"The beach!"

Serena plastered her face against the car window, her eyes sparkling. Before them lay a long stretch of white sand, sparsely populated with firepits, colorful towels, and umbrellas. Crystalline blue waves tipped with foam lapped against the beach's edge, then receded into the vast ocean stretching into the distance.

Looking at the scene herself, Kaitlyn couldn't exactly blame Serena for her reaction. The place looked like it was straight out of a travel advertisement.

This is way better than any beach I've been to. She eyed the almost supernaturally blue waters with suspicion. How does something like this even exist, especially within range of campus? Is it game logic?

Admittedly, the beach was a bit of a drive to get to. Thirty whole minutes from Hartland was more than she'd expected Philip to agree to between gas money and time wasted in travel. However, the fact that they'd arrived so early helped matters considerably. It also meant that the place wasn't nearly as crowded as she'd feared. Either way, first impressions already said this was worth the trip.

They parked in one of the paved lots near the sand, pulling in next to a boxy van. Kaitlyn stepped out of the car and stretched, breathing in the salty air with relish. After a moment, she blinked in surprise.

Wait, isn't it November? Her eyes darted toward the horizon. The sun had risen enough that it no longer painted the clouds with pinks and purples, but still hung low in the sky. How in the world is it this warm already? It's still morning. It's supposed to be a little cold, at least. I know the weather was supposed to be good today, but…

Her brow furrowed. The temperature was… perfect. She didn't even need her hoodie right now. Did that mean the rest of the day would turn unbearably hot? Or…

She shook her head. You know what? I'm just gonna accept it. As much as the game seems to intentionally make things hard for me, it actually did something right for once. Or maybe it also has a soft spot for a certain little girl.

Philip opened the trunk, pulling out the collection of towels that he'd stowed away inside. He also pulled out the picnic basket that Kaitlyn had insisted on packing for them. "Serena? Will you help me carry the towels?"

"Yeah!" The little girl pulled her attention away from a nearby seagull and hurried over. She draped a couple of the towels around her neck, their ends barely hanging above the ground.

"Alright." Philip hefted the basket in one hand, wrapping the last towel around his own neck. "Shall we?"

"Yes!" Serena bounced with delight. "We're gonna make sand castles, and play in the water, and collect seashells, and, and..."

The trio headed toward the street as the nine-year-old continued her excited babbling. Excitement overflowed with every word as she tried to convey just how many things one a kid could feasibly do at the beach. In a way, it reminded Kaitlyn of Heather's railgun-like conversation style. Though the effect was admittedly a bit more jarring here, especially coming from Philip's sister of all people.

As they reached the crosswalk, Kaitlyn felt a gentle tug on the hem of her shirt. Looking down, Serena was staring up at her, hand outstretched and face serious.

"We have to hold hands when we cross the street."

Blinking in surprise, Kaitlyn glanced at Philip. Sure enough, he already held one of his sister's hands in his larger one. He met Kaitlyn's curious look and nodded.

"Sure." She reached down and grasped the girl's free hand. "Why not?"

With that, the three of them stepped into the crosswalk, the raven-haired girl skipping happily between Philip and Kaitlyn.

***

The beach was an absolute blast.

After they'd set their things down and claimed a spot in the sand, Serena made quick work of checking off items on her to-do list. They walked along the water collecting seashells until they'd found enough "pretty" ones. Then, the girl began intensely building a sand castle near the water, using the aforementioned seashells to decorate it.

Philip wisely suggested that they build a moat around the structure to stave off water as the tide rose. For her part, Kaitlyn helped to make the turrets look like turrets instead of the oddly-shaped lumps of sand Serena slapped together. Though really, it could be argued that she only made them larger lumps of sand.

Not only was the weather perfect, but the water was too – not warm, per se, but not cold enough to send Kaitlyn scuttling backward as it lapped around their feet. She still didn't exactly want to swim in it – the idea of getting salt water in her eyes and nose wasn't exactly appealing – but Philip and his sister waded in until the girl was jumping into waves with reckless abandon.

Kaitlyn watched as the tutor helped his little sister jump high over another wave. His expression seemed more lively, somehow. He wasn't grinning like a fool. In fact, he still wasn't smiling much at all. But even his body language seemed more relaxed, as though he were finally unwinding after a long day of work.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Well, a lot of long days. She took a few steps back toward the shore. Maybe even years. Who knows?

Her smile faltered for a moment. She really didn't know how long the guy had been running himself ragged for. If she had to guess though, it had been a long time. Everything she'd learned about Philip just painted a more dismal picture about his situation. And yet, despite it all, he kept going.

Looking at his sister, Kaitlyn could understand why. He wants better for her. Whatever he's dealing with, he doesn't want her to ever touch it. That's why he works so hard, I bet.

Her stomach rumbled loudly. Taking the hint, she headed back toward their towels on the sand. I bet they're getting hungry, too. Serena especially. She's been bouncing around like nobody's business.

