Once that is done with, the first game they play is Jumping Over The Waves. Prin can swim, but Jane can’t, and Mum insists that they stay in the shallows. Some waves are small and some are big, but Prin can jump over all of them. Jane doesn’t do much jumping; she mostly just stands there, arms out, letting the water crash against her shins. After a while, Prin gets bored of doing all the jumping herself, and anyway it’s time for lunch. Mum is already laying the food out on a blanket.

‘Come on,’ says Prin to her cousin. ‘We’re supposed to go and eat.’

Lunch is delicious, all of Prin’s favourites, even if there’s sand in some of it.

Afterwards, Daddy lies down on one of the spread-out towels and Mum says they are both going to have a little rest.

‘Don’t go far,’ Mummy tells Prin and Jane, lifting her sunglasses back from her face. The hidden skin underneath looks pale. ‘Don’t go back in the water for now,’ Mum says, ‘and don’t go anywhere where we can’t see you.’

Prin wriggles and squirms while Mum rubs more sunscreen onto them both. She already knows what they will do. She remembers this from last summer, when they came to this exact same beach. As Mum caps the sunscreen and puts her sunglasses back on, Prin takes Jane by the hand.

Prin is running now, up the beach, pulling Jane after her. Jane stumbles a bit in the jelly shoes she’s wearing, a size too big, but she runs fast enough to keep up. Jane is actually quite good at running.

Only a tiny way along the beach, there is a funny little rock formation. It makes a little cliff above the sand, not high at all, honestly; the top is only a foot or two above Prin’s head. Not even so high as last year, because Prin is three whole inches taller now. To the side, more jagged rocks make a sort of staircase, so it’s easy-peasy to climb right up.

And then, from the top, you can jump right off. And it feels like flying.

Prin comes to a stop at the bottom of the cliff and checks back over her shoulder. She can still see them, Mum and Daddy, little wavery flat shapes in the heat. She can see Mum’s arms, holding up a book, and the slash of Daddy’s bright red towel.

‘Come on,’ says Prin to Jane. She scrambles her way up the rocky staircase, Jane trailing after her. Prin climbs slowly, for Jane’s benefit. Jane goes very, very slowly, only moving one hand or foot at a time. It’s silly really, there’s no danger of falling. The rocks are almost like normal steps.