Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 85~

~Raelyn~

We finally arrived at the beach, the sun shining brightly. "Alright, everyone out!" I said, opening the car doors.

The kids tumbled out, running towards the sand. "Last one in the water is a rotten egg!" Jack Jack yelled, sprinting ahead.

"Wait for us!" Rosie called, struggling to keep up.

We set up our spot on the beach, laying out towels and umbrellas. "This is perfect," Devyn said, stretching out on her towel.

"Absolutely," I agreed, watching the kids play in the surf. "Just what we needed."

And with that, we settled in for a day of sun, sand, and laughter.

We set up our umbrellas and beach chairs, noticing that it was slightly overcast with a bit of sunlight peeking through. It was the perfect day—not too hot, just right. Blake was entertaining all the kids so the adults could have a little serenity. I was so grateful for him.

Blake had Rosie, Paige, Charlotte, Lorraine, Jackson, Aspen, Gracie, and Nikolas all occupied in the water, while Kaleb was in his little kiddie pool under the umbrella with Jake and Tara. The kids were having a blast throwing wet sand at Blake. He dramatically fell to the ground as a clump of wet sand hit him in the head, making all the adults cackle and laugh at his theatrics.

"Oh no! I've been hit, matey, matey!" Blake exclaimed, clutching his head and falling back into the sand.

"Blake, you're such a drama queen!" Charlotte laughed, throwing another handful of wet sand at him.

"Drama king, thank you very much," Blake corrected, pretending to faint.

"Look at him, he's like a fish out of water!" Lorraine giggled, pointing at Blake as he did a belly flop into the water.

"More like a beached whale!" Aspen added, causing everyone to laugh even harder.

I rested my head on Colby's shoulder, enjoying the peaceful moment. Liam was next to us, having dug out a hole in the sand for Isa's pregnancy belly. Isa looked so comfortable, lying there with her belly perfectly cradled by the sand.

"Isa, how does that feel?" I asked, curious.

"Amazing," Isa sighed. "Liam, you're a genius."

"Thanks, Isa! I thought it might help," Liam said, grinning.

Devyn was laying next to Corey, both of them looking relaxed. Jake and Tara were sitting in their chairs, keeping an eye on Kaleb as he splashed around in his tiny kiddie pool with a few beach toys.

"Kaleb, look at you go!" Tara cooed, watching him splash.

"He's going to be a swimmer, just like his dad," Jake said proudly.

"Blake, you're missing out on all the fun!" Paige called, throwing more sand.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming back," Blake said, shaking off the sand and wading back into the water. "Prepare for the ultimate splash attack!"

The kids squealed and tried to run away, but Blake was too quick. He scooped up a huge handful of water and splashed them all, causing an eruption of laughter.

"Blake, you're soaked!" Rosie pointed out, giggling.

"It's worth it to see you all smile," Blake said, ruffling her hair.

"You're the best, Blake," Nikolas said, giving him a thumbs up.

"Yeah, thanks for playing with us," Jackson added.

"Anytime, guys," Blake said, smiling.

As I watched them play, I couldn't help but feel grateful for this moment. The kids were having the time of their lives, and the adults were able to relax and enjoy each other's company. It was the perfect day at the beach.

~

As we all piled into our cars and drove up to the hill, I couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over everything, making it the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Once we reached the top, everyone got out and found a spot on the edge of the hill, looking out over the breathtaking view. I remember when Isa came to visit me, all those years ago and we took a photo at the top of this very same hill. It's crazy to think how much has changed since then.

"Let's take a picture," I suggested, pulling out my phone.

Everyone gathered around, squeezing in tight. Colby wrapped his arm around me, and I felt Aspen lean against my side. Blake stood tall behind us, almost 18 now, but still my little boy. As I looked around, I saw all the kids—Rosie, Gracie, Nick, Jackson, Lorraine, Charlotte, Kaleb, and Paige—smiling and laughing, their joy infectious.

"Ready? One, two, three—smile!" I said, snapping the photo.

As soon as the picture was taken, we all sat back down, soaking in the moment. It was crazy to think about how far we'd come. I remembered the day I was forced to move to Los Angeles from London, feeling lost and overwhelmed. Blake was only 5 then, a little boy I took off the streets. Now, he was almost 18, and he would always be like a son to me.

"Can you believe how much has changed?" I said, looking at Colby.

"It's been quite the journey," he agreed, squeezing my hand.

"I couldn't have done it without all of you," I said, my voice breaking a little. "You guys are my family."

"We wouldn't be here without you, Rae," Liam said, his arm around Isa, who was glowing with her pregnancy. "You've brought us all together."

"I remember when we first met," Tara said, smiling at Jake. "It feels like a lifetime ago."

"And look at us now," Jake added, bouncing Kaleb on his knee. "All of us with our own little families."

"I never imagined my life would turn out like this," Devyn said, looking at Corey. "But I wouldn't change a thing."

"Me neither," Corey agreed. "We've been through so much, but we've come out stronger because of it."

"I love you guys," I said, tears welling up in my eyes. "You're not just my friends, you're my family. Without you, I wouldn't be who I am today."

"We love you too, Raelyn," Katrina said, her eyes shining with emotion. "You've always been there for us, and we'll always be here for you."

As we all sat there, looking out over the city, I felt a deep sense of gratitude. Life had thrown so many challenges our way, but we had faced them together. And now, as we looked toward the future, I knew that no matter what came next, we would always have each other.

"Here's to us," I said, raising an imaginary glass. "To family, to friendship, and to the incredible journey we've shared."

"To us," everyone echoed, and in that moment, I knew that no matter where life took us, we would always be connected by the unbreakable bond we had formed, after all, it was all because we have Tangled Hearts.

THE END...