Meredith has always known the sea; he has always known the whales. It's not fair that baby Jeannie can't do the same. Especially now that she's not a baby anymore. Nobody that determined to challenge the natural authority of a big brother could possibly qualify as a baby. Besides, she can walk and talk, so why shouldn't she be old enough to swim?
Mom doesn't want Jeannie near the water, and dad says it's too dangerous, and they both keep her occupied with things deep inside the city. They want Meredith to join them, but he's too busy having fun -- the whales have just begun explaining logarithms. With that sort of thing to occupy him, why should he want to join them in their stupid games? But Jeannie's never known anything else, and he doesn't think its fair that she should be stuck in the dry all the time.
So one day, Meredith tells dad that mom is going on a walk with him and Jeannie. He tells mom that dad wants to give them science lessons. Then he takes Jeannie by the hand and they go down to the sea.
Jeannie is scared, at first. Meredith doesn't understand why -- they can't even drown, with the charms mom has tied tightly around their wrists. But then the whales come to meet them, and she is charmed. Charmed, and vaguely disappointed -- she keeps asking for the little whales. Meredith has to explain perspective to her -- how the whales just appear very small from high up. It's a moment of bitter disappointment for baby Jeannie.
Before she can start crying in earnest, Meredith slips into the water. With quick, practiced moves, he manages to scoop up one of the little blue, many-legged creatures that live where the city's shadows fall. When he shows her, Jeannie's tears stop, and her blue eyes widen in delight. They watch it wiggle about until all the water has spilled from Meredith's hand. Then he lets it go.
Jeannie wants to go after it. Meredith nods, and holds her hand. He carefully lowers her into the waves. She squeaks a little at the unexpected chill when the water splashes on her sun-warm skin, bare except for a pair of shorts. Then the silver flash of a shoal of tiny fish captures her attention, and she forgets all her discomfort.
Meredith doesn't let go of her hand until he is treading water next to her. Then he grabs her by the waist, and makes her practice kicking and paddling. He knows that she isn't like him -- that she hasn't always known how to swim. So he takes it slow, and gets thoroughly splashed for a good minute or two before letting go.
Jeannie swims. She swims until she realizes that Meredith isn't holding on to her anymore. Surprise makes her stop. A wave douses her. She starts sinking, but Meredith has barely had the time to register her blonde head disappearing from his sight before a whale is there. It lifts her back up, balancing her tiny body on its nose with infinite care.
When she surfaces, she spits and splutters and then she sets her jaw in that terribly stubborn way and tells the whale thank you, but she can swim herself. And she does.