Summer with a Grier

Chapter 14: Welcome home

*Hayes POV*

I wake up at 7:30, which is super early for me. Weird thing is, I'm not even tired. Maybe I just slept good because I dreamt about Ella.

I got out of bed and did my normal morning routine: shower, get dressed, eat, brush teeth, and finally, I have to brush my hair to keep it soft and to make me look hot.

I wake up my mom, my dad, Johnny, Nila, and Skylynn with the smell of breakfast. Yes, we are all staying in the same condo. Well, its two condo apartment things connected by a door.

My father comes through the door looking like a zombie, tired but hungry. He is followed by my stepmother Nila, my mom, my stepfather Johnny, Nash, and finally, Sky.

After breakfast, I make my way outside, upstairs, and approach Ella's condo. I look into her bedroom window to see if she is sleeping, or dancing around, listening to music.

On the wall there is a white board where Ella draws her own calendar, as well as little pictures. Written in green expo marker is a message for me.

"Hayes, If you are looking for me, I am at swim practice with Hannah. Be back around 9. ~Ella P.S. Maybe you should stop looking through my window to see if I'm here. It's kinda creepy." Ok, I guess it is kinda creepy. But now I have to wait another hour for her to get back.

Ugh.

*Ella POV*

Here I am, pushing through a long ass freestyle set. I am not built for long distance swimming. I am a sprinter.

As I swim, I think about today. I want to make a YouTube video with Hayes. I noticed this morning that Nash had posted one with Hannah yesterday. It was pretty funny.

It's the beginning of July and I thought, why not do a Christmas in July video? Hayes and I can make Christmas cookies, or atleast that's one idea. We could make snowflakes? Or decorate the condo? I don't know.

~

I walk into my condo to see my military dad standing in the living room. I drop all of my things and almost tackle him. He's been in Iraq since March.

"Daddy!" I say like a little girl, hugging him.

"Hey, pumpkin!" he says with a smile on his face. "I missed you a lot, El,"

"I missed you too dad." I say, with tears in my eyes. I'm glad that he's home safe.

"Hey, you have to share," my mom says. Dad puts me down and kisses mom. My mom is dressed in her swimsuit under her cover-up.

"Ready to hit the water?" My dad asks and goes to change into his swim trunks.

It is quite a beautiful day, all though it's hella hot. I throw on my swimsuit and cover up and meet my father in the kitchen. He was stuffing his face with chicken strips.

"Really?" I totally judge him, then join him.

"Ok, let's go!" I say and lead my dad to Hannah's condo. The Coils' are just as surprised to see him as I was. Paula hugged my dad and my dad gave Jeff a bro hug. They caught up with each other and went to talk to Lucy and Frannie.

"Hey Mark!" Frannie said and hugged my father. They talked for a little and Frannie introduced my dad to the Grier/Floyd family.

"This is my sister, Elizabeth, her husband Johnny, and their kids Nash, Hayes, and little Skylynn." Frannie introduced the Floyd side, That side of the family said hi, and she continued with the Grier side.

"And this is Chad and Nila." she told my father the relation with the kids: Elizabeth and Chad had WIll, Nash, and Hayes, then split and are both happily remarried: Elizabeth to Johnny, who later had Skylynn, and Chad to Nila, with no new children.

Out of family business now.

*Hayes POV*

Aunt Frannie introduced us to someone, who I later found out was Ella's dad. Mark, I think his name was. Now I have to get to know him to get his approval to date Ella.

We spent the rest of the hot day on the water. Mark, Jeff, and Paula showed off their wake boarding moves, and us kids surfed and tubed. Nash and I got to talk to Mark. He's a likeable guy, and I think he likes Nash and I.

That's a good start.

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Hey, sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm suffering from writer's block.

If you think these chapters are bad, either 1) deal with it, I'm not a professional writer. Or 2) just stop reading the book. I'm only doing this for fun.

I'll try to update more.

Happy New Year! Finding Dory (the sequel to Finding Nemo) comes out this year and I am super excited.

happy 2015

~Sami🌈