Pip and the Sandy Castle
Gemma carried Pip to the sandy beach in both hands. Yaya came behind with the big bag, and Lola held on to Yaya's sleeve. Disco trotted along with his tongue out, happy to be anywhere with them.
Yaya spread out the towels and Gemma lined up the toys. Bucket, shovel, and a flat blue spade. Pip hopped onto a towel and pecked at a stripe. Disco flopped down for a snooze.
Lola pointed at the sea. Far away, two ferry boats slid along the water like toys in a bath. Gemma shaded her eyes. "Boats," she said. Yaya said they were carrying people across the water.
Gemma looked at Pip. Pip looked at the sand. "Pip needs a house," said Gemma. Yaya clapped her hands. "A castle," she said. "Let's begin." Gemma had to figure out how to make the walls stand up.
Gemma scooped up a handful of wet sand and squeezed it. It held together. She tried the dry sand, and it trickled away. Now she knew which sand was best, and she was ready to build.
Gemma filled her pink bucket with wet sand and pressed it down hard. Lola patted the bottom with both hands. Gemma flipped the bucket over and lifted it slowly. A round tower stood there.
Gemma and Yaya made more towers the same way, one after another. Pip walked between them, peeping at each one. Yaya scooped a little door into the biggest tower, just the right size for a chick.
At last the Sand Castle was done. Gemma pressed a tiny shell on top. Pip stepped through the little doorway and peeped out from the window, round and pink and very pleased with herself.
Lola clapped. Yaya clapped. Even Disco woke up and lifted his head. He looked at the castle. He looked at Pip. Then his legs began to wiggle, and his eyes went very bright.
Disco zoomed. He raced in a big circle round the towels, then round the bucket, then straight past the castle. His tail swished through the walls, and the whole castle tumbled into a heap of sand.
Pip sat on top of the sand heap, fluffed up and blinking. Lola giggled. Gemma giggled. Disco skidded back, panting and proud, and licked Gemma's cheek, which tasted like sand.
Gemma looked at the heap, then at Disco, then at Pip. "Okay," she said. She stood with her hands on her knees, thinking about what Pip needed now.
Gemma grabbed her pink bucket and filled it with fresh wet sand. Lola helped carry the shovel. Together they stacked up a brand new tower, a little wobbly, with a door for Pip.
Disco lay down beside it, very gently this time, and put his chin on his paws. Pip hopped inside and tucked in her feet. Yaya smiled. Even a wobbly castle can be a cozy one.
Gemma slipped the little shell from the old castle into her pocket. She patted it once. Next time she would build the castle even higher, and that was a plan to keep.
