Chapter 17
Maya
My legs are jittery with anticipation. I can't wait to experience the sea.
"Maya, when will we finally get there?" I hear Sophia ask from the back seat of our rental car for what must be the hundredth time.
Josh has to focus on the road, so I turn to face her. Wearing the summer hat we bought for her during our trip to Grafton Street yesterday, she looks adorable.
"I think it's less than ten minutes now." As I turn back around, I can see a sparkle on the horizon. I roll down the car window and stick my head out.
I take a deep breath of the fresh air. It smells of seaweed and salt. Of green grass and life. Not only do I hear the wind of our journey but also the sound of the sea crashing wildly against the stone cliffs.
"There's the lighthouse!" I exclaim when I spot the blue-and-white-striped tower at the tip of the peninsula we're driving toward.
I can hardly wait until Josh finally pulls the car into the parking lot and switches off the engine. Although the drive is over, he still seems tense. The fact that even the green expanse of Ireland can't distract him is a bad sign.
"It doesn't hurt to be happy." I try to smile at him, hoping to cheer him up. He doesn't respond.Something weighs on his mind, I can tell. Perhaps something to do with the canceled concert.
Whatever the reason, he should forget about it and enjoy the time with Sophia and me. "We're going to have a wonderful day," I say, then I look deeply into his eyes, which today are as green as the world around us. The spark is missing. But I will draw it out of him yet. "Those who let go have their hands free." I thought of Josh immediately when I read that quote recently.
Unimpressed, he puts on his sunglasses and baseball cap.
I even try a wink, but that doesn't seem to get through to him either. "Maybe later, then."
I won’t let him spoil my mood today. I'm in Ireland, Sophia is in a good mood, and the sun is actually shining in the sky.
Anyone who doesn't enjoy that only has themselves to blame.
I get out of the car, then take the fully loaded picnic basket and the beach bag out of the trunk. "Come on, Sophia, let's go ahead to the sea."
I don't have to tell her twice. A second later, she stands grinning next to me.
"Whoever gets to the water first," she shouts excitedly and takes off running.
"Don't go in without me," I call after her as she runs down the path bordered by dune grass toward the sea. Seagulls hover above her, the vibrant sound of the waves audible. What a fantastic day.
Beaming with joy, I run after her, but I'm definitely too slow with both bags. By the time I finally reach the beach, I see Sophia already some distance away, dipping her toes into the frothing waves.
"Wow, it's cold!" She leaps back. That's better anyway, as the sea looks choppy. "We can't swim here."
"But we can do other fun things." I take off my shoes to feel the sand between my toes. Velvety cool, it clings to my skin as I walk barefoot toward Sophia. I hold my hat so the growing wind doesn't blow it off my head. When I finally reach her, I grab her hand. We start dancing, and Sophia's delighted squeal fills the beach. I, too, laugh heartily, carefree and free.
"Isn't it super here?" Sophia asks me breathlessly as we collapse into each other's arms afterward.
I let my gaze wander. Indeed, it is even more beautiful than I had imagined. For the first time in my life, I'm at the sea, and even though I've seen countless pictures of it, it's something else to actually be here. It's fantastic how the sunlight makes the crests of the waves sparkle. And how the breeze brushes through my hair, leaving a salty taste on my lips. The screeching of the birds, the happy mood of the other beachgoers, and the tall grasses swaying wave-like in the wind. All of this is uniquely beautiful.
Now all that's missing is for Josh to relax a little.
At least he's made it to the beach. He stands at the end of the wooden path, probably wondering whether he should take off his shoes before stepping onto the sand.
"Strip," I call to him. Only after the word has left my mouth do I realize that he could possibly misunderstand it.
At least I've managed to make him smile. Just to be safe, I point at his sneakers, and indeed, he starts to untie the laces. Then he trudges toward me. Maybe it's my imagination, but he does seem a bit more carefree.
I gesture to the bags that I had put in the sand earlier. "Shall we find a nice spot?" I ask.
"I'll take this." He carefully grabs the handle of the beach bag. His gaze rests on me longer than necessary.
