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Saint relaxed in the beach chair with his hands behind his head, watching as the loves of his life built a unsymmetrical castle in the sand. Celeste used the bucket to imprint the foundation of the structure.
Sanai eagerly ran back and forth to the ocean to retrieve more water that acted as a bond for their foundation. As the sun beamed onto his skin, he thanked God for the melanin that protected his skin from burning.
The sunglasses on his face provided a small relief from the painfully bright sunlight. He didn't speak a single word, he only enjoyed the sight of his family enjoying their Christmas vacation.
Christmas day was actually tomorrow, but this was their final day of the vacation. Saint and Celeste agreed on the destination of Costa Rica. It had a perfect mix of activities for the parents and activities Sanai would enjoy participating in as well.
"Mommy, we need more water in the bucket." Sanai explained, before running towards the water.
Celeste warned the child, "Yeah, please be very careful by the water."
Saint intently watched her ensuring an accident didn't occur, even though they sat close to shore. They made sure anytime water was involved Sanai was wearing a life jacket to protect her life.
Saint and Celeste both knew how to swim, but their daughter didn't. He made a mental note to add swim lessons to her list of after school activities.
"I can't believe that's my daughter man. It's like everyday she's getting bigger and smarter. I don't wanna imagine her as a teenager."
Like reflex, his imagination transformed Sanai into a teen anyway. The idea carried both happiness and fear. The best and worse part about having a child was watching them grow up.
Celeste took a break from the sand castle building, "I think it'll start to slow down. It just seems like that because she's growing into herself. She's figuring things out for the first time."
"That's true. The day she leaves for college I might try to move on campus with her. That happened with my ma and Summer. That's why she decided to commute last minute. Ma couldn't live without her only daughter."
"What does she plan to do when Summer actually finishes college, and chooses to move out? It's gonna happen one day." Celeste wondered as Sanai came back with the now filled bucket. Instead of building more, she dug through the sand for collectibles.
"Shit, I don't know. She might pass out or some. Summer been her baby since forever."
Celeste replied, "That's how imma be with Nai. We literally grew up together. I was just really starting to get a handle on adulting and boom, I pop up pregnant with no baby father."
"You never told me how your parents took the news."
She pondered on her response for a while, "It isn't some complex, or evil story. My dad was disappointed, of course. Not so much that I was pregnant, because I was grown. He hated seeing me pregnant and alone.
