Love Will Keep Us - Book 5

Surfer Mornings

"Oh my god! Am I seeing a mirage? Tessy, do you see what I am seeing?" Julius squeals as Stef walks toward the pair, her surfboard under her arm and her black and white wetsuit zipped up.

"You are so dramatic, Jules!" Tess laughs happily as the blonde reaches them.

"Thought I wouldn't make it, huh? You have that much doubt with my word? C'mon, you two!" Stef pretends to be hurt as both Julius and Tess move in to hug her.

"No, but you have been acting like Roadrunner in the flesh, and I really thought you'd end up choosing running before you took a nap!"

"You're so dumb, Jules," Tess shakes her head as she squeezes Stef's hand and smiles. She was beside herself with so much excitement that she finally lived close to her best friends again. Even Jerry had noticed and realized that they had made the right choice in moving.

"Not dumb, realistic. But let's catch some waves before that sun rises and threatens to burn me like a piece of bacon in a frying pan!" He squeals as Stef and Tess laugh and they run out to the shoreline.

They get on top of their boards and begin paddling towards the waves as Julius hoots like an owl being the dramatic person he was.

"YA-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He yells as Stef laughs her ass off along with Tess.

Feeling the waves under her board, it had been forever since the blonde surfed as it brought her back to when she was a little kid and they lived in Hawaii for six months. It was during that time Frank Jr had taught her and she loved it instantly despite how many times she had fallen, even busting her lip and face more than once. But the memory leaves a rip in her heart like so many of the memories that had started to surface of her childhood and time with her brother.

"That was fun! We should do this more often." Tess says as the two sunbathe a bit while Julius is off grabbing a few waters for them. It had been a long time since the three hung out together and an even longer time since Stef and Tess had.

"It was. I needed this. It's been forever since I surfed."

"I didn't know you surfed so well, Stef. I mean you never mentioned it." Tess sits up a bit as does the blonde who turns to smile at her.

"I guess I forgot. I haven't in so long."

"Who taught you? If you don't mind me asking."

"My brother. When we lived in Hawaii." Stef half whispers as Tess nods, placing her hand on the blonde's arm.

"What's wrong, Stef? You forget I do know you and have for awhile. What's wrong?"

"What? What do you mean? Just talking and enjoying the sun and sand. It's nice this time. Plus my kids get a break from "The Warden," monster." She jokes as Tess doesn't laugh seeing right through her best friend.

It wasn't just Lena who knew her well but Tess did as well and Lena also had mentioned to her that the kids were icing Stef out for a few weeks now and barely spoke to her other to respond to questions or demands.

"You know Stef sometimes kids don't get it. Because they are just that, kids. When you're a kid, you don't see your parents for who they are. For the person they are. They are just Mom or Dad or the two people that provide for you and help you when you need it. You see them as going to work, eating meals together, taking you out. You seem them as being old. But you don't see the core of them or the essence of who they really are. I mean I never really saw who my mother was. Ever. I just knew I didn't want to clean houses for a living like she did and watch other peoples children when she didn't even have anyone to even look after her own."