𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 || 30 day otp challenge » m. may & p. coulson

20. | 𝘩𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑦

''Mommy, why can't we take Rogers with us?"

Melinda sighed, heavily hearing the same question for the hundredth time this morning. She picked up the girl and put her in a car seat.

''I told you already, little one," she answered, trying to calm down, and fastened the child's belt. ''Rogers is too big for such a long car journey. Besides, we don't know if we can go to the beach with the dog in the place we're going to."

''But he's going to miss us," Melissa didn't give up.

''Daisy promised to visit him every day, remember? He will have company. It's only a few days, honey, he'll be fine."

The girl didn't look convinced. She made a grumpy face, and it seemed like only a moment was separating her from bursting into tears.

''Are you ready, girls?" Phil asked as he sat in the driver's seat. Melinda patted her pants pockets and cursed under her breath.

''I left my phone in the kitchen," she said. ''I'll be right back."

She quickly took her phone from the table and left the house, checking twice if she closed the door. When she got into the car, she made sure for the last time that they had taken everything with them, and then they set off. The navigation showed that they would arrive in less than four hours.

''Mommy, I'm thirsty," Melissa said after an hour.

Melinda pulled a bottle of water from the locker and turned to hand it to her daughter. Her eyes opened wide when she saw who was sitting next to her. Rogers was looking at her curiously and wagging his tail cheerfully. May frowned.

''What is he doing here?" she asked.

The girl just shrugged her shoulders with the innocent face, and with sudden curiosity began to look at the bottle, as if she saw it for the first time. Melinda turned to Phil, but he also seemed completely focused on the road ahead. She hit him on the shoulder.

''Hey! What was that for?"

''For you both not listening to me."

''I didn't even see when he jumped in the car," Phil said, raising one hand in a defensive gesture. He couldn't hide the gentle smile, though. It was his doing.

''Me neither, really," Melissa added. Melinda just rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat. The corner of her mouth rose slightly upwards. She couldn't be angry at them for long.

In the late afternoon of the same day, when they arrived and unpacked in the small wooden house they had rented, they changed into swimsuits and went to the beach, where, fortunately for them, dogs were allowed. Melissa was seeing the ocean for the first time in her life and bursting with joy and energy. She was laughing loudly running along the shore with Rogers at her side. Melinda's heart seemed to grow at the sight.

Lying on the blanket they had laid out on the sand, Phil put his hand under his head and looked at Melinda, who was looking at their playing daughter with a smile.

''What are you thinking about?" he asked.

May thought for a moment. She was really happy. ''About how this here is so much better than your Tahiti."

Phil sat down and laughed out loud. He moved to Melinda and pulled her close to him, kissing her on top of her head.

''You're absolutely right."