Operation Beautiful

Chapter 50: basking in the glow of the setting sun

Chapter 50: basking in the glow of the setting sun

Haley’s dad went back to China the following Tuesday. According to Haley, her parents get along much better than before, and it looks like it might stay that way. Mrs. Waters has arranged for a few interviews in China during the next few months so she can go visit him and Mr. Waters is using up his vacation time to spend a week here as soon as he can. Meanwhile, Emmaleigh and I are having fun together.

“Hey, let’s move, okay? It’s a walk, not a photo shoot!” I call through her shut door.

“You can come in, I’m just finding my bathing suit!” she calls back.

I am broke. And, being broke, I’m taking Emmaleigh on a walk down this place called the “Venice Ocean Front” instead of the movies or dinner or whatever. Apparently the walk is a hub of street vendors and artists as well as being right on the beach. What more could you ask for?

“I hope you don’t want help,” I say, opening her door and sitting on the bed.

“No, no, just stay there.” She riffles through her neatly arranged closet, pulling one suit off the hanger.

“Not that one,” I say before I can stop myself.

“What?” she asks, turning around in disbelief.

“The polka-dotted one,” I say, pointing to the one right next to it.

“Uh...okay?” she pulls the suit out. “You just stay here, I’ll put it on under what I’m wearing and we can go.” She gives me a creeped-out look before she exits the room. “What, have you been going through my clothes?” she asks.

“No. I just...liked that one better when I saw it.”

“But you haven’t seen me wear either,” she says, her voice getting more and more faint as she travels down the hall.

“Well, I’m sorry for having an opinion,” I call after her jokingly. It’s not my fault I liked the polka-dots better. She just laughs and shuts the bathroom door.

“Hey, Corey!” Mark says, coming inside. “I thought I heard your voice. How are you?”

“Good.” I get up to shake his hand. “Emmaleigh and I are going out today. She told you, right?”

“Yeah, she told me. What do you guys have planned?”

“Well, I haven’t gotten a chance to visit the beach yet, so I thought we’d go down to that Venice...Ocean Front...thing. You heard of it?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s a great place for a walk. Watch out for the man who walks on glass, okay?”

“What? He walks on glass?”

Mark shrugs. “Well, he “walks” on glass,” he says, air-quoting the word ‘walks’. “But it’s still fun to watch. Are you guys having dinner out there?”

“Yeah. Packed a picnic basket.”

“Very nice,” he says with a smile. “Well, I’m going to get going. You guys have fun.”

“Corey!” Emmaleigh calls, walking into the room. “Oh, hey dad. Corey’s picking me up for the--”

“Yeah, I know. Just saying hello.” He gives his daughter a hug and walks out of the room.

“What was I going to say?" Emma mutters. “Oh! Can you grab my insulin from the fridge?”

I go over to the fridge and grab her little insulin pen. It comes with its own detachable needles. When I get back to the room, she’s hastily shoving a beach towel and sunscreen into her beach-bag.