the sea, heaven and everthing between [completed]

1. sea salt air

The minute I stepped into the house, it was like a heavy load that weighted down my shoulders was lifted off and I felt a relief. For once, it was calm and quiet. No more construction work, noisy taxi cabs and in general drunk people shouting in the streets in the middle of the night, waking me up from my slumber. I felt an ease, I could finally listen to my thoughts without feeling like my head was going to explode anytime soon. Don't get me wrong, I love New York with all my heart, but sometimes you needed to get away from the busy city life and into a calm environment where the air is actually fresh in order to find yourself. Especially after what I went through.

I left my luggage, that was going to last me these two months, outside the bedroom door and walked towards the glass door where you could see the beautiful sea with different hues of blues and greens as far as the eye could reach. The door slid open easily and I was hit with the fresh breeze that smelled like sea salt.

I could already imagine how my summer was going to be. My skin getting tanner, freckles peeking out prominently on my nose, sand in between my toes, enjoying ice cold lemonades on a hot day, hair getting tangled in the salt water, the wind blowing through my summer dresses as I rode my bike to the supermarket and falling asleep to the sounds of the waves crashing into the shore. The corners of my mouth pulled into a slight smile as I leaned my hands on the railings on the balcony, soaking up every bit of the sun I could get. This was going to be a great summer, I told myself.

The sound of a children's laugh interrupted the sound of the waves. I turned my head ever so slightly to see a man about my age playing with, what I was going to assume was, his daughter in the sand, building sand castles. The man had a toned and tanned upper body, wearing a navy blue bathing shorts. His daughter was wearing a bright pink bathing suit, running around laughing with her blonde locks blowing in the wind as the father helped her build a big sand castle. He looked at his daughter like she was his whole world. My smile faded and I felt a sting of pain in the gut of my stomach. If only I had that.

I was 26, soon 27. I had finished my education that took 5 years and a stable job as a pediatrician's assistant for 3 years that had payed well. It was enough for me to rent an apartment with amazing New York city view. I came from the average middle class family and grew up with a dog by my side. The typical, right? Yet, I was mentally panicking. My age was approaching 30, sooner or later, and I hadn't really checked off all my milestones in my life list the 17-year-old-me had made. By twenty seven years old, I had expected to be married and at least expecting a little one soon. Sadly, that was not the case right now.

I quickly shook my thoughts away. This wasn't what I came here for. This summer was for finding myself as stupid and cliché as it sounds. Instead of letting my thoughts take over once again, I went back inside and packed out for the beach house that was going to be my home for the next two months. My aunt was kind enough to rent her beach house to me for free after everything that has happened the past months.

I brought a book and went back out on the balcony. I sat down on one of the sun beds, ready to spend some few hours getting lost in another universe while soaking up some sun and getting that tan I have been wanting forever. 

The sun got hotter by every minute I laid out. Little sweat beads formed on my face and I found myself reaching for water. I put aside my book and went into the kitchen to get a huge glass of ice cold water my body was screaming for.

When I went back outside again, I saw somebody I wasn't expecting. The little neighbor girl was now standing in my balcony, her blonde head bent over the cover of the book I was previously reading.

"Hey... Sweetie?" I carefully asked as I approached to her, wondering if she was lost.

She looked up from the book, staring at me with her big beading blue green eyes. "What is this book about? The cover is pink, I like it," she smiled.

My brows raised slightly and my gaze shifted over to her beach house. Her father was nowhere to be seen. "It's about a couple. Just the usual love stuff," I said, sitting down next to her.

She frowned her nose at my mention of love. "Ew, adult stuff," she giggled and I couldn't help but laugh.

"What's your name, sweetie?" I asked, tucking a blonde hair strand behind her ear.

"Gracie, what is yours?"

"Lia," I simply answered.

"Lia," she repeated. "There is a girl in my class named Mia. Well, not Lia, but it rhymes."

I was about to reply to that when I heard a male voice shouting for Gracie. She looked at me with a mischievous grin and started to giggle.

"Gracie! Where are you?" He shouted.

I stood up from the sun bed and waved my hands at the male figure standing outside his house. "She is here!" I shouted back.

He started walking towards us, and now that he was closer I had time to study him. He had the same beautiful blue green eyes as his daughter, a smile with dimples showing in his cheek. Tall and toned body and his hair was dirty blonde. In other words, he was a handsome looking guy.

"Gracie, there you are," he leaned up on my balcony. "What are you doing snooping on your neighbor's balcony?" And this time, I noticed a British accent as he talked.

Grace flashed her dad an innocent smile and battered her eyelashes at him. "I was just saying hello to our new neighbor. No snooping, I promise!" She held her tiny hands up in defense. 

His eyes met mine and he held out his hand for me. "I'm Sam, by the way," he said and flashed me a smile.

"Lia," I shook his hand.

He quickly looked around at the beach house. "Is this your place?"

"No, it's my aunt's. I'm renting it for the summer," I answered.

"So you're one of Margaret's niece?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"Nice, Gracie and I are staying here for the summer as well. So this won't be the last time you'll see us," he chuckled and, for some strange reason, I felt my cheeks heat up.

"You can come and visit someday and we can play princesses in my castle!" Gracie lit up and smiled brightly.

"I will definitely remember that," I said, lightly pinching her cheek.

"Gracie, we better start with the dinner if granddad and grandma will arrive soon," Sam said and grabbed his daughter's hand.

"Alright," she sang and followed her father.

"See you around, Lia," he said, giving me a wave.

I nodded. "We'll do."

I watched them as Sam lifted up Gracie, kissed her, played and laughed while they walked back. The unconditional love between a father and his daughter. The stinging pain in the gut of my stomach was back, because I was soon 27 and by now everything I wanted the most in the whole wide world was that.