Alie steps beside us, her hair whipping in the wind.
“You look like a natural with her,” she says quietly.
Her words hit me more than she knows. It does feel natural, being with Sera. And I think she really likes spending time with me. At the very least, she thinks I’m fun to play with.
“Thanks.” I lean down and kiss her cheek.
Her eyes twinkle in the sun, and her hand touches my back.
“I’ll go get some towels. You good with her?”
“Yeah, I got her. I’d offer to get them, but I have no idea where they are. Do you want us to come with you?”
“No, I got it. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, I’ll get our bags later?”
“Yeah, that’s fine, or I’ll have the house manager get them. Sera won’t want to leave the beach yet.”
“House manager, huh? Fancy,” I tease, making her roll her eyes as she walks away.
Sera tugs at my hand.
“Make a castle?”
“Well, we don’t have any buckets, but I guess we can do a drip castle.”
She points to a bin near the walkway leading to the house. “In there.”
“Buckets?”
She nods. “Yes.”
Guess we miss out on the oh-so fun trek to the beach with our arms full of sand toys and towels here.
“Okay, let’s go get some buckets and see if there are any shovels in there too.”
She skips along beside me through the sand.
We get a few buckets, shovels, and a small rake.
“Let’s find a spot for our castle.”
We walk back toward the water, but far enough that it won’t get washed away by a wave.
By the time Alie gets back with towels and a blanket, we’ve made a very crooked sandcastle that Sera has named Princess Daddy Castle House.
I don’t question it. I roll with it because my kid is freaking adorable.
Alie sits back on a blanket in her bikini, watching us for a while, snapping pictures on her phone with a look on her face that makes my chest tighten—soft, almost disbelieving.
When Sera loses interest in the moat we’re working on and moves on to collect seashells, I wander over to Alie.
“I really like this little scrap of fabric you’re wearing.” I sit next to her and run my finger under the strap around her neck.
She grabs my finger and kisses it, then holds it in her hand, twining our fingers together.
“You okay?” I wrap an arm around her shoulders.
