Brokenness Aside

Fresh Air

The children were inside all day, everyday. Sometimes I would try to get them to do something with me and they would usually say they we too busy but I honestly never saw them doing anything. I tried not to prod them so much but I was getting bored too. At the breakfast table one morning I had to change this!
"Alright, we are going outside today. You know, blue sky, green grass, yellow sun...do you remember what outside looks like?" I asked playfully and the kids didn't look too excited. "Come on, maybe we can go down to the beach and maybe the girls and I can go shopping and Linds and Will can swim...it will be fun!"
Lee looked up when I talked about shopping and I knew I had my hooks in. "Can I get a new bikini? I don't have one here"
"Of course!"
"And can I get a book to read?" Stella squeaked.
"Of course you can, sweet girl. So are you on board? Will?"
"Yeah, I guess..." Lindsey elbows him and he sighs. "Let me just gather up some stuff and I'll go."
The children got up from the table, put their dishes in the dishwasher and went upstairs to pack their little beach bags. Lindsey wrapped his arms around me and kissed her temple.
"Thank you, Steph. Thank you for getting them out of the house. They need to be kids for a while."
"Yes they do. Hopefully they have fun today."
"We need to go upstairs and get ready ourselves"
"You know as well as I do that if we both go up there today there will be no shopping, no beach, no nothing..."
"Oh there will be something" he has a boyish, mischievous glint in his eye and I have to bite my lip to stop from laughing.
"Mind out of the gutter, Buckingham!"

---

The girls and I went shopping. Stella got this lovely looking book about a fairy queen and a forest witch. Girl after my own heart! She read me the description and it was between this one and another. This one really struck me as a fun read.
"You can borrow it after I'm done, aunt Stevie!"  She said, walking with her book pressed to her chest.
"I'll hold you to that, little one." I say. Now Miss Lee wants to go swim suit shopping and she tries on everything. I convince her to get a wrap too. I don't want to have to bury her father when he sees her swim suit. It's a little small to me but you're only young once. The wrap should make it okay. At least I hope! I get distracted by sunglasses and hats. While I'm off with the fairies, the girls are tossing little trinkets into the basket. By the time we get to the realistic it's all over. But what can an auntie do if she can't spoil her nieces?

After our little shopping spree we went back to the beach to meet the boys and we walked them swim and surf. Lee laid out on the sand on her beach blanket in her swim suit and I was thankful Lindsey didn't see until lunch time. Stella sat under the umbrella with me and read for a while before swimming with the boys and laying in the sand. She's still innocent and it's such a beautiful thing to watch. Lindsey gave me a look when he saw Lee and I pretended to be confused. Later we had lunch and kids talked very animatedly. I am glad they were distracted from recent events. It's been hell on all of us.
"You know, I'm going to miss when you kids go back to school" I say suddenly and they look at me.
"Aunt Stevie, I can still come and visit you and I can bring my girlfriend!" Will offers and I hold his hand across the table.
"You sweet, sweet boy!" LeeLee rolls her eyes at the mention of his girlfriend and I stifle a laugh. That girl is such a diva...and I love it.
"Do we get to stay here with you forever, Stevie?" Stella asks and I look at Lindsey.
"Maybe, Stel. I still have to think about your school and..."
"But I want to stay!" Stella says firmly.
"Yeah, me too!" Lee says.
"Alright girls, we will think about it." Lindsey said, trying to end the conversation. It was quiet for a second so I chimed in.
"But I would love it you all could stay. This place is just too far from school"
"We should get a house for all of us together, somewhere new" Stella suggested in a spirited, excited way.
Lindsey looked like he liked that idea, nodding his head and I was kind of shocked. I thought will all that was going on, he'd want to work things out with Kristen or at least be near her, keeping his family as close knit as possible. He didn't even really mention her at all recently and he was so warm and cuddly- I was enjoying the way things are going even though it felt like it could never last. Our relationship has had some ups and downs but with each passing day he seemed to be looking toward a future, a long future....with me.

A/N: moving on along. Fluff and some fun stuff.