Page 70 of The Beachgoers
Cliff sits beside Elsa again, and she leans close and whispers a thanks to him, then brushes her fingers over his suspendered shoulder.
Matt silently slices another hunk of cake and sets it on Eva’s plate.
Celia stands at the far end of the table and sips her wine.
Jason sits next to Maris and looks out at the water.
The others lean close, talk softly, touch.
Maris does, too. She leans to Jason and looks at the twenty-four beach stars sparkling on the sand. They cast that same sparkling reflection on the calm waters of Long Island Sound just beyond. It gets Maris to look up at the sky. There’s only a tiny crescent moon throwing little light tonight, so the stars above twinkle in the dark.
Which means… it could be. Itcouldlook like some have fallen to the sea.
“Look, Elsa!” Maris says then. “Sparkler ocean stars.”
Not only Elsa, but everyone at the table turns to the sight. They squint a bit, lean to the side, point to the sparklers still glimmering, the water shimmering.
“Everybody,” Maris says while squeezing Jason’s hand beside her. “Make a wish!”
