They’d spent most of the previous day at the beach. It was Sunday, and crowds lined the expanse of wide, white sand. Maya had been in her element, swimming and gathering seashells. Ava had given them a plastic bucket and a small kitchen strainer, and the child spent hours trying to net the minnows that darted safely out of her way. They’d built an elaborate sandcastle, which Maya declared was for Elsa, even though Letty was fairly certain ice princesses would never survive the Florida sunshine. Late in the day they’d eaten somewhat sandy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and potato chips and fed the leftovers to the seagulls, which dipped and swooped in for their meal and generally terrorized and annoyed the tourists sitting nearby.

It had been a carefree, golden afternoon. They’d packed up the beach umbrella and toys when suddenly, in the distance, Maya spotted a long-legged blond woman in a red bikini, walking along the shoreline.

“Mommy!” Maya screamed, dropping her sand bucket. “That’s my mommy!” She streaked toward the woman, with Letty close behind. “No, Maya. Come back!”

The startled woman turned, just in time to see the child hurtling at her, and then desperately clinging to her knees, crying, “Mommy, Mommy.”

“I’m sorry,” Letty said breathlessly, as she tried to peel Maya away from the stranger.

“Noooo!” Maya screeched, clawing and kicking as Letty carried her away. “Noooo!”

It was quite the scene. People were staring, their expressions a mixture of amusement and sympathy.

“She’s just overtired,” Letty murmured, as a young mother stopped to ask if she needed help.

Maya screamed all the way past the Murmuring Surf pool, where the regulars were arrayed in their self-assigned lounge chairs. Letty was vaguely aware of the silver-haired women and balding men turning to stare in their direction.

When she finally reached the room, she had to lock the door, because Maya repeatedly threw herself at it, crying out for her mother.

That morning, Joe had arrived at the door to their unit with a small “extra” flat-screen television that he claimed Ava had discovered in the office supply room. Now, Letty turned the television on and tried to distract Maya with PAW Patrol, but to no avail.

Finally, in desperation, Letty ran a warm bath, stripped off first her own and then Maya’s sandy swimsuit, and climbed naked into the tub. She held the sobbing four-year-old close to her chest, patting her back, rocking back and forth until the tears slowly began to subside. She hummed and sang “Let It Go” over and over until her voice was hoarse and the water was cold.