By the Seaside
“You really must take a break, Valerie. How long can you keep working like this? You’re not yourself anymore—where’s that spark in your eyes, that cheerful mood that used to lift everyone around you? So what if you divorced that… well, that good-for-nothing? You did the right thing, and there’s no need to dwell on it.”
“Mum, I’m not dwelling. It’s been nearly a year since the divorce, and I’ve moved on. Besides, Emily keeps me busy. Honestly, though, she’s wise beyond her years—always surprising me with how grown-up she is, and she’s not even twelve yet! It’s because she devours those magazines you buy. She reads absolutely everything,” Valerie replied.
They decided to escape to the seaside.
“Exactly—Emily deserves a break too. She’s such a bright girl, top of her class. A little holiday will do her good. Why don’t you take her to the coast? We can’t afford fancy resorts, but a little guesthouse would be perfect. I’ll even chip in,” her mother insisted.
“Mum, say yes!” Emily piped up. “Granny’s helping, after all. Hey, maybe you could come with us?” she added cheerfully. “Think about it—just like water and sunshine make plants strong, we’ll soak up all that sea air and come back healthier!” She sounded like she was quoting something.
“Goodness, where do you get these things, Emily?”
“From Granny’s magazines, obviously. And school, in case you forgot,” Emily laughed.
With her holiday approaching, Valerie made up her mind—they were going to the seaside. On her last day at the office, she waved goodbye to her colleagues.
“See you all in a fortnight! I can’t wait for a proper rest.”
“Go on, Val—soak up the sun, swim, and maybe meet a handsome stranger!” they teased.
Packing was a whirlwind. A quick trip to the shopping centre for new swimsuits and shorts, and Emily was practically singing:
“By the seaside, she walked on the sand, and he watched her go by…”
“Emily, what on earth? Where do you get these ideas?”
“Mum, it’s from a magazine.”
“You’re too young for those. Maybe I should throw them out.”
“You’d have to throw out the internet too,” Emily giggled.
“That’s an invasion of privacy!”
“Privacy can wait—pack your things,” Valerie retorted.
“Mum, Lucy’s jealous. She’s never been to the seaside—can’t even imagine it.”
“I know. It’s hard for them—her mum’s disabled, no father around. Maybe one day, when Lucy’s older, things will change.”
“Yeah, but who knows when that’ll be,” Emily sighed.
The night before leaving, they lounged on the sofa, chatting about the trip—until Emily dropped another bombshell.
“Mum, what if you meet your soulmate there?”
“My what?” Valerie nearly jumped.
“You know—the love of your life! Like in that poem: ‘By the seaside, where the lace-like foam…’ Maybe your prince will rise right out of it!”
“Emily, what’s gotten into you?” Valerie flung her hands up.
“Fine, fine. I’m off to bed,” Emily said, darting to her room.
The train journey took a full day, but the excitement kept them going. They hadn’t been to the coast in four years, and the anticipation was electric.
They arrived by evening and found their guesthouse. The landlady greeted them warmly.
“Here’s your half of the cottage. The other side’s taken by a lovely young man—Oliver, his name is.”
“What do we care?” Valerie thought, settling in.
“Mum, let’s go to the beach!” Emily tugged her arm. “We can unpack later—maybe even take a quick dip!”
Valerie agreed. The sea was just beyond the garden gate, and the evening light was perfect—warm but gentle.
“It’s beautiful, Mum!” Emily kicked off her sandals and dashed into the waves, laughing as the water rushed over her feet. She shucked off her shorts and T-shirt and plunged back in. The foam curled delicately at the shore, just like in the poems.
As they walked back in the dusk, they spotted Oliver on the porch, sipping a beer. Emily couldn’t resist.
“Beer contains toxic substances, even traces of heavy metals…”
“Well, good evening,” Oliver chuckled. “Where’d you pick up such wisdom?”
“Reading helps,” Emily said loftily, sweeping inside.
Oliver grinned to himself. “And here I was worried I’d be bored.”
The next day, Valerie suggested an excursion before hitting the beach later. They explored the town, and by evening, the shore was quieter. Oliver was already there, lounging in sunglasses.
“Mum, look—our neighbour!” Emily nudged her.
“Good evening,” Oliver said. “I’m Oliver. And you are…?”
“Emily! And this is my mum, Valerie,” Emily answered before her mother could.
“Pleasure. I see you prefer evenings by the water.”
“Just timing,” Valerie said, heading for the waves.
Later, Emily approached Oliver with a pomegranate. “Can you help us with this? We forgot a knife.”
“Of course.”
Emily recited solemnly, “‘It was so simple, so sweet—the queen asked him to split the pomegranate, shared half, and then… well, you know the rest.’”
“Ah! You know your poetry,” Oliver said, impressed.
“Obviously.” Emily grinned, handing him a piece.
Walking back together, they discovered they were from the same city. Valerie dismissed it as coincidence, but Emily whispered later, “Mum, it’s fate.”
“What?”
“I saw how he looked at you—even behind those glasses.”
“Emily, really…” But as she drifted off, Valerie wondered. A child was a woman’s greatest joy, but a strong, kind man beside her—that was something she and Emily had missed.
The days flew by—beach trips, cafés, ice cream under the sun. One evening, after Emily went to bed, Valerie and Oliver sat on the porch with glasses of wine.
“Valerie, I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed this—especially Emily. She’s remarkable. Who her age quotes classic poetry?”
“She’s always been like that,” Valerie smiled.
Oliver took her hand, and she didn’t pull away. Then Emily’s voice piped up behind them:
“By the seaside, where the lace-like foam…”
“Emily! Why aren’t you asleep?”
“Too excited. The air’s different here.” She grinned and vanished inside.
By the holiday’s end, it was clear to all three—this was no accident. As Emily said: fate.
Some say holiday romances end when the suitcases are unpacked. But for Valerie and Oliver, it was just the beginning. Three years on, they’re still together—with a little boy named Arthur, handpicked by Emily.
Sometimes, the best things come when you least expect them—like love rising from the lace-like foam of the sea.
