“My ears don’t like it any more and I’m trying to keep my hair dry.” Dot patted her neat bob as a wave began to unfurl behind them.

Natalie lunged forward as the foaming water surged above her, suddenly looking much wilder than she’d expected. She’d hardly taken a breath when the roaring curve of the wave crashed over her and carried her forward in its turbulence then spat her out as it flattened towards the beach. She rose to her feet in shock. The power of it had surprised her but also woken a yearning to do it again. She caught her breath, shook the water from her ears and waded out.

Only half an hour later the three of them were staggering from the ocean, laughing, well, Natalie and Dot were. Faye was giving a kind of strangled chortle that could have been a laugh, though Natalie couldn’t hear properly for the swishing in her ears. They were all waterlogged. Dot had done her best to keep her hair dry but had been surprised by a wave and had ended up drenched. She’d been mid-sentence when the wave had struck and the look on her face when she’d finally surfaced had been hilarious.

Natalie turned back to watch the ocean as she towelled herself dry. The power of the waves had surprised her, frightened her sometimes, but left her invigorated and refreshed. She felt a surge of inner energy she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Back to the hotel pool now?” Dot asked. The other two had already covered up and were collecting their bags. Dot gave her an enquiring look. “We like to spend a few hours reading by the pool in the afternoon. Will you join us?”

Hours reading by a pool. Natalie had trouble comprehending such idle indulgence. Faye looked up and grimaced, which Natalie now knew was the closest she came to an encouraging smile.

“I’d love to,” she said.

“Oh good,” Dot said as they set off. “Then at four we order drinks. I had the most divine cocktail yesterday. I think I’ll try it again today.”

“You also had a headache last night,” Faye said.

“I think that was the second glass of wine at dinner. I should have stopped at one.”

Natalie trailed along beside them, enjoying both their company and the new sense of abandon the swim had unleashed. She wasn’t a wife, mother to three daughters, a teacher, a housekeeper or cook, she was simply a woman on holiday.