Turtle Island salt despairing

little children. small fabienne. chani was so grateful to have this daughter of the sea that her eyes overflowed, throat constricting. soon they would be old enough to visit each point on the small island that their mother had named.
and after that, chani would put them into the water, into the tidepools and tiny currents so that they would grow strong in the tug of the surf.
before winter. yes. before winter, they must leave.
she smiled at fabienne, barked a short laugh, sang a high-fluting snippet of french which was carried off by sea wind.