Summary

As Leda drives back to the apartment, she thinks about what she has done. She is not clear about why she chose to take the doll. She had seen the doll -- named Nani, Nena, Nenella, with several nicknames, like Elena and Nina -- sticking up out of the sand and picked it up; she thinks about returning the doll to Elena the next day. The thought of returning Nani to Elena makes Leda feel good.

When she gets back to her apartment, Leda unpacks her beach things but leaves Nani in her bag, so she will not forget to bring her back the next day. She eats her dinner out on her terrace and watches a storm brewing, then realizes she had done "something mean, unintentional but mean" (45). She tries to find positive reasons for her action but cannot think of any. She...