After they passed through the town of Virginia Beach, she traveled north until they reached a row of private homes fronting on the ocean. She turned into the driveway to her home, separated from the neighbors by a high board fence. The two-story frame house, its structure resembling the prow of a ship, was painted a soft brown. Decks extended along the front of the house at both levels. Floor-length windows afforded a full view of the ocean that lapped gracefully at the sandy beach. Shrubbery grew along a low seawall, and a boardwalk provided a convenient path to the beach. Benches stood along the seawall facing the ocean. When Mark stopped behind her van, the children tumbled out of the vehicle and headed toward the ocean on a run. Alice released Buffy, and he chased after the children, falling all over himself in his excitement. Mark looked in wonder at the magnificence of the property. “Kristin, Eddie,” Alice called. “Stay out of the water until your daddy or I are with you.”
