All the Waters of the Earth (Giving You... #3)(40)

After he recovered, he wrapped his arms around me, and then cleaned us off.

"I love you," he said, drying me off with a towel.

"I love you, too," I replied, nestling my head in his arms.

It is in our very nature to create. And it's the only way to live for real.





"Come here, girl," I crooned, as I plucked my daughter gently out of the stroller. Three months old, she fit in the crook of my arm, right on my bicep. As she liked to do, Lucy had decked her out in pink fluff, a pink band around her head taming her mass of dark hair. My wife liked to dress up our daughters. Lucy treated baby Natalie like a doll. With pretty brown eyes like her mama, my little baby girl sleepily rested her head on my shoulder.

Chelsea, my four year old, had run ahead of us and was now swinging on the swing set, free and wild. Her hair was up in two ponytails on the side of her head. She wasn't as pinked out as her sister, wearing a comfy dress over striped pants. She didn't let Lucy dress her up these days, because she liked to dress herself. Pumping her legs, going higher and higher, she giggled in delight.

I'd left the house-and taken everyone with-to give Lucy some quiet time to write. She had a new idea for a book and was excited to get going. I'd read everything she'd written and she still surprised me with her creativity and intelligence. Even though she had a string of major successes with her latest writing, she still pushed herself to try new things, to challenge herself. So I'd taken the kids and a diaper bag (it was amazing how much crap they needed) and walked down to the playground at the beach. She'd said that she would come and join us later so that we could get a ride back up the hill.

I'd settled on a bench where I could watch Chelsea and hold the baby, while talking to Roberto, who had come along.

"Dad?"

I looked over at Rob. Sixteen years old, he normally was too cool to hang out with me and Lucy and his sisters, wanting to spend time with his friends. But today they weren't picking him up until this later afternoon and he'd decided to come with. I was glad he did. Today was a tough day for me-the anniversary of my brother Ethan's death. I was glad to not be alone any more. The more people around the better. I was done with being by myself. 

Losing Ethan didn't get any easier. His memory just got a little quieter. And I learned that celebrating his life was important, but it was also important to be here now, present, with the ones I loved-and that didn't take anything away from his life.

Over the years, Rob and I'd become pretty close. Now he called me Dad.

I loved that.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"How do you know when a girl likes you?"

He'd grown from a skinny, gangly kid to a classy young man, still bookish, but now with some serious style. Taking after his mom, his hair was always very cool, his clothes sharp, and he looked good.

The fact that he trusted me enough to ask was everything. "You got me, son. I have no idea. They're mysteries." My eye caught Chelsea's, who'd hopped off the swing set and was now headed to a slide. "But they're worth it."

"I want to take her to the movies, but I don't know if I have enough from my allowance." I shifted Natalie to my other arm. Rob didn't know yet that he was taken care of. The money from my grandparents sat in a trust to be divided equally between him, his two sisters, and also his half-sister Ella, Carlos's daughter. Lucy had asked for that, not wanting Rob and his sister to be treated differently, and I'd agreed. Rob was part mine now, if not legally adopted, definitely in spirit. And now he saw his dad too, regularly. That seemed to work, too.

"Who is she?" I asked.

"A girl at school. She's quiet, but I like her."

"I'll give you money to take her to the movies," I offered. "Will you babysit the girls so I can take your mom out?"

He nodded. "Deal."

We sat on the park bench, watching Chelsea play with a little boy who looked about her age and a little girl who looked a little bit older. It was the weekend, but these days, I had plenty of time to spend with my family. My job at the courthouse suited me. I helped people, but I didn't work crazy hours. And I had time to paint.

My first show at the schoolhouse collective in Ventura went well. I actually sold all but one of the paintings. With that success, Lucy persuaded me to do a show of pictures of her. I'd been worried that they were too intimate, but she was right-the intimacy gave them the spark they needed.

It's amazing that I'd worked so hard for as long as I did. Before, I didn't know how to live. I just existed. Now? This was living-watching my kids play at the park and talking with my son.

And then Lucy pulled up in her car.

Emerging from the car, I gazed at my wife.

She was so fucking hot.

Compact, yes. Curvy, fuck yes. So, so beautiful. She took good care of herself.

But more, she was wise. She was sassy. She loved deep, and she gave herself to me.

I loved her. More each day.

Lucy always wore high heels, today at the park was no exception. She had on some sort of sandals, along with little shorts and a pretty top. School would be out soon and it was warm out. She smiled and ruffled Rob's hair, which he protested, then leaned over and kissed me. Sitting down on the park bench next to us, she picked up Natalie, cradling her.

"All good?" she asked me, rubbing her nose into Natalie's hair.

I looked around.

"Yeah," I said. "All good."