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The sound of waves crashing against a rocky seashore. The salty tang of the ocean carried on the wind. Hot sand burned beneath his small feet, clinging between his toes. Alexander remembers it all too well.
He remembers himself as a child, chasing waves along the beach, his laughter rising above the roar of the tide. The foam curled around his ankles, cool and ticklish, and he giggled every time the water splashed against his legs. Bird wheeled overhead, their cries sharp and distant.
- Enn zwazo! — He pointed at the creature soaring across the sky.
It was a comically elegant bird with an oversized bill, a sinuous neck, and a large, dark body gliding steadily on outstretched wings.
-That’s a Brown Pelican, - his older brother James explained, his voice steady with the confidence of someone who knew things.
-Chirp, chirp! - Alex mimicked the sound with a mischievous grin.
It wasn’t surprising for Alex to slip between languages so easily. At that age, he didn’t realize he was speaking different from one word to the next. To him, it was all just sound.
He stared and laughed at the bird until his small feet betrayed him and he tumbled onto the wet sand. James quickly reached down, pulling him up with a firm grip.
- Are you okay? - he asked, brushing grains of sand off Alex’s damp arm.
- Ye! - Alexander shouted, still excited, his cheeks flushed pink with sun and play. The boy always seemed impossibly happy.
-Come on then! Let’s go deeper, - James urged, his eyes sparkling with adventure.
- Deep, - Alex echoed, determination in his voice.
From behind them, the voice of their mother rang out above the crash of the sea.
- Don’t go too far.
- We won’t, - James promised.
They waded further into the glittering water, the sun turning its surface into a sheet of silver. The waves rose gently, reaching Alex’s waist. The boy’s smile faltered for just a moment as the water lapped against him.
- Wait, you don’t know how to swim, - James suddenly remembered.
- Je ne, — Alex admitted softly, lowering his gaze.
-I can teach you! - James offered with the enthusiasm of an older brother eager to share secrets.
Alex squealed in delight, his fear instantly forgotten.
James held his hands, guiding him through the water. The boy’s clumsy kicks and splashes made more chaos than progress, but for a first attempt, he did surprisingly well.
- Let’s race! - James challenged, darting ahead.
It wasn’t a fair race, but Alex didn’t care. He pushed forward with all the strength in his little body, smiling as though winning had nothing to do with reaching first.
He swam even further from the shore. Then a sudden flash of movement caught his eye — a small, dark grey fish zipped past his legs. Alex shrieked, half in surprise, half in delight.
- Alex, don’t go that far! - their mother called sharply from the shore, her voice carried by the wind.
Alexander pouted but obeyed, splashing back toward James.
- Je veux voir un requin! - he announced proudly.
James smirked. - You’re so tiny it would eat you in one bite.
- Non, li pa ti pou! - Alex protested, indignant, and flung a handful of water at his brother’s face.
They dissolved into laughter, splashing each other until their arms grew heavy and the water stung their eyes. Finally, exhausted, they trudged back toward the shore where their mother waited, her figure framed by the golden light of the late afternoon sun.
A sudden chill swept over Alex as he left the sea, the breeze turning his wet skin to gooseflesh. His ginger hair stuck to his forehead in damp curls, bouncing with every tired step. He stumbled, then collapsed into his mother’s open arms. James plopped down beside them, breathing hard.
- Cold! - Alex cried, teeth chattering.
Their mother laughed softly, her warmth wrapping around them as surely as the blanket she pulled over their shoulders.
- Better? - she asked, her eyes tender.
- Qui, - Alex whispered, snuggling closer.
- Je t’aime, - she said, her voice low and steady, meant only for them.
- Mo kontan twa pou, Ma....- Alex yawned, heavy with sleep.
- Aussi, - James replied, his arm brushing against his brother’s as they huddled together.
- Come on, boys, we have to go.
Alex squirmed in protest.
- Nooooo... - he whined, half-asleep already.
Rachel rolled her eyes, though her smile betrayed her amusement.
- I guess I’ll have to carry you.
Alexander felt her strong arms lift him off the sand, his head lolling against her shoulder. The scent of the sea lingered on her skin, mixed with warmth and safety.
- Let’s go home.