there for me (shourtney)

xx.

shayne's pov -

A few hours rolled by and the kids hadn't crashed yet. 

Jude and I had found a few sharks' teeth. He gripped them in his small hands as we sifted through the fragments on the shoreline. He nonchalantly filled me on on his city of sandcastles he designed.

Every once in a while I looked up to find Courtney. She was playing with Kora in the shallow waters of a sand bar.  Her knees bent and her upper body hunched over to get closer to Kora. Ribbons of Kora's laughter wrapped around my head.

Jax was with Anna, the two of them tossed around a frisbee and waited for the rest of the group to come to the beach. 

Jude and I had stood up to go show Jax a half a sand dollar Jude found. Proudly holding it up, he jumped up and down and squealed. 

"Go show him!" I nodded toward Jax and placed an encouraging hand on Jude's back. He nodded fast and ran over to Jax, his head barely missing the frisbee Anna had thrown.

"Shayne!" I heard Courtney call me. Looking over toward the sand bar, she waved me to come closer. I smiled and jogged over. "Look!" She said, holding a starfish. Her fingers gently pinched the top arm of the dark red creature. I laughed as I watched her thrilled face resemble Jude's excited features. She laughed as she turned the starfish back to her face to admire her find.

"Wait Court." I said fishing in my back pocket to pull out my phone. "Look at me." 

Her eyes met mine as she smiled at the camera. She proudly held the starfish close to her face and squinted her eyes to smile. Her nose wrinkling. I snapped a few pictures. Just to make sure I wouldn't forget this moment. I love this.

I stuffed my phone back away but kept watching Courtney. Noticing, she blew a kiss. Bending down, she delicately placed the starfish back in the water, careful to not place it near Kora's unsteady feet. 

I turned to walk away and play frisbee with Jax and the kids when a soft howl caught my attention. I glanced over at Courtney, who already had already picked up little Kora. Kora held one of her fingers with her other hand, staring at it with beady eyes. 

Courtney walked out of the sandbar and on to the beach, stopping near me.

"I think she clipped a sharp shell." She muttered to me. I nodded.

"Hey, Kora." I said in a soothing voice. "Can I see your finger?" I held out a flat hand for her to place her's on. She nodded and buried her face in Courtney's neck. You don't need to be afraid.

I took Kora's tiny fingers and looked at them, her left pointer finger seemed red, but no blood. The saltwater probably made her sensitive skin sting. 

"Okay, you're good." Courtney said into the back of Kora's head. She adjusted her grip on Kora, hiking her little body further up Courtney's right hip. Kora slung an arm across Courtney's chest, holding her left shoulder, while she tucked her small left arm close to her body. 

Courtney smiled at me as her left hand flattened against Kora's back and held her close. Soothing her. 

"Well good news." I started. "It looks like you'll only need a bandaid." Placebo.

Courtney gently patted Kora's back, swaying slightly. 

"Then you can keep playing" Courtney smiled. Kora perked up, removing her face from Courtney's neck. Courtney's reddish hair still touching Kora's face. She nodded slightly, still holding her hand in a fist close to her body, a deep frown marking her face. 

I placed a finger below Kora's chin and lifted her gaze to mine. I smiled at her.

"You're going to feel all better with that bandaid on." I said, making Kora smile just a little. 

The three of us walked up the beach and met Jax on the way.

"A shell bit me!" Kora shouted to him before Courtney or I got a chance to say anything. 

He smiled and moved to over to Courtney and Kora, pulling at Kora's fisted hand to kiss it. 

"We're going to get a bandaid." Courtney said, looking at Kora. She lowered her voice to Jax "That will most likely fall off." He laughed and nodded. 

"You remember where the first-floor bathroom is, Shayne?" Jax asked, turning his head to ask me. 

"Yeah. Right to the left of the door?" I confirmed. He nodded, gave Kora's tiny hand one last kiss, then stepped aside to let us go up. 

We hiked up the deck stairs, me behind Courtney and Kora. Holding my hands close to her lower back. Just in case. 

"A left you said?" She asked as she stepped through the already opened sliding door.

"Yep!" I said, turning into the bathroom after her. 

"Alright, little monkey, take a seat right here." Courtney said to Kora, sliding her hands under Kora's armpits, Cortney shrugged her little body onto the closed toilet seat. I grabbed a bandaid from the tiny pack on under the sink, realizing I knew this place better than I thought I did.

Courtney kneeled in front of Kora. Knees planted on the floor, vertical feet under her butt boosting her up, Courtney patted her thighs and Kora placed her sand-covered feet on them. 

"Ready?" Courtney asked her, smiling as I unwrapped the bandaid. Kora nodded and grinned. Her frown lines decreasing by the minute.

Taking her left fist, I worked it open with my thumb and gently held her pointer finger. Courtney brushed Kora's wild, unbrushed hair out of her face.

I put the bandaid on her and looked back up at Kora's face. 

"Does it hurt?" I asked her, letting her small hand go. She retracted it and marveled at it, making Courtney laugh. 

"No! It doesn't!" Kora yelled happily. She shoved her fingers into Courtney's face, just barely missing her glasses, and squealed. Courtney shot her head back just in time, glancing at me as her weight fell backward. 

"Yay!" Courtney said as she sat back upright. "Now you can go play!" 

I moved to the side and let Kora dash out of the bathroom. Leaving a trail of sandy footprints behind her. 

Courtney giggled and pointed at the trail, rolling her eyes. 

"She's such a cute kid." She sighed standing up.

"Right?" I agreed, tossing the bandaid wrappings into the garbage. "Five bucks the bandaid already fell off." I shot a playful smirk at Courtney. She swatted my bicep and laughed. 

We walked out of the bathroom and back out to the deck, closing the door behind us.

"Do you need anything from the house?" I asked as we headed down the wooden steps, gesturing to our place next door. 

"Should we check our phones? Ian might've sent something." 

"True." I nodded. Let's take a sun break for a bit." I said as I grabbed her hand. Shooting Jax a friendly wave, we headed back to our steps.

-

more scenes with the kids:) i love the idea of shayne interacting with a little boy like Jude