HOLLY

As their rental at the shore has an extra room and Betty knew I needed a vacation, she’d invited me to join. Sisters look out for one another. I’d cover my share of the groceries and do my share of the cooking. Raymond wouldn’t mind me tagging along.

Plus there would be a chance to catch up with Kevin. The nice thing about a nephew is that you’ve known him since Day 1 — Day 3, in Kevin’s case, actually, since Betty had him on a Wednesday and I had to wait till the weekend to make the trip. Sixteen years makes for a lot of extended family vacations — me being the extension — to remember. The one where he tricked me into bringing chocolate chips, for example. Said his mom would need them. The one when we’d made a sand castle with eight drawbridges and a guy from the paper took a picture, vacation communities having that sort of paper.

Now, though, Kevin’s past sandcastles and into computers. Not that I can beat him, but I sometimes can hold my own in the car race game. When we co-steer, him being his age, his arm wanders all over me, but I don’t let on that I notice, as we’d crash and lose points.

Actually, it’s not just about points that I let him, and he’ll remain there till the checkered flag.

KEVIN

When I was little and we played board games, Aunt Holly would try to win, not like most adults let help you win because you’re a kid.

When she’d babysit, we’d splash around in the tub, as at that age you pay more attention to your floating toys than whose lap you’re on. I can still remember, though, how she felt when we played octopus tickle.

She said what happened to me was natural, but not to tell. We’d laugh and she’d tickle me there some more.

Your aunt shouldn’t be who you jack off about as you get older, of course, but she might be somebody you sometimes think about while you do it about a girl in your class.

Actually, I do it most nights here, Aunt Holly walking around in her pajamas, not knowing how much I remember about her.

The thing about splashing in the waves with Aunt Holly — she doesn’t like going that far out — is that I get to save her. It’s not that I always do it in a particular way, but if I end up around her front, that’s how I learned in lifesaving, and like they told us, keep the victim secure until you’re both on dry land. If the wave’s a big one, it can knock down a shoulder strap, even, and I’ll get an eyeful before she pulls it up.

I just don’t want her against the front of my trunks, is all.

The two of us are sitting where the tide barely reaches, me behind, her asking what I’m taking next year, whether Spanish makes more sense than German — Spanish places are more fun, her point.

Telling her about the school paper is when I begin rubbing her back, then going along her strap, while mentioning cross country, and under her arms as she says it sounds fun, though she, herself. would be way too slow. Interested in my classes, she doesn’t notice me edging her breast.

And now here we are, back in our place, on the sofa watching a video; you don’t have to wait till evening when on vacation. The folks are off to town, Mom getting fixings for a salad and Dad keeping her company. They’’ll honk when they get back, Mom told us, to help carry things in.

I guess Aunt Holly’s behind on her sleep, as she’s out like a light right beside me. Grownups take naps on vacations, but not me.

The top two buttons of her blouse being undone lets me see one side of her bra.

HOLLY

The ocean’s frigid, plus there might be sharks, though that might be a different ocean.

When Kevin and I get to playing in the surf, getting scrunched by an octopus beats being eaten by a shark. My nipples he’ll think because of the ocean.

I kiss him for saving me from the sharks and have him massage my back and he does around under my arms, but not that far.

I face away at the showerhead, but know he’s looking when I rinse inside my suit. Walking back, he’s quick to wrap a towel around his middle.

The redeeming thing about Home Alone 3 is that you can doze without missing a thing, and that’s what maybe he thinks I’ve done.

In any case, here I am, Betty and Raymond off shopping, me supposedly dozing, Kevin eying my buttons.

Is this the time to try something more? Who could be safer for him than me? As close as sisters can be, though, it’s a touchy subject. On the other hand, however, she’d remarked that he’s for sure growing up and how pleased he was that I’d come along.

Driving here, it was Betty who’d set us in the back and given us a blanket. When we’d dozed, my head on his shoulder, did she guess where his arm was?

Rentals accumulate paperbacks, and I’d thought of salting something where Kevin would find it, and then catch him with it, but I’d forgotten to pack the one I’d just finished. I’d have packed a video more suggestive than Home Alone, but I hadn’t figured we’d be watching videos, just the two of us.

I’m supposed to believe that Betty will honk because they’ll need help carrying in the groceries? Sisters needn’t explain everything.

Not that Kevin and I might even be doing anything, but who knows? He’d felt me up in the water and almost kept at it on the sand, after all.

I breathe deeply to better feign sleeping, turn myself his way, and wait.

At his age, things don’t wait long, though, and sure enough, his hand moves onto my arm and I do my thespian slumber as he moves from there to what he’s after.

Should I yawn to signal him to retreat? Should I not wake up and let him go for more?

The horn honks.

Once we bring in the groceries — there aren’t that many — my sister pulls me aside. “Yes?”

“Yes what?” as she’d never actually said I could.