"Before you dream of swimming in the sea," his father said softly, "you must first learn to understand the sand beneath your feet."
His mother stepped forward, her voice gentle yet distant,
"Along the way, it will feel as though you are walking beneath a burning sun. With every step, the sand will pull you down, slowly, relentlessly… as if it does not want to let you pass.
You will struggle to lift your feet, as though each step asks something from you—strength, patience, even pieces of your heart. And in those moments, you will begin to wonder… if you are truly capable of enduring it."
She paused, her gaze lingering on the sea, and smiled—as though she had once drowned in its depths and still chose to love it anyway.
"But if you choose to endure it—if you keep walking despite the weight, the heat, and the doubt—then, at last, you will reach the shore."
Her voice softened even more.
"But the sea is not as gentle as it seems. You must learn how deep you are willing to go. For if you wander too far, you may find yourself drowning in the very thing you once admired… the very thing you fought so hard to reach.
Love, like the sea and the ocean, is beautiful… but it does not promise to be kind."
She glanced back at Lukas
"But after you—"
Her words faded when she noticed Lukas and his sister had fallen asleep.
She let out a soft chuckle and whispered,
"Goodnight, sweeties."
After a few hours, they arrived at their vacation home.
It was already night, and soon, the whole family drifted into sleep.
Morning came quietly, the sun rising as if to wake the world.
"Lukas, wake up—jeez," his sister said, nudging him.
"It's 11 a.m. Time for lunch."
"What about breakfast…?" Lukas asked, still half-asleep.
"We didn't wake you because you were sleeping so soundly," she replied.
"Now get up—you still need to change into your swimsuit."
"Fine…" Lukas mumbled.
"We'll wait for you downstairs, okay?" she added before leaving.
"Okay…" he murmured.
After changing into his swimsuit, Lukas stepped onto the balcony.
"Wow… it really is beautiful. I love the view—and the sound the waves make."
The ocean stretched endlessly before him—calm, inviting… as if calling his name.
Without thinking, he rushed downstairs, eager to reach it.
"Hehe—Mom, Dad! I'm gonna go swimmi—"
Still half-asleep, Lukas hurried down the stairs
thud.
The sound echoed.
His sister ran over immediately.
"You dummy! Why would you run like that?"
Lukas cried loudly, and their parents came rushing in.
"What happened, Lukas?" his mom asked, worry filling her voice.
"I—I was so excited to swim in the sea that I ran too fast…" he stammered.
"It's okay, Lukie. Your sister will take care of your bruise," his mom said gently.
Later, on the terrace, the se lay just ahead—so close, yet out of reach.
Lukas sat quietly as his sister treated his bruise.
"You idiot… why would you rush like that?" she muttered softly.
"Now you're hurt."
"I just really wanted to swim…" Lukas whispered.
His gaze drifted toward the sea again.
It was still there—beautiful, endless… unchanged.
As if it had all the time in the world, while he didn't.
After a few moments, his sister finished applying the ointment.
"Yay! I can finally go swim in the sea!" Lukas said, hope returning to his eyes.
"Nuh-uh," she replied. "Mom said you can't go yet. The ointment hasn't taken effect."
"But I want to go…" he said quietly, his voice breaking just a little.
The sea shimmered in the distance—so close… yet still beyond him.
His sister watched him for a moment, then sighed.
"You really don't listen, do you?"
She stood up and walked toward the sand, motioning for him to follow.
"You can't go into the sea yet…" she said, kneeling down, letting the sand run through her fingers.
"…but we can start here."
She began shaping the sand, slowly, carefully—building something from nothing.
"A sandcastle?" Lukas asked.
"Yeah," she said. "If you can't reach the sea yet… you build something while you wait."
Lukas hesitated, then knelt beside her.
The sand was warm, soft… but it shifted easily, collapsing if he pressed too hard.
"It's… hard," he said.
"Of course it is," she replied. "You have to be patient. If you rush it, it falls apart."
Lukas tried again—more carefully this time.
Slowly, the shape began to form.
"See?" she smiled faintly. "Not everything beautiful has to be rushed."
Lukas looked at the small castle they were building, then back at the sea.
For the first time, he didn't feel like running toward it.
"…Okay," he said softly.
And under the quiet sun, between the shore and the sea,
he began to understand—
some things aren't meant to be reached all at once.
Some things… are meant to be learned first.