Cece the Mom Baddie was a girl with bright yellow boots and a shiny beach bag. She was kind, brave, and very good at hugs. Every morning, she walked by the blue sea.
“Hello, waves!” said Cece.
“Swish, swish!” said the waves.
On the warm sand grew Flower, a tiny pink flower in a little pot. Flower liked to sing, even when her voice was very small.
“Good morning, Cece,” sang Flower. “La-la-la!”
Beside Flower sat Plush, a round teddy bear with a striped bow. Plush was soft, sleepy, and helpful.
“Good morning,” yawned Plush. “Is it snack time?”
Not yet, thought Cece. First, they would look for shells.
Cece had a special shell. It was gold and curly. When she held it to her ear, it made a gentle sound: ding-ding, ding! It was called the Sun Shell.
But oh no!
The Sun Shell was gone.
Cece looked in her beach bag. No shell.
She looked under her yellow towel. No shell.
She looked inside Plush’s bow. No shell.
Plush blinked. “My bow is not a shell house,” he said.
Flower shook her pink petals. “Do not worry, Cece. We can look together.”
Then a silver door popped up in the sand.
Pop!
Out stepped Time Traveler. He wore a funny clock hat. Tick-tock, tick-tock went his hat.
“I saw something,” said Time Traveler. “A little dark shape went whoosh along the beach. It carried something shiny.”
A soft shadow slipped behind a sandcastle.
“Whoosh,” it whispered.
It was the Living Shadow.
Cece took one small breath. She felt a tiny bit scared. But she held Flower’s pot carefully. Plush held Cece’s hand. Time Traveler pointed his clock hat forward.
“Let us use kind feet,” said Cece. “No stomping. We will ask.”
They walked past a red bucket. Step, step.
They walked past a sleepy crab. Step, step.
They walked past a big blue umbrella. Step, step.
Behind the sandcastle, the Living Shadow was curled into a little ball.
In its dark arms was the Sun Shell.
“Please give it back,” said Cece in a gentle voice.
The Living Shadow made a sad sound. “I did not want to take it. I wanted its ding-ding sound. The beach is so bright. I have no cozy light of my own.”
Flower leaned toward the shadow. “You feel lonely.”
The shadow nodded.
Plush opened his soft arms. “Everyone needs a friend. Even a whoosh friend.”
Time Traveler smiled. “I have an idea from tomorrow!”
He turned the little wheel on his clock hat. Tick! Tock! A tiny lantern appeared. But the lantern had no light.
“We need three things,” said Time Traveler. “A sunbeam, a wave sparkle, and a happy song.”
Cece stood tall in her yellow boots. “We can do that!”
She held up a shiny spoon from her beach bag. A sunbeam bounced on the spoon. Blink! Into the lantern it went.
Plush dipped one paw into the sea. A wave sparkle jumped up. Plink! Into the lantern it went.
Flower sang her best song. “La-la-la! You are welcome here!” Her happy song floated into the lantern.
The lantern glowed gold. Warm light shone on the Living Shadow. It was not too bright. It was just right.
The Living Shadow smiled a shadow smile.
“For me?” it asked.
“For you,” said Cece. “You may keep the lantern. And we can listen to the Sun Shell together.”
The Living Shadow gave the shell back. Ding-ding, ding!
Then the sand under their feet began to sparkle. A small treasure box rose from the beach.
Click!
Inside were four glittery shell bracelets: one for Cece, one for Flower, one for Plush, and one dark-blue bracelet for the Living Shadow. There was also a golden shell crown for Cece.
“Beach Helper Crown!” cheered Plush.
Cece put on the crown. It fit perfectly.
“I am Cece the Mom Baddie, Beach Helper!” she said.
Flower sang. Plush danced. Time Traveler spun in a tick-tock circle. Even the Living Shadow danced: whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
As the sun went down, they sat together by the gentle sea. The Sun Shell went ding-ding, ding. The little lantern glowed. Cece shared snacks from her beach bag.
“Friends help friends,” said Cece.
“Even shadow friends,” whispered the Living Shadow.
“Especially shadow friends,” said Cece.
And the waves said, “Swish, swish,” all the way home.