I'm halfway into my wetsuit, halfway packed up, halfway to the fucking door when I hear that quiet knock. Dexter skitters in from the back room, but luckily, he's at least sort of well behaved, 'cause when I hiss at him, he doesn't start barking or anything. Stampede of dogs avoided.

Zipping up my suit, I step into some sandals, which'll be more than fine to walk down to the beach in, grab my bag and open the door just wide enough for me to slip through.

"Hey," I grin, making sure the door's shut so the cats don't get away. Again. They always come back, but there's usually a couple of days of panic before they do.