T_T_T

Bow Kid jumped.

“Ahhhh!” she screamed.

You jump to your feet to find her standing away from the sandcastle. As you wisely move away as well, Bow Kid steps cautiously forward, eyes wide, peering down at something. That something being a pair of claws extending from the opening of the shell.

“Wow, a hermit crab!” Bow Kid exclaims.

You lean in closer. It certainly looks like it with the claws and all.

“Should we put it back in the water?” you wonder.

“I think so. I think they need water.”

Bow Kid reaches down, picking the hermit crab up from the clawless end of the shell.

“What about the pool?” you suggest.

Stepping over the castle wall, she carefully lowers the hermit crab into the water, resting it on the sandy bottom. But she watches a moment, frowning.

“No, I think it’s too warm for it.”

“Oh,” you say, stepping your feet into the pool.

It does feel warmer than the ocean, but you have no idea if that’s too warm. Still, you don’t want to hurt it, so as Bow Kid picks it up, you follow her back into the ocean.

“There you go!” she says, putting the hermit crab near a large underwater rock.

It’s hard to make out, but you think you see the hermit crab scurry under the rock.

Bow Kid’s smile is wonderfully radiant.

T_T_T

You and Bow Kid are ready for lunch by the time mum tells you to finish up. It’s getting really hot and you can see people either leaving or going into the water to cool off. Packing up your things, you follow mum up to the carpark where there’s a public shower.

The water is cold as you rinse the salt out, but the cold water is okay on a day like today and mum will probably tell you to have a proper bath tonight because there’s probably still sand in your hair. When everyone is rinsed off, you trek back to the car, letting you dry off. Getting changed is easy as all you have to do is push your bathers off your shoulders, throw on your dress, get your bathers off your lower half and slip on some undies. Mum then puts the wet bathers in a bag. Lastly, you help Bow Kid adjust her ever important bow.

“How does fish and chips sound for lunch?” mum asks as she checks your seatbelt.

“That sounds nice,” says Bow Kid.

“Yeah,” you agree.

Mum skips the first two fish and chip places because there are like a thousand people at each one, all trying to get lunch after the beach. Instead, mum drives in the direction of the shops, stopping at a busy but not packed place.

“I wonder if they have a hermit crab?” Bow Kid asks as you both gaze into the fish tank in the fish and chip shop.

There are several colourful fish swimming about and even some snails. One of the snails is cutting a path through the light film of algae on the glass.

“Hmm,” you hum in concern. “I hope they don’t eat these fish,” you say.

Bow Kid joins you in a disapproving hum.

“That would be weird,” she comments.

“What have they got in there?” Mum asks, leaning down to your level.

“Just some fish,” Bow Kid replies.

“And some snails,” you add, pointing at the one on the glass.

“No hermit crabs.”

“Hermit crabs?” mum asks questioningly.

“Yeah, we found one at the beach!” says Bow Kid enthusiastically.

There’s a small flash of surprise on mum’s face.

“Really? I’ve never seen one at the beach — well, not around here anyway. I have seen one in the tropics.”

“Yeah, it had claws and everything,” you explain.

“We put it back,” says Bow Kid happily.

As your order is called, mum goes to pick it up. You catch Bow Kid yawning.

“Tired?”

She shakes her head.

“Nope, all good.”

Mum leads you to a nearby park where the three of you can eat at a picnic table.

T_T_T

Mum lets you buys some buttons that you think will look really cool on Bow Kid’s cardigan as she shops for a nappy bin.

Once you move onto the supermarket, she lets the pair of you stand on the front of the trolley, mum wheeling you about as she grabs things off the shelves. Mum doesn’t stop as she goes past the nappies on the shelf and you figure mum knows there’s enough to last for now. You do wonder what other types are like though.

As mum browses the fresh fruit, picking which ones she thinks is best, you and Bow Kid get off and go looking around. There are some vegetables you don’t think you’ve ever tried before and you wonder if Bow Kid has tried them.

“Weird,” you say, looking at the bell-shaped vegetable. It even had a flat bottom.

“They’re squash,” Bow Kid explained.

“Weird,” you say again. “You had them?”

Bow Kid nods.

“Yeah, mum sometimes cooks them.” When you ask what they are like, Bow Kid replies, “sort of like pumpkin —” she shrugs “— but not really.”

Bow Kid yawns again, more loudly than last time. You give her a quizzical look, but she shakes her head, smiling all the way.

“There you are,” says mum, spotting the two of you. “Try not to wander off so far, okay?”

The rest of the shopping is uneventful and soon you and Bow Kid are being buckled up into your seats again. You’re only a few minutes out of the car park when you look over at Bow Kid to find she’s fast asleep in her seat. She’d yawned all day and clearly tired after last night, so you leave her be.

That may have been a mistake, when only a few minutes from home, you hear a sharp intake of breath.

“Oh no,” she says in a fearful whisper.

Bow Kid looks horrified as her hands go to her crotch to try stymie the flow. Mum doesn’t miss the spectacle and quickly pulls over. You can see tears in Bow Kid’s eyes so you undo your restraints and get out of your seat, slipping into the centre seat to be nearer to her. Bow Kid has closed her eyes, her face blotchy in embarrassment. You probably can’t take her hand right now, so you instead loop your arm through hers. Sniffling, she blinks back at you.

“Do you still need to go, sweetheart?” mum asks.

Bow Kid sobs, shaking her head as mum nods sadly in understanding.

“Lets get you home, then.”

Mum stares at you for a moment.

“Come on, you have to get back in your seat. We’ll be home in a minute or two.”

With visible reluctance you slip your arm out and take your seat. When mum pulls the car into the driveway, she helps Bow Kid out of the car. She’s shaking as you try to hug her.

“N-no, I’m — I’m all wet,” she protests, stepping away.

You shrug before hugging her anyway. Bow Kid initially freezes, but after a few moments’ melts into your hug, sniffling over your shoulder. You can feel her wet clothes wetting your dress, but it doesn’t matter right now. It hurts to see Bow Kid hurt, you realise, your own eyes watering. She has fast become one of your best friends.

Over her shoulder, you can see mum removing her car seat. Mum sets it next to the car before giving you a small sad smile.

“I guess you two can have a bath now.”

Mum gets the hot water going before leaving you to help Bow Kid out of her wet clothes. You put her still dry bow safely on the edge of the bathroom sink, before helping her keep her wet dress off her face as she pulls it off over her head.

“Remember,” you whisper, “I promised I’d never care about this. You’re still my friend.”

Sniffling, Bow Kid nods her tear-streaked face as she gives you a sad, thankful smile.