Six whole months since Victor's death. We still mourned for him every day and every time I went downstairs for breakfast I still expected his bright smile to greet me.
But everyone was healing.
Bronwyn had stopped crying and holing herself in her room.
Emma's depressive mood had lifted.
Enoch pushed me away less and less when he was sad.
And I was beginning to get used to the sorrow and moving on.
We had begun doing things like before. Playing in the garden, watching the loop reset and visiting the town. We had even begun playing Raid the village again but I could tell that whenever Hugh would pause while explaining the game, he was waiting for Victor to finish his sentences.
I hadn't had another message in my dream, luckily. Horace hadn't either or he just hadn't told me about it. It was quite stressful waiting for when what I dreamt would come true; the finding the wight and hollow and then falling out of a clocktower. Not too soon I hoped because Enoch and I hadn't made much progress in our relationship since the day Victor died. Sure, we knew everything about each other's pasts but we weren't really anything more than friends. Even though he'd told me he liked me he hadn't made a move. Maybe he's shy, I thought, as I wandered into the garden after breakfast.
Outside I found all the children and Miss Peregrine as well.
"Ah, perfect, there you are June," she exclaimed as I walked up to them.
"What's going on?" I asked, Miss Peregrine usually didn't join us outside until the afternoon.
"We shall be going on a walk to the beach and take a swim," she announced, the children chattered in excitement. Even though I had been in this loop for a while I hadn't seen anything apart from a little bit of the town and the house.
"Do you usually go to the beach?" I asked curiously.
"Last time we went was before you came so I believe it's due time we went again," she told me.
Everyone ran back into the house to put on their swimsuits underneath their clothes. I didn't own a swimsuit since I hadn't swum since my very first loop. I knocked on Emma's door and asked to borrow one from her. She handed me a modest yellow two-piece bathing suit. The straps crossed on my back and the bottoms were white and yellow striped shorts. I put it on underneath my dress, it wasn't a perfect fit, a little tight around my hips but it would have to do.
We set off around the trees instead of going through, the sea on our right. Black and white sheep dotted the grassy lands and tufts of clouds rolled, across the blue sky, lazily. The calming sound of the sea lapping against the rock far below us filled my ears.
I was walking beside Emma on the small dirt path but I noticed Enoch walking by himself behind everyone and slowed my pace to walk beside him. Emma gave me a wink as I left her side.
"Hey," I said as I matched Enoch's pace.
"Hullo," he replied with a smirk, "couldn't resist joining me back here?"
"Ugh whatever I was just being nice," I said as I began walking quickly again to catch up with Emma. Before I could get very far Enoch grabbed my wrist.
"No wait I was just teasing," he said with a laugh. I slowed down again and realized his hand was still wrapped around my wrist. I looked at him to see if he'd let go. Instead, he smirked and slid his hand down my wrist, and held my hand.
We were holding hands. My face felt very warm all of a sudden and I gave a nervous laugh.
He was blushing too but he covered it with his usual sarcastic smirk.
"No need to get so flustered," he said slyly, "or are you THAT in love with me?"
"Oh shut up Enoch and just enjoy the moment," I said nudging him with my shoulder.
"You didn't deny it," he said with a laugh.
I laughed too, I laughed at the fact I was holding hands with him, I laughed at the happiness I was feeling and I laughed at the thousands of butterflies in my stomach.
To distract myself, I looked around. On the grass by the trees I spotted a magpie and it reminded me of a nursery rhyme I had learned in my first loop. We used to walk around the fields and forests looking for magpies and as we walked we would sing.
"Enoch," I spoke up after a while, "do you know the nursery rhyme about magpies?"
"There weren't many nursery rhymes being told in a funeral parlor so no," he replied.
"Okay then I'll teach you it," I said happily, "we have to look for magpies and the number of magpies we see will correlate to something in the song. This is how it goes;
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be told."
"All right," he said, "let's start counting."
By now the rest of the children had turned their heads to look at what we were doing. I had recited the rhyme quite loud. I realized that Enoch and I were still holding hands so we quickly let go although I'm pretty sure most of the children noticed.
"What's that rhyme?" asked Olive curiously.
"It's a rhyme that's meant to reveal something depending on how many magpies you spot," I explained, "I, for example, have already spotted one."
"Oh my," said Miss Peregrine, "I haven't heard that rhyme in years. Miss Magpie made it up to predict futures, but that was many many decades ago. How do you know of it, June?"
"My ymbryne in Luxembourg taught us it," I said, "Miss Kestrel."
"I remember her!" said Miss Peregrine rather excitedly, "we went to Miss Avocet's academy together before she left for Europe. A superstitious game but still fun, I suppose."
"Let's begin then," I said, joyful that everyone was playing.
As we walked across the island we called out every time we saw a magpie and kept the count in our head, they weren't very common in Wales so luckily there wasn't an abundance of them. Plus you had to spot the bird yourself, no one could point one out to you.
We approached the beach after passing through the village. We got numerous wary glances and many townsfolk shut their doors or windows as we went by. No attention was paid to them, as we were all too concentrated on getting enough magpies for a pleasant result.
