James had ended up taking Nadine to the pier where he took Sora to the night before. They ate at the restaurant that looked over the cliffs next to the boardwalk. It wasn't how Nadine had expected it to be. She thought that she would have to keep scolding James trying to make moves, but he literally just sat down and had dinner with her. He'd eat and ask about how work was, if they were any interesting patients, or how her feet were feeling after 16 hour shifts for 3 days. Nadine kept up with the conversation as well. She'd ask about Tina or Bret, how the construction is going for the new hospital, or if he's ever going to get promoted this year to senior partner. All in all, it went by like a typical dinner.
After dinner, James offered to take her back home, but there was a bustle around the boardwalk and they decided to treat themselves to a walk along the beach. They continued talking about anything and everything. Literally anything that came to mind, they'd talk about. Nadine ended up laughing so hard, she had to stop walking to catch her breath after some joke James made about Sora wanting to become a mermaid.
"She definitely took your love for the beach," Nadine said when she could finally breathe properly. "That girl is going to be hard to get out of the water once she learns how to swim by herself."
"Those swim lessons aren't helping her become a mermaid if she keeps moving her feet like that."
Nadine smacked his arm, "Hoy! Anak natin yan!"
James laughed, "Kidding. Sora's a natural in the water. As if she was born in it."
They climbed up the rocks to the pier, James going before Nadine so he could give her a hand and pull her up. She still held her heels in her hand, deciding it best to walk barefoot along the pier so the heels wouldn't slip in between the gaps in the wooden boards.
They walked a few minutes to a secluded space at the end of the pier where it seemed like they were in the middle of nowhere and the water could lead you to anywhere. The moon was full and it reflected across the ripples in the ocean. Nadine looked out and sighed, getting a sudden memory of when they'd go to the pier in Sydney after finals to destress.
James leaned against the railing like Nadine, but he was watching her.
She smiled a little before asking, "What are you staring at me for?"
He chuckled, "I've lived with you for over a year, I didn't see you 4 years prior to that, but you still look like the same Nadine Lustre I've always known."
Nadine dropped her heels next to her and rested her arms on the rails, "I may look the same, but I'm not the same Nadine that you saw when you left."
"Yeah, the Nadine now has a little mini monster running around at her parents' house," James raised his eyebrows in a joking manner.
"Your daughter is a monster. If only you know how hard it was to give birth to that little girl. She's so tiny but she didn't want out until the last possible second."
"She's a monster, but she's also the best little girl I've met. Literally, even before I knew she was my daughter, I had a little attachment to her. I think it's because she reminded me of you."
"Why?"
"The way she gets mad, especially at JJ, it's like when you get mad at Ice or Eze. She makes the same face too."
She made a face, "You mean like this?"
James looked at her and laughed, "That's the one."
They laughed it out together, the sound of the waves crashing drowned out by Nadine's bungisngis laugh.
"You've really done a great job in raising her Nadine. She's loving and caring. She's smart and talented. She's so full of life and energy, but she's only 4 years old. Sometimes I think that you don't need me to raise her and you're just being polite to our parents by keeping me around, but then I don't want to leave because then I don't get to see Sora grow up."
