Sea Glass: Marie and Lauryn

Chapter 27

Haa Alifu Atoll, The Maldives

Marie watched Lauryn happily building a sandcastle. She had been doing it with her and now was taking a break to read under the shade of an umbrella. 

When did sandcastle building get so tiring?

Lauryn sat, back to Marie, legs in a splayed kneeling position, bottom resting on the sand. Marie had changed her into a thick cloth diaper with a light blue gingham pattern on the cover since they would be outside for a few hours and she wanted to give Lauryn uninterrupted time to play. 

She also hadn't bothered to put a top on her since the beach was private, and their section of it outside their little bungalow was very secluded and far from anyone else's. Marie had picked this location for that very reason. They hadn't seen one person pass by in the hours they had been outside. 

Also good for when I wash her nappies and hang them out to dry.

It would feel good, Marie had concluded, for Lauryn to have some sun and sea air on her bare skin with all that she had been through. Her trim little back showed no sign of the black bruising that had covered her skin just a few months prior. Now that most of her hair had grown back, it loosely fell down her spine, some of it collected by a light blue bow. She suckled her pacifier happily, wrapped up in building whatever her baby architect mind was thinking about. Nicky had assured her that it was good for her hands to be working the soft sand. 

Probably is good for her mentally too since she loves being an architect and can't really be one in a professional way at the minute...if ever again...

"M-mama?" Lauryn said, walking up to Marie and pulling her from her thoughts.

She looks so cute in just her diaper and bow.

She saw immediately how tired she looked. It made sense; they had been outside for a few hours playing. Putting her book aside, she opened her arms.

"Come here, baby," she said, "Let's put a t-shirt on too. I think that's enough sun on your back and chest for now, sweetheart."

After putting a short white t-shirt on her, she pulled her into her lap. She curled up and resting her head on her shoulder.

"Tired, my little monkey?"

Lauryn nodded, the pacifier bobbing in her mouth.

"Why don't you take a little rest?"

"B-b-big g-g-girl," she mumbled.

"I know you are. But you know even mama likes taking a nap?"

Lauryn shrugged.

"How about a little milk instead then?"

"Ok-kay."

This offer, while she loved nursing Lauryn, was entirely tactical. Nursing made her generally very sleepy. Pulling her bikini top to the side, she guided Lauryn to latch on, sighing when she felt her milk let down as she started to nurse.

"Is that nice, baby doll?" she asked.

"Mhm," Lauryn mumbled softly as she nursed.

As she suckled, Marie lightly patted her bottom, watching her fight sleep. Only a few minutes later, as expected, Lauryn's eyes had drifted closed, tired from playing on the beach. Soon, she stopped nursing. Gently, she unattached her, replacing her breast with a pacifier before sliding her bikini back in place, the side of Lauryn's face resting comfortably against her chest.

It made Marie feel good that Lauryn was so at ease the last few days since arriving. In the three weeks leading up to the trip, Lauryn had visited her therapist daily. Dr. Atkinson had been alarmed at the deterioration of Lauryn's mental state and had begun intensive preliminary therapy for Lauryn's PTSD. The first week had been excruciating for Marie to watch as Lauryn was visibly in such pain as they worked through the surface level of her diagnosis. But, it was also clear that even just three weeks of intensive therapy helped immensely. The therapist had cleared Lauryn for the trip, citing that she felt it would be a really nice mental break before they started in again on more intensive therapy. Plus, Dr. Atkinson had felt that it was a good sign that Lauryn was feeling more confident again in her little headspace and didn't fight regressing when she felt like it. Which, was more often given the intensity of the psychotherapy, especially paired with her physiotherapy. She usually would come home in the evenings already slipping from emotional and physical exhaustion.