Chapter Ten: Wing of Madness:

Noiz pulled up in the parking lot of the beach. “We here! Everyone out!” she called. She and Mosh unloaded the jeep and took in the ocean air.

“So what should we do first?” she asked.

“Let’s walk around for a bit,” the mouse boy offered.

“Sounds good to me,” his wife said. The beach didn’t really look crowded today. An elderly couple sat near the grass, watching the waves. Noiz waved at them.

“Hey there!” she called. The couple waved back at her. Mosh put his arms up in the air.

“When was the last time we were out here?” he asked. Noiz did a quick count with her fingers.

“Last year, I believe,” she answered.

“That long?” he asked.

“Yep,” Noiz said. She turned back to Ume in her arms. “See, look,” she said. “That’s the ocean.” The baby cooed in her arms. Mosh looked up at the sky.

“Is it expected to rain today?” he asked.

“I think so,” Noiz replied. “Want to go back and get the umbrellas?” Mosh thought about it before shaking his head.

“Nah,” he said “I think we’re good.”

“How’s school?”

“Good, how is work?”

“Good, but I’m a bit swamped at the moment.”

Mosh tilted his head at her. “Swamped? What’s the matter?”

Noiz sighed. “Time being wasted, incompetence, newbies, a mix. Take your pick.”

“That bad?”

Noiz nodded. “Can we talk about something else?”

“Sure,” he replied.

“Thank you,” his wife said. She looked up at the sky and happened to see a seagull flying by. “Look, Ume-chan,” she said. “It’s a birdy! Look at the birdy!”

“Can we still have days like this?” Mosh asked. Noiz’s eyes shifted back to her husband.

“What?” she asked.

“It’s a really nice out and all three of us here,” he said with a shrug. “I just wonder how long it will last like this.” Noiz gave him a little smile.

“They can last as long as you want them,” she said. Mosh looked at her as he stopped in his tracks.

“Is that right?” he asked.

“I believe so at least,” Noiz replied. “Next time, we’ll bring swimsuits and teach this little one how to swim.” She bounced Ume-chan for emphasis. Mosh patted the baby on her head.

“I like that,” he said.

“What time do you want to head over to the aquarium?”

“When does it open?”

“Ten.”

Mosh counted up in his head. “We still got time. Want to keep walking?”

“Oh yes!”

Mosh put his arm around his wife’s shoulders.