The night had fallen softly upon the beach, waves lapping at it in a soothing rhythm that joined with the crackling campfire. The warmth of the fire presented an agreeable contrast to the cool evening breeze; its dancing light fluttered across the faces around it. The air was thick with scents of grilled meat and the faraway salty tang of the sea.
Sarah had gone off a lot sooner than she normally did, a spring in her legs as she hastened to get back to the beach house. Her mum was going into labor with her second child, and Sarah wanted to be among the first to welcome her little brother to the world. Maxine had decided to stay behind, irresistibly called by the peacefulness of the night. She found herself sitting on the wooden stairs at the beach house and stared at the fire, crackling,
