The water was warm, disgustingly so. Jumping in it provided no relief from the broiling heat of the beach. She might as well have bathed in snapper soup. All this sunshine had to be unnatural for a body, not to mention unhealthy.

“Splash!” The beach ball bobbed towards her. “Splash! Splash! Look Lizzy ball go splash!” Tommy’s chubby toddler arms slammed the water in imitation. She liked her brother better before he could talk. Or ambulate. “Lizzy! Lizzzzzyyyyy! The ball!” Oh no, that sounded like temper tantrum time.

The ball drifted past her out to sea. “I see it, Tommy, but I can’t go get it now.” Their parents would kill her if she left him unsupervised, even for a second. “Let’s go back to mommy and then I’ll swim out and get it, ok?” Too late. He started bawling, full-throated wails, splashing and kicking wildly. He’d drown himself in rage if she let him. It was tempting.

“What’s the matter with the kid?”

“Jesus H. Christ you scared me!”

“Sorry, thought you heard me coming. Guess not. Can I help?” He was super-cute, her temporary neighbor. She’d been angling for an introduction the whole week she’d been down here. This was not what she had in mind.

“Um, will you watch Tommy for a sec? I need to get the beach ball before it floats any further away. Don’t let him drown or anything.”

“Why don’t you take him to shore and I’ll get the ball? He looks like he’s having a bad time of it.” Right. That made more sense. The water on his eyelashes was distracting her. He was way more attractive up close.

“Thanks.” He nodded and swam away. Turning her attention back to Tommy, she didn’t know whether to smack him or kiss him. “Look Tommy. The nice man is getting the ball back. Let’s go wait on the beach and clap when he comes back.” Clapping was his third favorite activity, right after tantrums and blowing bubbles. The distraction worked like a charm.

“Ball! Clap for ball Lizzy, clap for ball!” She picked him up and walked out of the water. He’d already started clapping, loudly, enthusiastically, two inches from her left ear. “He got the ball Lizzy!”

They already had three, spaced a rigorous two years apart; Tommy was a surprise baby. Her parents must have forgotten how hard raising a baby was. Or they remembered perfectly, and so they delegated. Some vacation.

She felt something slimy on her cheek. A sloppy kiss, the way only a toddler can. Who was she kidding, she loved his boy. Even if she wished he’d hurry up and learn an “indoor voice.”

“Hurray for ball. Hurray for boy. Hurray for Lizzy.”

“I got your ball.” What was this kid, a ninja? Twice now she hadn’t heard him coming. She shifted Tommy on to her right hip – her left was her better side.

“Thank you. Tommy say thank you to the nice man.”

“Thank you nice man,” he muffled from somewhere behind her back. Tommy was shy when it came to strangers, even ones bearing beach balls.

“You’re very welcome. Have you seen the turtles down by the point?”

“Turtles?! Lizzy, turtles!” Shyness forgotten, he started squirming until she put him down. “Go see turtles!”

“Hey there little man, slow down. Remember the rules?” He came back to her side and held her hand, impatient as always. He’d drag her bodily if only he had the strength. “You’ve created a monster, you know. He won’t nap at all now.”

“Well, we’ll have to go see the turtles then, won’t we Lizzy?” The grin her neighbor gave her set her heart to racing. He turned to Tommy, and asked, “You want a ride little man?” Her brother squealed with happiness at the prospect of a piggyback ride, favorite thing number six.

"Let's go Lizzy! Turtles!"

“I think that’s a yes.”

“I don’t even know your name?” She sounded like an idiot. But those swim trunks were riding low.

“Thomas, if you can be believe it. Everyone calls me Tommy though.”

"June 12 – Turtle"  in "15 for 15 (June 2012)"