When We Touch

“Carrying stuff.”

Soon I’m slowing us down, pulling off to park in the copse just beside the road. Coco bounces in her seat, quickly unfastening her seatbelt and hopping out after her mother. Ember grabs the enormous tote bag she packed with more shit than I’ve ever taken to the beach.

“Taking Coco requires more supplies,” she explains.

I’m still not convinced.

I grab the umbrella and towels, and I’m following behind the two of them. Coco runs full-speed, clearly familiar with this private beach spot. I watch Ember’s cute little ass sway in her cutoffs. Her dark hair hangs in spiral curls to her waist, and my thoughts go to the last time we were here.

I wonder if Coco naps at the beach…

The trees open, and pale brown sand extends to dark blue waters. The little girl drops everything she’s carrying on the spot and runs straight into it squealing with glee. Ember looks over her shoulder and smiles at me. I wink back. I can relate to that expression of unbridled joy pretty well.

Coco runs up and down the surf as we set up camp. “She’s been coming here since before she could walk,” Ember says, sitting on a towel and watching her daughter. “I’m so happy she loves it as much as me.”

“I’ve missed it,” I say, dropping beside her. “It’s the only thing I missed as much as you.”

She smiles and scoots closer, resting her back against my chest. The warmth of her skin on mine is the best thing in the world.

“Tell me about what you did when you left,” she says softly. “I only had the one letter.”

My brows pull together. “I’d forgotten about that. What did it say?”

“Not enough to live on for ten years.” She lets out a sad little laugh. “You were getting settled in. You missed me. You wouldn’t be home until fall break in October. You never came home.”

An old ache twists in my chest, and I kiss the side of her head. “I’m home now. We’re all home.”

“Home…” She turns to the side and wraps an arm around my waist, pressing her lips to my skin before placing her cheek against my chest. “Let’s don’t be sad. Tell me what it was like.”

“It was the normal college experience, I guess. Books, studying, exams, more exams. It was pretty boring compared to all the interesting things you were doing back here.”

That makes her laugh for real. “Flailing around, tryi

ng to grab onto anything that would anchor me? Yeah, that was awesome.”

Coco charges up then. “Mommy!”

Ember sits up and holds out her hands to catch her daughter’s sandy ones. “What?”

“Is today a holiday?”

Ember smiles and holds her. “No, sweets. What makes you think it’s a holiday?”

“We didn’t go to church!” Her little brow clenches. “Are we in trouble?”

That makes her mother laugh. “Why would we be in trouble?”

“Pastor Green yells so loud!” Her voice goes loud and she holds both hands up beside her face. “He’s going to shout at us for not being in church.”

“It’s okay, honey.” She leans forward and hugs her daughter. “Not everybody goes to church every single Sunday.”

“Bad people,” she says, nodding. “People who sit in the naughty chair. When we get home will we sit in the naughty chair?”

“Nope!” Ember says, with a big smile. “We’re going to play, and when we get home, you’ll take a bath, and you can have a red monster number five cupcake.”

That does it. Coco throws both hands over her head and does a little dance in a circle. She stops quickly and reaches around.

“Ouch,” she says, and Ember pulls her close.