Elodie’s POV
'I'll be the mermaid,' Callie announces as we look at our creations, which now include two palm trees, a pirate ship and a treasure chest, claiming the puppet before either of us can suggest otherwise.
'I'll be the crab, then,' Alvaro says. 'Villain duty. Someone has to be disapproving of pirate ambitions.'
'And I'll be the pirate,' I say, taking up the puppet with the crooked eyepatch. 'Recruiting our reluctant mermaid.'
'Perfect,' Callie says, already ducking behind the sheet, mermaid puppet raised.
We run through a rough version of the story, Callie narrating enthusiastically over the top of her own dialogue, Alvaro's crab voice coming out considerably more theatrical than I expected, gruff and put-upon in a way that has Callie giggling every single time he delivers a
