The air she breathed was the freshest she’d ever tasted. There was just something about it; not only was it salty, but there was a crispness that you just couldn’t find anywhere else. 

Mary took a good look out at the beach, the sand, the waves, the sunbathers all packed together like sardines. Above it all, the sun, without which the beach would probably look more like a church on a Saturday night. (Read: empty.)

“Ice cream,” she said, turning to her partner in crime, her niece who was only a few years younger than her. “It’s a must. And we’ll definitely need to buy some wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses. Are you wearing sunscreen?” It all came out of her mouth in one breath and she sucked in a lungful of air afterwards to make up for it. 

Joanna raised an eyebrow. “Do we really need all of that?” 

Mary gave her a pointed look. “This is a day at the beach, a day that must be taken very seriously.” 

“…with ice cream?” 

Mary beamed and hooked her arm through Joanna’s. “With ice cream!”