They weren’t from around here. I’d almost say Utah if it weren’t for the butterfly tattoo in the middle of her back, and the mess of ink on his shoulder. For whatever reason, I don’t think of Utah without assuming that everyone there is Mormon; and, I don’t think of Mormons without assuming that none of them have tattoos. I know almost nothing about Mormonism.

At any rate, they were at the beach with their young child. All of them blonde, and in harmony. They seemed younger than me, by at least 3 or 4 years; and my theory seemed to hold true when, in response to his complaining about the coldness of the water or the hotness of the sand, they told their son that they just wouldn’t bring him with them the next time they came to California. For whatever reason, this seemed like something someone 3-4 years younger than me would say.

After settling in, the girl stripped down to her bikini, then quickly covered herself as much as she could with her hand and arms and leaned into her assumed husband with an, “I feel like I’m almost naked, Jesse!” They weren’t from around here.