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She ran, as fast as she could, as fast as her little legs could carry her. Throwing down one foot in front of the other, a trail of imprinted feet formed in the sand behind her as she made her way to the sea. It wasn’t often Lucy had this chance, it was such a novelty to feel the squelch of water and sand between her toes, to have the cold, salty waves rush around her legs gently pushing her backwards. She smiled at her dad who was standing a few feet behind her holding a huge beach ball under his arm. “Do you feel that? That’s fresh air that is, oh just breathe that in.” Her dad exclaimed in glee, his cheeks filling with rosy pink. Lucy took a moment to breathe the air in; it had been so long since her last visit to the seaside that she had forgotten just how good the sea air was.

It had been such a long time since she had last been on holiday, last time she was nine years old and now she was almost fifteen. She brushed her hand in the water and watched drips fall between her fingers, she wondered how the sea made her feel so relaxed, she had been so tense recently but the sea seemed to wash away her worries with its waves. Now waist deep she shoved both her hands down gathering the sea like a squirrel gathering nuts, she tossed it in the direction of her dad who was now parallel to her. “Oi!” he shouted as saltwater splashed into his eyes, his mouth opening wide as he laughed. Lucy knew what was coming; she began to giggle in anticipation of her father’s reaction. It came; a wave reaching her forehead almost knocking her down “Dad!” she screamed, he could only laugh at Lucy as her hair dripped over her screwed up face. Gasping for air and shivering she too burst into laughter.

They hadn’t had this much fun in ages and the smile which had been fixed to Lucy’s face began to make her cheeks ache. The aching of her cheeks likened to her nagging memories that lay deep in the corners of her mind; she found it intolerable that even in moments of joy there was a tinge of sorrow. As if she could never have complete happiness and somehow longing for complete happiness brought feelings of guilt; she’d rather hold onto the sorrow than forget.