"And finish," announced Emma, as we walked on to the rocky beach. We found a secluded area where people from the village wouldn't bother us. It was a little cold since it was September but the water was still warm from the sun's rays.
"How many did everyone get?" I asked.
Everyone called out a number and one by one I told them what awaited them in the future.
Emma had four and everyone oohed until she was bright red and stomped off.
Horace also had four at which he was quite happy with although he said he'd rather have six for gold.
Fiona and Hugh both got two as they were too busy whispering amongst themselves.
Bronwyn had two, Claire had six, Olive had five and Millard had three which I could tell made him happy.
"My turn," said Enoch, "this game is a lot harder than it sounds because I only got one."
"Oh no," I said, "one is for sorrow, but it's just a silly children's game so it's fine."
"Yeah just a game," he said rather sadly but he quickly shook it off and replaced it with a smirk, "how many did you get?"
"I am the winner with seven," I said, beaming proudly.
"Which means?" he asked.
"Seven for a secret never to be told."
"Why'd we have to get the worst ones?" he asked.
"I don't know the answer to that," I said, "but I do know the last one in the water is a rotten egg."
I pulled off my dress as quickly as I could exposing my pretty yellow swimsuit and ran into the water. I noticed Enoch gawking at me as I ran across the rocks into the cold water.
"Enoch," I called and he realized he was staring and quickly tore off his shirt and ran into the water with everyone else.
I laughed as I splashed him with water.
I swam around for a while before a genius idea popped into my head. Enoch splashed water at me but before it could hit I clapped my hands and it froze mid-air.
I cackled as Enoch exclaimed my name. I swam underwater and popped up behind him.
"Thought you could splash me?" I asked with a laugh.
"I'll get you this time," he said as he tried to splash me again. I clapped my hands once more and it froze.
"Oh wow!" said Emma swimming up to the splash I froze and poking at it.
We played in the water a while longer before Miss Peregrine called us back to land.
"Let's get all dry now Children," she said, "we mustn't catch a cold and most of your lips are already turning blue."
Olive was the only dry one as well as extremely grumpy as she couldn't swim without floating away and had to watch all of us enjoy the water. I plucked a flower from the grass that begun when the rocky beach ended and gave it to her to cheer her up. She beamed at me and tucked it behind her ear.
I turned around to keep walking and found Enoch standing there holding a flower in his outstretched arm. He had an exaggerated smile on his face like he didn't know what to do.
"Uhmm, June," he said, blushing, realizing that almost all the other children were looking at us in fascination, "this is for you, pink like your favorite color."
"Oh thank you!" I gasped, it was very unlike Enoch to show public affection. I looked around the grass for any other flowers and quickly spotted the perfect one.
"Enoch," I said with a giggle, "this flower is for you, red like your favorite.
We both blushed and exchanged flowers.
I heard Emma say awww as everyone continued walking back to the house.
On our way back Olive brought up the conversation of birthdays.
"Emma, you know, it's your birthday quite soon," she said.
"I suppose your right," she said nonchalantly, "it's November soon, right?"
"It's already the second of November," Olive told her.
"Why, my birthday is in a week," she said surprised. I could tell Emma did not care too much about keeping track of the date.
"You celebrate birthdays here?" I asked surprised.
"Of course we do," Olive said, "even if it isn't really our birthday we still keep track of the days so we still have birthdays. Did you not celebrate in your old loops?"
"No, we didn't, and even if we did it was never something big because we would always forget what day it was," I replied. I thought about it and realized the last time I had really celebrated my birthday was with my parents before my first loop. It had been a small gathering and around my 10th birthday. I still remembered the pink cake they had baked for me, the last cake anyone had baked for me.
"Then we'll celebrate your birthday here!" she said excitedly.
"What day is yours, June?" asked Claire joining the conversation.
"Mines March 5th," piped in Horace.
"Mine already passed, August 2nd," said Bronywn, I remember there had been a small cupcake for her at dinner but I hadn't realized it was for her birthday.
"October 13th," said Claire, "although I did forget about it this year, luckily Miss Peregrine reminded me." Miss Peregrine gave her a smile.
"Mines January 8th," said Olive, happy that everyone was joining the conversation.
"Well?" asked Emma, "when's yours? In June I presume."
I had to think for a moment, it had been so long since I had celebrated.
"It's in June," I said hesitantly. I remembered that my parents had told me that they had almost had to name me July so it was sometime near the end of the month. "It's the 29th of June," I declared.
"We missed your birthday!" Olive said alarmed.
"Don't worry I don't think even I realized it was my birthday," I said, "besides I was completely new in this loop when it happened."
"No excuse," she said with a huff, "we will schedule your birthday for another day just for this year."
I laughed and thanked her. Then I realized I didn't know Enoch's birthday so I quickly turned to him.
"When's yours?" I asked.
"December 3rd," he said proudly, "a national holiday in some countries you know, everyone gets the day off work and they eat a cake in my honor after praying to me of course."
"Really?" asked Olive and Claire synchronized.
Enoch cackled and the girls crossed their arms and stomped off, angry at themselves for falling for his joke.
"Well, I'll be sure to pray to you this year," I said with a laugh.
"I'll be waiting," he said.
I'll always be waiting.