A Long Thaw (22 page)

They took turns, running fast along the beach and waiting for the little tug that meant it had caught the breeze. Slowly they fed more string as it climbed higher and higher, then dove suddenly, digging its nose into the sand.

They handed it back and forth, rooting for each other. Abby chewed her lip nervously as Juliet let out the string. A couple of the streamers ripped in the wind. Suddenly a strong gust tore the handle from Juliet’s hands. It skipped along the sand ahead of them.

Juliet was stricken. She struggled not to cry as Allen turned to her and set a hand on her shoulder to comfort her for what had been lost.

Abby tore after it, kicking up sand as the kite jumped higher, floated towards the sea. She was aware of the futility of her run, even as she did it, but she couldn’t just give up. Her bare feet touched the firmer, wet sand. She knew she was almost out of time. It would sail over the ocean and crash into the water, getting beaten and mangled by the waves.

Abby leaped forward with her eyes closed, a belly flop into the sand. If she’d missed it, there would be no time to scramble to her feet and chase after it again. It would be over, ruined, gone.

Before she could open her eyes to check, she heard the clapping. The whole beach let out a collective cheer. She found the handle trapped underneath her body as the unicorn crashed into the sand ahead of her.

Panting, Juliet caught up and helped Abby to her feet, throwing her arms around her. Abby placed the kite’s handle in Juliet’s hand, and as the cheering faded, it was replaced by their laughter.