Light spills from the doorway, and Annabelle trails her sand-shedding towel with her outside. "Come on," she shouts, stamping a bare foot. "You'll miss them."
"Them" is dolphins, threading flying through waves through surf like the seagulls wheeling through clouds. Sunset, and it will be dark soon. Jack comes first, chasing after her as though he's afraid she'll trip over her long sea-salted hair. Avery's next, more slowly, and Elle squirms in his arms. She wants DOWN, Daddy, but the way to the shore is darkening the the path is uneven, so she stays up.
Jake's already watching, his swim trunks heavy with water so that they sag low on his hips. Jack reaches for them; Jake slaps his hand away. Avery sets Elle down and Jake turns to him. Salt water is on his lips and Avery licks it off, kisses his eyelashes clumping with water, touches his wet-dark hair.
Elle hides in Jack's legs dramatically--ew Daddy and Daddy are kissing ewww kissing. Jack laughs and picks her up.
Annabelle wants to swim with the dolphins.. They're so beautiful, she wants to join them. Jack tells her they're further than they look and the water is cold, but she doesn't care. Elle wants to see, so Jack hands her to Annabelle. One day Jack won't be able to distract her and she'll plunge into the ocean and become a real mermaid, or maybe that's just Jack afraid of losing her to the world.
When they go back to the house, Jake pulls a shirt from the porch over his chest. It's white, and immediately sticks to him, tattoos showing damply through, as well as his nipples, dusky pink and contracted with cold. Elle grips his knee, tiny nails digging a little so they don't slip off of the dark skin and sparse hair that's just as wet as his chest still. Her hair is tangled. Annabelle whispers to Avery, heads bent together and Avery laughing. They wear white, both of them, summer cloth given to them by Claire.
Jack opens the door and goes to look for Claire. She's in the kitchen; it's the cook's night off. Jack helps her make bread in the shape of crescent moons, parrots, dancing women. Elle and Annabelle imitate the breads, dancing crazily, and Avery deejays for the little girls while Jake goes off to shower. Waltzes fill the air, and then faster music with drums. Everyone eats together at the polished wood table where Avery and Jack had sex last night, right on top as everyone slept, and there's no sign of lovemaking but they both blush when the table is set. Claire distracts them, asking her boys and her girls what they did that day.
Swan. Danced. Ran. Laughed. Lived. Loved. Coloured! Yes, Elle. Flew. You did not. Daddy helped me. What did you do, Mum?
Got Annabelle's camera fixed! Annabelle looks up at this, and so does Jack, who knows it must have been costly. Claire ignores him and drops something onto the table. Everyone looks up over their salad--or noodles--or steak--or sippy cup--and Claire shows them the pictures.