His arm around her shoulder. She leaning into him. And me. There was me. Alone on the sand. I walked up and down the big curving C of beach. The breeze was slight, a soft whisper all around. I pulled off my T-shirt and considered going for a swim. I didn’t have a towel, but I didn’t much care, either. The air was hot and humid. The ocean ran across my toes again and again, bringing with it tiny shells and an occasional patch of stringy seaweed rolling by. It called to me. Finally, when I felt like I couldn’t hold out any longer, I stepped out of my shorts, dropped my T-shirt on top of them, used my flip-flops to anchor everything so it wouldn’t blow away, and headed straight into the water, confident and sure, not stopping for waves as they rushed toward me or when the cool temperature raised goose bumps all over my skin. When I was waist-high, I dove in. The beach, swimming, everything around me was magic.
What do You think about The Tenderness Of Thieves?
