Standing on the windswept beach on the raw, overcast afternoon, Perceval set up a fire pit in the sand while Joan dug by the shore for shellfish. With her long stick, she turned up damp, dark sand, and every time she uncovered an edible gem, she shrieked before plopping it into her bucket. And each time, Perceval laughed. He couldn’t recall a time when his wife seemed happier or more relaxed. The sea air blew through her dark locks and a wide smile graced her face as she worked.
“Lots of mussels and clams!” she called out from the sea’s edge. “No spider crabs yet.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find some. I’ll help you once I get the fire going.”
She howled again and Perceval grinned. Her happiness made him long for children even more: a family with …show more content…
“My, you’re looking very thoughtful again.”
“Just daydreaming,” he offered, while fussing with the sputtering fire and heavy cooking pot. Perceval didn’t think Joan would respond very favorably if he admitted he dreamed of a passel of …show more content…
I’d planned to go in for a quick dip after we finished eating. I want to feel the sea on my skin.”
“Absolutely not. The water’s dangerously cold and you’ll catch a death of a chill.”
“I will not die in the water,” insisted Joan. “Besides, you can come in with me and keep me safe.”
“I have to be part of this little adventure, too?” asked Perceval with mock disdain.
Joan stuck out her lower up. “If you love me, you will.”
One side of Perceval’s mouth curled up in a grin. “No question, then. I’ll be freezing my bollocks off in the water with you.”
“I knew it!” said Joan with an excited squeal. “We’ll dash in and out. And we’ll be sure to stoke the fire in the cottage first.”
“Let’s get lunch cooking,” said Perceval, hoping that after a substantial lunch of shellfish, Joan would forget all about her planned water exploit.
They washed and cleaned the shells by the shore, then brought their bounty up to the fire, over which the cooking pot now boiled with seawater. They dumped the shellfish into the vessel.
“Lionel told me it doesn’t take long to boil these,” said Perceval.
As their meal cooked, Perceval and Joan sat in the sand and warmed themselves in front of the flames. They held hands and stared out at the open sea, waiting for their meal to
“Lots of mussels and clams!” she called out from the sea’s edge. “No spider crabs yet.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find some. I’ll help you once I get the fire going.”
She howled again and Perceval grinned. Her happiness made him long for children even more: a family with …show more content…
“My, you’re looking very thoughtful again.”
“Just daydreaming,” he offered, while fussing with the sputtering fire and heavy cooking pot. Perceval didn’t think Joan would respond very favorably if he admitted he dreamed of a passel of …show more content…
I’d planned to go in for a quick dip after we finished eating. I want to feel the sea on my skin.”
“Absolutely not. The water’s dangerously cold and you’ll catch a death of a chill.”
“I will not die in the water,” insisted Joan. “Besides, you can come in with me and keep me safe.”
“I have to be part of this little adventure, too?” asked Perceval with mock disdain.
Joan stuck out her lower up. “If you love me, you will.”
One side of Perceval’s mouth curled up in a grin. “No question, then. I’ll be freezing my bollocks off in the water with you.”
“I knew it!” said Joan with an excited squeal. “We’ll dash in and out. And we’ll be sure to stoke the fire in the cottage first.”
“Let’s get lunch cooking,” said Perceval, hoping that after a substantial lunch of shellfish, Joan would forget all about her planned water exploit.
They washed and cleaned the shells by the shore, then brought their bounty up to the fire, over which the cooking pot now boiled with seawater. They dumped the shellfish into the vessel.
“Lionel told me it doesn’t take long to boil these,” said Perceval.
As their meal cooked, Perceval and Joan sat in the sand and warmed themselves in front of the flames. They held hands and stared out at the open sea, waiting for their meal to