Family Vacation: >4

It was my Dad. He'd already made it upstairs. We all followed his voice and saw him staring, forlornly, into one of the bedrooms. It was a small room, painted seashell pink, with two lacquer-framed twin beds. He looked at all of us, exasperated, as if the tragedy of this was self-evident.

"On the website, they said it was two beds for four kids," Dad said, "I didn't realize they meant it would be in the same room."

"Maybe there's another bedroom," Mom said.

"Sure, Deb, I looked all over the house, but I bet you'll find the secret place I couldn't see," Dad snapped. Everyone looked at each other, I could feel the uncomfortable like it was the temperature, rising up my skin.

As we explored, we found that, as my Dad had so politely pointed out, there were only two other bedrooms in the house. Both had Queen-sized beds clearly intended for the adult couples. There was a sectional in the living room, as I'd mentioned, but there were no other places to sleep except that tiny room with the two skinny beds.

"I'm sorry guys," Dad said to us kids after we'd canvassed the house. "I'm sending a complaint, but at this point I can't pull another bedroom out of my ass.

"That's OK, Uncle Gary," Marissa said, "Even if you could, we wouldn't want to sleep in anything that came out of your butt."

My Dad gave her a rare smile and went to help Mom set up the kitchen. Meanwhile, we went upstairs and flopped down on the beds.

"I guess we'll split boys and girls?" I said.

"So, you two will be nice and comfortable while us guys sleep halfway on the floor?" Liam said. He and I had been having such a good day up till then, too. Maybe Dad's bad mood was contagious. "I'm just saying, it makes more sense to sleep boy-girl. That way there's enough space for everyone to be comfortable."

share the bed with our siblings?"

said, "It's not like I'm putting the moves

was going on between them, but I couldn't put my

said. His deep voice strangely

*

and pulled a long, white coverall over that. Then I slipped into

room.

conservative cut. Logan and my brother were both in trunks (Liam's were

to the shore!" Marissa

in time for dinner!"

The house was only a block from the shore.

was a cul-de-sac with a set of wooden steps that led up to the boardwalk. We went up on the wooden slats and stared out at sand and endless ocean. It was quiet, only a few people jogging by. Women pushed their

the other side and stepped onto the beach. The sand was speckled and warm, littered with broken seashells and the occasional discarded plastic cup. The ocean

towels. Logan had an umbrella and he planted it firmly in the ground. I unrolled my towel and sat down in my chair. I'd brought a big floppy hat and I put

this is

for better or worse. The fun stuff happened a few towns over, like I said. But it was also relaxing, and it was nice not to get ogled by muscle-heads with slicked-back hair and poor tattoo

got up, removed my coverall, and took a dip in the ocean. It was mid-August, so the water was cold, but not icy. I only went about thigh deep, but it was nice to feel the ocean on my legs. I saw my brother and cousin out deeper, jumping the waves. I'd left my sunglasses and hat on, so I didn't try to join them. When

We walked back to our setup. Marissa was lying on her stomach, her head buried

one of you do my back?" she asked, her

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