PACE
by Alexandra Thompson

   We were walking up the beach on some island I don't recall the name of; it didn't seem important to me at the time. My husband lagged behind, the camera never far from his eye.
   I walked with my son, who had his arm around his younger sister. He pulled her close, was telling her all about his trip to Japan, how he hitchhiked from one end of that island to the other, learned to speak Japanese on the go. She tilted her ear closer, to catch every word he threw.
   He lead us into the wet sand at the water's edge. The water sucked at my feet and I labored to match their pace. They didn't notice, looking in other directions.
   My husband called to me, told me to turn around, and with a gasp I closed my eyes and held out my hand.