Beach day!
Question: What are you doing now?
Response: Beach day. 'Can I come?'
'Can I come?' you ask. Dessa's information request isn't urgent and you'd like the chance to dip your toes in the water.
'I could use an extra pair of hands,' Lex murmurs thoughtfully.
'Hey - an extra pair of hands for what?'
'Let's get going.' Lex uses your shoulder to push themselves up and pulls you up after them.
They take the lead down the stairs. When the platform is out of sight they say, 'You might remember that in my first week as apprentice I did something and almost cracked my skull open.'
You think back to your first time on the beach. 'I do recall.'
'I'm doing it again.'
'Not deliberately, I hope?' You can't help with that.
'The extra pair of hands is to stop that, yeah. I'm clearing out some trash that washed up from down south.'
'Is that what you were doing yesterday?'
'Yep.'
So you might get more than just your toes wet.
--
Lex scours the beach while you twiddle your thumbs, then returns with a wide, flat shell and a stick. They lead you to a part of the beach where nets and bits of wood have caught between sheer rocks and run the stick over the water. The waves calm down.
They then grind the shell against the pockmarked rock of the shore and push it out to make a platform over the now mostly-still water. The nets now sits within arms reach from the platform, which is great for Lex, but is far enough from the shore to make you worry about its stability.
They use the stick to guide the nets and wood towards the platform. You try to not think too hard about where they came from. The water swells under you and you stagger.
Lex hands you a dripping net they drag up from the water. 'Alright?'
'Yep. Wasn't expecting this.' You take the net. 'How'd you almost...?'
'It was one of my first times on these. Tried to pull in some trash while holding onto what I already pulled out. A wave wiped me out. It was a pretty close call,' they say casually.
You elect to sit down and keep the net bunched up under your outstretched legs. The platform shifts again under a wave and you grab the edge for security. It crumbles away. You fold your hands in your lap and can only be grateful Reginald is safe and warm at home. Lex pulls in more debris.
You stay rooted to your trash pile and let it grow around you when it's too much to fit under your legs. It weighs the platform down and soon water is sloshing over it more often than not, soaking your legs through.
'That's it for today,' Lex says, and shoos you off. You can't say you're sad. They poke at the platform with the stick until it crumbles into the sea.
'Dump it all in that box; I'm not carrying all this up the stairs.' They point to the lifting box Deema had used. You both hoist the box up.
'I'll take care of this,' they mutter when you're back up the stairs. 'Unless you want something as home decor?'
You're still trying to not think where everything came from. 'No, thanks.'
--
Over dinner you let Deema know Pumpkin Bread will be visiting tomorrow. She grunts and turns around to hide her expression.
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This detached, garden studio near Arlington, Va., was designed as a quiet writer’s retreat for a focused creative work. Love it 😍😍😍
(via This quiet garden studio is a writer’s dream workspace)
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