with deliberate indifference. Robin rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Charlotte?" she asked in a loud, present voice.

Sebastian didn't react at first. Then he flinched and looked over at his mother. Charlotte had to suppress a laugh.

"Yes, Robin?" Sebastian replied once he had recovered.

"You've never seen the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, have you?" she asked.

Sebastian shot Charlotte a desperate look, and she shook her head ever so slightly.

"No, what…"

"Oh, that's wonderful! It always happens on the last evening of summer, but sometimes, a few of the little Moonlight Jellies find their way to us early. Sebby knows where. Sebby, sweetheart, wouldn't it be great if you showed Charlotte the Jellies?"

Charlotte glanced down at her foot, wondering if it was ready for another walk on the beach.

"I don't know if I want to put Sebastian's foot through that..." he tried to argue, but Robin gave Charlotte a meaningful look. And because she didn't even know what exactly she was resisting, she decided to play along.

"Fine, we can do that," she grumbled as convincingly as possible.

The moment she tried to stand up, Robin was there to help. Then she pulled Sebastian to her side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders so she could lean on him.

"We'll start cleaning up in the meantime," Robin announced, earning a surprised and slightly sour look from Jodi, who had probably still been hoping to become Charlotte's mother-in-law someday - even though, after Sam's birthday party, it should have been clear to her that something was going on between them.

Charlotte decided not to protest further and just hoped Sebastian would realize she had no idea which place Robin was talking about.

Sebastian noticed and nodded westward, where the sun was beginning to burn out like the fireball it was. Carefully, Charlotte placed one foot in front of the other, making sure not to twist her ankle. They walked past Elliott's cabin and crossed the small wooden bridge that connected the sandy shore to the rockier part of the beach, where Charlotte had often found beautiful coral branches washed ashore. They kept going until they reached the westernmost edge of the beach.

Sebastian was about to stop to keep Charlotte's splint from getting wet, but she had already pulled it off and let out a relieved sigh.

"Do you have any idea how annoying this is?" she asked.

Sebastian shrugged. "I can imagine."

He glanced at Charlotte from the side before turning his attention back to the sunset.

"How long do you think we have to wait before we can go back to the others?" Charlotte asked. It was getting darker, but the air wasn't really cooling down. The water kept lapping at their feet.

"I think you won't regret waiting," Sebastian whispered, straining to spot the first Jellies. But it was still too bright. But it wouldn't be much longer until.

"Today was really nice," Charlotte said, trying to fill the silence between them. She threw Sebastian a smile, which he returned a little stiffly.

"That's good. The picnic is probably the only summer day I don't absolutely despise," Sebastian admitted. "And Sam's birthday."

Charlotte laughed.

"I think you'd have a lot more fun in life if you didn't cling so hard to your clichés."

"My clichés?" Sebastian asked, still staring at the ocean.

"Well, your room is in a basement, you're a programmer, you only wear black, you play nerdy games, you always act annoyed when your family wants to spend time with you - and you hate summer. How can someone hate summer?" Charlotte teased, though her tone made it clear she wasn't being serious.

Sebastian scoffed. "I'm just me."

He was relieved when the sun finally dipped below the horizon. His eyes scanned the waves for the glowing blue jellyfish - he was almost afraid he wouldn't see any. But then, a shimmer. It disappeared just as quickly.

"I don't believe that. I think you…" Charlotte began, but Sebastian cut her off.

"There! Look!" he called, pointing at the water, where first one, then two jellyfish drifted to the surface. Within seconds, he counted eight. They didn't light up the night the way they did during the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, but with no artificial lights around, the contrast was even more striking.

Charlotte followed his pointing finger, and her breath hitched. The shimmering water, the gentle waves, the glowing jellyfish - she had never seen anything like it.

And suddenly, she felt Sebastian's presence beside her - independent of which body he was currently in. He was here. And she felt at peace.

Maybe it was the shock of how beautiful the scene before her was. Or maybe it was the way this moment made a perfect day even more perfect. But her fingers instinctively reached for Sebastian's hand.

He suppressed the shiver that ran through his body, afraid she would pull away if he moved too fast. Instead, he opened his hand - then closed it around hers.

And for a moment, he simply forgot how absurd their situation was.

Right then, there was only her.