Moving Forward

The Life

"Good morning, princess!" I walk into Kassie's room once she wakes up "You slept so good last night."

I sit down in her rocker so I can feed her as I listen to Brad and Ava run around playing. Kassie squirms around as she eats, wanting very hard to join them now that she's big enough to run around and play as well.

She stops eating as soon as they get closer, jumping off my lap and running to the door to see them. I get up to follow her, watching as Brad runs up to get her.

"I can't believe she's one today." I stand with Brad as the girls chase each other down the hall "It doesn't feel like she's been here a whole year."

"That's because it's been such an amazing year." He pulls me closer, leaning in for a kiss "Now, let's go make this one even better. The beach is waiting for us."

We get the girls and all their crap packed up in the car, ready to go.  They talk to each other in the back the whole way to the beach while Brad and I actually get to talk uninterrupted for once.

"That was a much easier drive than I expected." He says once we get to the beach "I expected a lot more crying and complaining.  You did really good."

"I did good?  Last time I checked I haven't cried over the car next to us not being red because I think it has to be." I grab our bags, reminding him of Ava's fit last week "Her world was going to end because of it."

"I know, it was devastating."

Once the girls are out of the car, they run through the gate to the beach and roll around in the sand.  They play together while Brad and I set up everything, and then they see other kids playing closer to the water.

"Can we play with them?" Ava runs up to us to ask "Please?"

"You can, but Kassie can't be that close to the water." Brad says, letting her go.  He sits in the sand with Kassie to play and we help her build a castle.

"Momma," she moves closer, getting me to help "Build."

We help her pack the sand into the toys to form the castles, laughing at how excited she gets when we let her flip them over for the reveal.

"Brad?" A lady walks over, staring him down.  I think it's just a fan, and ignore her until he sits up.

"Claire?"  He gets closer, trying to get a better look "What are you doing here?"

I sit with Kassie, watching the whole thing, not understanding what's going on. 

"We decided to bring the kids on a big vacation... and all they wanted to do was play on the beach." She stares out at the kids Ava is currently playing with "They even made friends with your daughter."

I try to think of who this woman could possibly be, and then it hits me.  He dated a Claire right after high school... a few years before we met.

"Yeah, kids love the beach.  That's why we're here.  She loves the sand." Brad picks up Kassie, who fights to get out of his arms, wanting back with her toys "It's her birthday so we thought we'd bring them for a little."

"Aw, happy birthday!" She leans in towards Kassie, smiling, before looking down at me "They're really beautiful, they look so much like you."

"Thanks." I stand up next to Brad "Yours are adorable, I love how he keeps 'accidentally' falling right on top of his sister."

"Oh yeah that's an everyday thing." She laughs, looking over at them as he does it again "She seems to like it though."

I look over at Brad, who looks slightly uncomfortable with the situation considering it's been a good 15 years since he's seen her last, and apparently that wasn't too good of a day.

"It's nice that they're all getting along." He finally says, breaking the silence "I was wondering what we would do with her all day."

"So what made you decide on bringing them to LA?" I ask, taking Kassie from Brad and setting her down "Not many people with kids come here for vacations."

"It was more of a work trip for my husband.  I was able to get off too, so we decided to bring them.  It hasn't been easy to find much to do though."

"Look for fairs and things.  I know they used to have nice playgrounds around here, we used to take our nieces and nephews all the time."

After a few minutes, Kassie walks over to us, pointing towards the water.  We decide to take her in and get Ava to go with as well.

"Look how good I can swim!" Ava yells, just in time to get hit by a wave and growl at it.

"She is a weird child." Brad looks at me rolling his eyes "She really just growled at a wave."

"I know.  She takes after you."

I try to put Kassie down, but even with her floaties on she freaks out and clings onto me with a death grip.

"You wanted to come swimming," I look down at her confused "Look at Ava, she's having fun."

"No!" She yells directly in my face, not wanting anything more to do with the water.

"You can get out with her." Brad decides "I'll stay with the weird one."

I walk her out of the water to the sand, where she stands as close as she can to the water without actually being in it.  She excitedly watches as it gets closer, trying to jump and miss it each time it reaches her feet.

"You're so cute." I stand there watching her, hardly believing she's getting so big.

Brad and Ava come out of the water shortly after, and we make our way towards a restaurant for dinner.

"Happy birthday, Kassie!" Ava hugs her happily "I love you."