Day at the beach

'What the hell is this guys problem?' came the cry.
Angie took a deep breath whilst she carefully considered how best to answer. Her husband Greg was cursed with an explosive temper, and Angie knew the whole familys enjoyment of their day out could hang on her next sentence.
'I'm sure he didn't mean to do it' she started.
'Didn't mean to!' Snorted Greg, 'He overtook us- breaking the speed limit to do so, then when he got in front of us he slowed down to fifty miles an hour! (the speed limit was 60) Didn't mean it indeed'.
In the back of the car Angie heard their three year old son Jack say;
'Daddy's always grumpy'.
Angie cringed, waiting for the inevitable explosion, but Greg remained silent, staring ahead.
They were on their way to the beach for the day. Angie was driving because Greg had been out the night before. He worked nights as a contract cleaner on a 4 on 4 off basis. When he came to his first night off he had trouble sleeping and so he went out drinking to help him sleep. This worked fine, but did tend to exacerbate his mood swings. Sometimes Angie wished she didn't love Greg quite so much. Then she wouldn't bother putting up with his moods. The trouble was she did, and whats more, she knew that deep down he loved her and the children. But by christ could he do a good job of hiding it sometimes.
He would fly off the handle for the smallest of reasons, and it was impossible to reason with him. He sometimes became violent if she pushed him too far and often broke household items when in a rage. All in all Angie felt she had put up with a lot, and was beginning to reach the end of her tether. Particularly since the children had begun to notice the atmospheres and rows. The children were the most important thing in the world to Angie and she wouldn't have them upset.
She chanced a quick sideways glance at Greg, he had his head bowed, looking at his hands. He looked sad and somehow diminished.
'Alright?' she asked.
'Yeah, I'm alright' he answered, sounding anything but. She didn't press him further, having learned from experience that it was best to let him come to her when he was ready.
They were nearly at the beach now, and the children were getting very excited trying to spot the sea. They cheered when they eventually did and Angie joined in enthusiastically. Greg allowed himself a rather belated and somewhat half hearted cheer. Angie shook her head slightly at this, but Greg made no comment. Angie parked the car and asked Greg to go and buy a ticket from the parking meter. To her amazement he got out and did this without complaint. She frowned after him for a moment, wondering what was up with him- normally he would have at least sighed at this request.
The children naturally wanted to go straight on to the beach, so this is what they did. They selected a quiet patch of clean sand to set up camp on. It wasn't an especially sunny day, but it was quite muggy, therefore Angie grabbed Jack before he could hurl himself seaward and began to vigorously cover him in sun cream. Angie couldn't believe her eyes when Greg started doing the same with their daughter Emily; he usually left her to see to things like this alone. When both children were suitably covered, Emily turned to her Dad and said;
'Do you want to come for a paddle, Daddy?'
Angie waited for the refusal to come, but got a shock when her husband pulled off his jeans to reveal a pair of swimming shorts underneath. Then he turned and ran towards the sea, shouting back over his shoulder;
'Come on then'. At this both children charged after him laughing excitedly. Angie followed them beaming to herself as she basked in the new found family glow surrounding them, and they were all soon splashing in the frothy shoreline.
Presently, Angie said it was time for lunch, and they all trouped up the beach feeling sand between their toes, to eat egg mayonaise sandwiches with salty fingers. It was surprising how hungry they all felt, and they ate quickly and silently with the smells of brine and sea weed wafting round them on the fresh onshore breeze.
The biggest shock for Angie came when a sea gull dropping landed on Greg's shoulder. Everyone held their breath, sure of a monumental explosion of wrath from Greg, but instead he quietly got up and said;
'I think I'll just walk up to the toilets and clean up,- why don't I get us some ice creams on the way back?'
'Yes please!' Chorused the children. With that he walked off up the beach, but as he turned Angie noticed that his right hand was clenched into a fist so tight it was shaking slightly. Angie wondered if this was a new coping strategy of his and decided she wouldn't mention it.
By the time he returned the children were back in the sea. Angie called them for their ice creams, but Emily shouted that she needed a wee.
'Just do it there in the sea' replied Angie.
'Mummy, are you sure?' Emily asked in amazement.
'Yes go on' Angie urged her.
Emily lent forward and put all her concentration into the job in hand. Just then a wave washed up her back and made her jump. She did a funny kind of giggling dance in the water. Both Greg and Angie laughed heartily at this, and Angie nestled in close to her husband.
'This is nice' she said.
'Yes' he replied after a short pause.
'It could be like this all the time you know...' Angie began hesitantly; she didn't want to blow it now.
'Maybe you should see somebody- talk things through you know' -the words seemed to come tumbling out all at once now she had finally started- ' You know a therapist or something- there's obviously something bothering you, it might help to talk about it'.
He didn't answer straight away, then, staring far into the distance, he said;
'I've already booked an appointment, its next Thursday afternoon at 3'.
'Oh Greg! she squealed, and throwing her arms tight around his neck she began to sob uncontrollably as she felt her hopes rekindled at last.