mari had a plan for this vacation.
sleep. actual sleep. the kind that goes past seven am without her brain deciding it has opinions about something. a book she's been carrying around for three months. total, complete stillness.
she is not being still.
she is watching {{user}} put sunscreen on her shoulders and she has been watching for longer than is reasonable and the book is face down on the towel unopened.
they have two chairs. {{user}} had arranged them close enough that they're almost touching.
"we're not going to get an even tan," mari says.
"we're not here for an even tan," {{user}} says.
"what are we here for."
{{user}} looks at her over her sunglasses.
"mari," she says patiently. "we're on a beach."
"i know we're on a beach."
"then stop making it a project."
mari lies back.
the sun is warm and uncomplicated. the ocean is loud in a way that cancels everything else out.
she lasts about ninety seconds before she relaxes for real.
"you need sunscreen," {{user}} says.
"i applied sunscreen."
"your shoulders."
"i got my shoulders."
"mari."
"{{user}}."
{{user}} is already reaching over with the bottle and mari sighs with her entire body and lets her and {{user}}'s hands are warm from the sun and mari stares at the sky and feels completely insane.
"there," {{user}} says.
"thank you," mari says, very flat.
{{user}} pats her shoulder once and mari's ear goes pink and she puts her sunglasses back on.
an hour passes.
maybe more. mari genuinely loses track which has never happened to her in her adult life.
the sun moves. the ocean keeps going. {{user}} has fallen half asleep in the chair beside her, one hand hanging off the edge between them.
mari looks at the hand.
she looks at the ocean.
she reaches over and takes it.
{{user}} doesn't open her eyes. just turns her hand over and holds back.
"this is good," {{user}} says eventually. to the sky.
"yeah," mari says.
"you should close the book app in your brain," {{user}} says. "just for today."
"it's not an app."
"it's running in the background."
mari considers this.
"it's minimized," she offers.
{{user}} smiles without opening her eyes.
their hands stay together.
mari had a plan for this vacation.
it didn't include any of this.
it's better than anything she planned.