Sure enough, the pair emerged from the ocean shortly after she began setting up for lunch. Serena was drenched from head to foot, her black hair hanging down in tangled ropes. Philip's shirt was also soaked, though he'd mostly kept his head and shoulders above water. The pair dripped with seawater as they sat down to eat.

"How was it out there?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Wet!"

"I think that Kaitlyn could infer that herself, Serena." The corner of Philip's lip twitched. "I believe she was asking whether or not you had fun."

"Yeah!" Serena nodded as she accepted a grilled cheese sandwich. "I saw a bunch of tiny fishies!"

The trio chatted as they ate, enjoying their respective sandwiches and watching the waves. As Kaitlyn finished her own – a pretty good pastrami sub made primarily from dining hall ingredients – she heard the tinkling of a bell echo across the beach.

Glancing up, the sound's source became obvious. A rectangular box on wheels navigated up and down the sandy banks, a little silver bell hanging near its wheel. An ice cream cart.

Oh, perfect! Kaitlyn lit up at the sight. Its getting warmer than I expected. A orange creamsicle sounds amazing right now. If they have those.

As she turned to check if the siblings wanted anything, she stopped. Serena was indeed looking at the cart. However, as she noticed Kaitlyn looking at her, she turned her gaze away a little too quickly. Maybe even a little guiltily.

...Oh. Kaitlyn felt herself grimace. Right. I'm guessing that's not something they're not used to doing. Ice cream probably falls under those frivolous expenses Philip talks about…

Not that it would stop her. After all, she'd budgeted for this.

"Hey, Serena?"

The girl's blue-grey eyes met hers with guarded curiosity. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure!" She perked up immediately.

"Well..." Pulling out some cash, Kaitlyn passed it to the girl. "Can you go grab us some ice cream? It's getting pretty hot out here, and I think we could all use something cold."

The girl stared at the wad of bills, then at Kaitlyn. "Really?!"

"Yes, really." Kaitlyn chuckled. "What do you say? Can I trust you to pick out the good stuff?"

After a moment, Serena turned to Philip as though asking for permission. "Can I? Please?"

His jaw tightened slightly as he glared at Kaitlyn. But after looking back at his sister, he seemed to be no match for her own pleading expression. "...Go ahead."

"Really?!" Serena leapt to her feet. "Yes!!! Ice cream!"

With that, she bounded after the cart, kicking up sand in her wake.

Dang. She should join a track team with sprints like that.

Philip gave Kaitlyn a withering look. "I will pay you back."

"Nope." She crossed her arms. "If anything, this is me paying you back for driving. Hopefully a couple of ice creams is worth gas money."

"Kaitlyn..."

"Besides, I really did want ice cream. What was I gonna do, get one for myself and eat it in front of her?"

"You are more than free to do that. You do not owe us anything."

"Look... I know." She slumped, shoulders rounding. "You don't like charity. I know that. But... I want to do things for you. You and Serena both. It's not pity. It's just… I can, so why wouldn't I?"

Philip fell silent at that. Kaitlyn continued. "And besides, I can't help it. Not when your sister is so cute and spoilable."

He snorted. "I suppose that's true. She can be difficult to deny."

"Exactly. I don't know how you do it." Kaitlyn's eyes widened as she realized what she'd said. "Ah, I didn't mean it like that! I-I just–"

"I understand your intent," Philip nodded. "No offense taken."

The pair went quiet after that, the gentle rhythm of crashing waves and calls of seagulls filling the air with a peaceful melody. Philip stared out at the ocean as he sat cross-legged on his towel. Kaitlyn kneeled on hers, hands held in her lap.

I know he said no offense, but… what if I really messed up there? He obviously wants to spoil her, but just can't afford it… I hope I didn't hit a sore spot…

"...You likely have some questions."

"Hmm?" Kaitlyn jolted out of her musings and looked over. "About what?"

"About my family situation."

"Ah. That." Of course I have questions. How could I not? Between the money thing, living with his grandma, and all of that. But...

With an effort, she swallowed her curiosity. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Philip's shoulders heaved as he sighed. "The topic itself doesn't bother me. I just have no desire to elicit worry or pity by speaking about it." He spared her a glance. "Though I suppose that line has already been crossed, so I should provide a more complete explanation to avoid any misunderstandings."

She cringed a little at that. "I told you, it's not pity–"

"I understand that." Philip reached out to grab a handful of sand, allowing the grains to sift through his fingers. "But… well, I suppose there is some hesitation on my part as well. Nevertheless, I believe it should be said. Otherwise, the unspoken will continue to hang over us."

As the last of the sand fell back to the beach, Philip wiped his hand on the blanket. His eyes flicked up to meet Kaitlyn's own. In them, she saw some of his normal steely determination return.

She bit her lip. Well… if he really does want to talk about it, then who am I to say no? The least I can do is hear him out, right?

"Ok." She shifted to face him more fully. It was time to get some real answers. "If you're sure."