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whatever capacity that might take.”
    Carter’s eyes stung. Liz held the cooler out. “Why don’t you take this to the van? We’ll round up Ethan and Elliot.”
    Grateful, Carter escaped before he lost himself to emotion. He sat in the Harts’ minivan alone, trying to figure out what the heck had happened. He and Ethan were still friends, even if Ethan was upset. Ethan’s parents hadn’t come after him; they’d endorsed him. Now they were all going to the beach. Too preoccupied for control, he gave himself over to a barrage of tics. He wrapped his arms around himself when he finished, needing the feeling of being held together and having his limbs tucked in close to his body again.
    The Harts emerged from the house in friendly chaos. Elliot came first, alone, hands shoved in his pockets and earbuds in his ears. He didn’t hold the door, but Liz caught it and said something to him Carter couldn’t hear. Elliot turned and shrugged. He ignored Carter when he got into the van and climbed into the backseat where he pulled his phone from his pocket. Liz took the front passenger seat.
    “Doing okay?” Twisting around, she patted Carter’s leg.
    “Yeah.” Nolan and Ethan’s arrival interrupted further conversation. Ethan crowded in next to Carter as Nolan got into the driver’s seat.
    “You’re going to help with the sand castle, right?” Ethan asked. “We always make one.”
    “Ethan, let us get on the road before you hit Carter with your plans,” Nolan said.
    “You’ll help, right?” Ethan repeated.
    Carter glanced at Nolan, who gave a small shrug, not dissimilar to Elliot’s from a few moments earlier. “Yeah, I’ll help.”
    “You can carry water. We have a pail.”
    “Okay.”
    “How long has it been since you’ve been to the beach?” Liz asked.
    “Too long,” Ethan said.
    “I was asking Carter.”
    “Oh.”
    “I went once last year,” Carter said.
    “This beach is good,” Ethan said. “You’ll like it.”
    It was an hour’s drive to get there. Along the way, Ethan laid out his plan for the sand castle, so by the time they arrived everyone had a job toward its achievement. They parked and headed down to the beach. Carter helped Liz and Elliot carry beach bags and towels. Ethan stood beside the van with his sunglasses and hat on as Nolan rubbed a streak of sunscreen on his nose. Reaching out, he caught Elliot too.
    “Dad!” Elliot faux-slapped his hand away.
    “Carter?” Nolan held the bottle out.
    “Thanks.” Carter reached for it. At the last second, Nolan yanked the bottle away and swiped Carter’s nose, leaving a dollop on the bridge. Carter froze, uncertain what to do at the unexpected familiarity. Liz, Nolan, and Ethan’s smiles were infectious, so Carter gave into them and laughed. Elliot stood off to one side with his phone.
    “Sorry,” Nolan said, amused, and tossed Carter the sunscreen. Carter rubbed it on his face and ears and dropped it into the bag he was carrying. Ready at last, they walked toward the beach. At the pavement’s end, Ethan took Nolan’s arm.
    Carter hadn’t noticed Ethan’s limp before. Granted, they’d only walked on the pavement between their houses, but on the sand it was obvious. Ethan held onto Nolan and tottered across the uneven drifts like a duckling. He chose the place to stop, a patch of sand a few yards away from the ocean.
    Taking the beach toy bag, Ethan handed out items. He gave a plastic spade to Elliot and a bucket to Carter. Nolan and Liz spread their towels out.
    “We’re going to enjoy the sun first,” Liz said. “We’ll help with the castle later.”
    “You said you’d help, though,” Ethan said.
    “We will,” Nolan said. “You boys get started without us. Mom and I need a little quiet time.”
    “Ethan, come on,” Elliot said. “You have to show me where you want the corners.”
    “Well, okay I guess. As long as you help later.” Ethan looked disappointed, but he turned back to the area he’d set out.