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Chapter 186

Come to the water
Let it wash you over

— Geowulf, Saltwater

. . . .

"Look, Max. Is that the ocean?"

We just arrived at Harry's family's beach house after a not-so-pleasant car ride with an irritable baby. We had to pull over multiple times just so I would hold him, and when I lifted him out of his carrier, he quieted down. Lilly wasn't too pleased either and kept her earbuds plunged deep in her ears and had her pillow against her head to attempt to block out his poor sobs. About an hour into the trip, Lilly and I eventually switched spots so I could sit back with Max and Ivy, and he didn't seem to mind it. Like Lilly, Ivy had her earbuds in her ears too, and although she assured us his crying wasn't bothering her, I could tell she was just too nice to say otherwise. When I sat in the backseat with the two kids, his weeping soon turned to giggles and babbling while shaking his toys around.

Harry and his family start flooding out of the house and down towards us with their beach essentials. Anne comes up to us and is enthusiastic when I hand her grandson over to her.

"There's my handsome grandson!"

"He must take after his father, then," Harry quips while setting down our shared beach tote in the sand and digging around inside of it. He pulls out our sunscreen as well as Max's then calls Lilly over to urge her to use it too.

"You're my handsome baby, too, Harry," she coos and pulls her son into a side hug. Max curls and unclenches his hand towards his dad, his fingers wet with saliva. "I can't believe he'll turn nine months old in two days."

"I know," I say solemnly. "He's still a baby, but he's growing up so quickly."

"That's how I felt with Gemma and Harry. He'll always be your baby just like they're mine," she says and adjusts Max in her arms. "Right, Max?"

Anne sits down on the sand and helps him stand while I slather sunscreen over his pale skin. Max pokes my cheek while I'm rubbing in the white sunscreen, a new skill he's been loving as of late. When he's fully protected, I get out the little sand bucket I bought for him last week. He's plopped down in the sand with his little bucket hat sitting on his head and his blue swim trunks with a whale print cover his lower half and a light green t-shirt over his torso.

Entranced with the new texture, he sinks his hands into the soft sand and watches as the fine grains sprinkle over his feet. He babbles, the syllables coming out and sounding like he's saying 'dada'. Harry's eyes light up, the pace of his hand massaging sunscreen into his skin slowing. It's the same fascinated expression he always gets when Max sounds like he's calling out for us when it's just nonsense syllables. Max continues digging into the sand and pouring it into his bucket. Harry finds the small plastic shovel at the bottom of the beach bag and holds it upright for the child. Max's little hands grip onto it, and with Harry's guidance, they dig it into the sand then empty the scoop into his bucket.

"Good job, buddy." Harry kisses his head then squirts some of the sunscreen into his hand and rubs it down over my arms and my back. Anne takes over helping Max add more sand to the bucket. They find a little seashell and she lets him hold it to feel the texture but immediately pulls it from his grasp when he starts lifting his hand to his mouth. Knowing his mum is right beside us, Harry leans forward, loops his arms around my body, and hovers his mouth close to my ear. "You know, I'm really glad you pulled out this red bikini again."

"You're lucky it still fits my boobs," I whisper back to him, turning my head in the direction away from my mother-in-law.

"That wouldn't be so bad either."